Whether you are one of the many music lovers currently discovering jazz or a long-time jazz buff interested in any style from New Orleans to the contemporary scene. Understanding Jazz offers you new insights into this uniquely American form of music. In Understanding Jazz, Leroy Ostransky takes you through the history of jazz, beginning with its origins in the marching bands of 1800s, through New Orleans, swing, and bop, right up to the present day. From King Oliver and Louis Armstrong to Miles Davis and John McLaughlin, Ostransky evaluates the contributions of the major figures in jazz and shows how jazz reflected the major events in our history, from prohibition to the civil rights movement. In addition, Ostransky gives you useful insights into the problem of defining jazz, explanations of the role of improvisation, analysis of the techniques, and examples of the elements of style which make one artist different from another. Exploring jazz and its many meanings--racial issue, social phenomenon, political statement, and artistic event-- Understanding Jazz is a valuable history and analysis of the music that America gave the world.

Jazz The Impact of Our Cities on the Development of Jazz