Author Description

Listening to Jazz offers an engaging introduction to the rich history and culture of jazz. Featuring coverage of all standard periods and genres, this text helps students understand how jazz evolved and how its various styles intersect and blend. A wealth of innovative features, including a series of sidebars, in-depth listening guides, the incorporation of Spanish-Caribbean and women musicians, and historic introductions enhance students' appreciation for this powerful and important genre of music. Distinctive Features * Balanced coverage of jazz history and culture, performance, and listening skills * In-depth "Listening Guide" and "Listening Focus" boxes build students' listening skills on a variety of levels * A full chapter on jazz in the twenty-first century offers the most up-to-date coverage of the current jazz scene * Full treatment of all jazz eras--with coverage of women's and Spanish-Caribbean musicians' contributions to jazz woven throughout * Section overviews provide historical context for the development of jazz and show how cultural/social movements shaped and were shaped by the music * A series of sidebars throughout the text address important subjects: ** "Questions and Controversies" boxes address issues relevant to each period in jazz history ** "Jazz Lives" boxes offer brief biographies of key players, composers, and jazz promoters ** "In Performance" boxes highlight issues faced by working musicians ** "Read All About It" callouts provide references to source readings and critical essays in Robert Walser's anthology, Keeping Time, 2nd Ed., which can be packaged with this text * Downloadable audio, available for purchase separately or in a bundle with the text, offers student access to high-quality recordings of key listening examples. A Spotify playlist will also be available on the companion website.