The Rise of a Jazz Art World

by Paul Lopes

Overview

The origins of jazz were in the barrelhouses of New Orleans and the speakeasies of Chicago. By the nineteen fifties, a musical renaissance transformed jazz into a high art form. Paul Lopes shows how the rise of a jazz art world was a unique movement—a socially diverse community of musicians, critics, collectors, producers, and enthusiasts that struggled in various ways against cultural orthodoxy in America. This accessible, interdisciplinary book will be of great interest to scholars and students of sociology, cultural studies, American studies, African-American studies, and jazz studies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521801911
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	05/30/2002
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	1460L (what's this?)

About the Author

Paul Lopes is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Tufts University, Massachusetts. He was Director of the Communications and Media Studies Program at Tufts from 1994 to 2001. He also is a saxophonist who has played in jazz, reggae and rock groups.

Table of Contents

Introduction: the quest for cultural legitimacy; 1. Before the jazz age: professional musicians and good music; 2. The jazz age: professional musicians and the cultivated vernacular; 3. The swing craze: professional musicians, swing music and the art of improvisation; 4. The rise of a jazz art world: jazz enthusiasts, professional musicians and the modernist revolt; 5. The new jazz age: the jazz art world and the modern jazz renaissance; Conclusion: the jazz art world and American culture.

Editorial Reviews

"Lopes has written a richly informative and highly readable book that is a welcome addition to the growing number of academic studies that engage with musical styles as the lifeblood of 'scenes' — living cultures producing a verve and commitment that remain hard to fathom for those on the 'outside.'" American Journal of Sociology

From the Publisher