Free Jazz and Free Improvisation: An Encyclopedia [2 volumes]

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Description

The free jazz revolution that began in the mid-1950s represented an artistic and sociopolitical response to the economic, racial, and musical climate of jazz and the nation. In parallel with the American civil rights movement, free jazz exemplified an escape from the restrictive rules of musical performance with an emphasis on individual expression and musical democracy. A handful of major individual artists opened the gateway to intense personalization of performances through astonishing new techniques, and inner-city collectives were formed to support artistic experimentation and community education. Reviled by most critics and jazz fans in its nascence, and still highly misunderstood today, free jazz eventually had a profound influence on subsequent developments in jazz and rock, forever changing the musical landscape. Todd S. Jenkins' handy encyclopedia of free music reflects upon the personalities, styles, organizations, philosophy and politics of a musical form to which too little prior attention has been devoted. Directing readers to outstanding recorded performances, it serves as an essential introduction to this difficult but rewarding music, offering a scholarly historical and cultural overview that provides a critical assessment of one of the most misunderstood periods in American music. Filling many gaps left in previously published literature on the subject, Jenkins's work is a necessary addition to the shelves of music libraries and the collections of jazz aficionados alike.

Reviews

The strength of this work is its immediacy and focus.Recommended. General and academic collections. * Choice *
As the first resource devoted to an enduring and influential American Musical form, this is highly recommended for all libraries. * Library Journal, Starred Review *
[A] valuable addition to the pool of research tools. For the music researcher just beginning research of for those who need a quick overview of the genre, this is a most helpful resource. I found it to be very well organized, informative, and insightful. I can now listen to these artists with a more knowledgeable ear. * Music Reference Services Quarterly *
[H]ighly recommended for specialty collections.[J]enkins' A-Z reference provides an encyclopedia of key figures, groups, and movements within the jazz world, charting a trend which began in the mid-1950s and ran parallel to America's civil rights movement. A specialty item highly recommended for in-depth college-level jazz holdings. * MBR Internet Bookwatch *
^I[F]ree Jazz and Free Improvisation^R is not only seminal, but verges on completist. This is the only serious encyclopedic work on jazz and free improvisation to date in English, and perhaps in any language. Music libraries would be making a sad mistake to leave it un-ordered. It should be treated as a standard reference text for the genre. It provides the basic biographical information, historical contexts and chronology for curious listeners, music journalists and academics to understand a most profound artistic revolution. * Jazz Notes *
This is the first English-language encyclopedia devoted to the topic.Recommended for music libraries and large research libraries. * Reference & User Services Quarterly *
The main virtue of this encyclopedia is that it gathers nearly the entire free jazz family under one massive umbrella, and I know that I'll be consulting it on a regular basis. A strong effort and an invaluable resource. * All About Jazz *
This groundbreaking guide to an often maligned and misunderstood musical movement is the work of freelance writer and jazz enthusiast, Todd S. Jenkins.The remarkable result is a tool for both research and listening pleasure. Jenkins firmly demonstrates the continuing influence of free jazz on contemporary music, and his guide is highly recommended for any collection supporting music research or jazz aficionados. * Lawrence Looks at Books *
[A]n informative and comprehensive reference work on a little-known jazz subgenre and is recommended for comprehensive jazz collections. * Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin *

Author Bio

Todd S. Jenkins is a freelance writer who has contributed to Down Beat, Route 66, and Signal to Noise. A lifelong fan of jazz, he is a director of the American Jazz Symposium, a nonprofit arts organization.