Jazz: The American Theme Song

Abstract

Praised by the Washington Post as a `tough, unblinkered critic,' James Lincoln Collier is probably the most controversial writer on jazz today. His iconoclatic articles, and his acclaimed biographies of the jazz greats continue to spark debate in jazz circles. With the publication of Jazz: The American Theme Song, Collier does nothing to soften his reputation for hard-hitting, incisive commentary. Questioning everything we think we know about jazz - its origins, its innovative geniuses, the importance of improvisation and spontaneous inspiration in a performance - and the jazz world, these ten provocative essays on the music and its place in American culture overturn tired assumptions and will alternately enrage, enlighten, and entertain.

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