Playing Changes is a collection of essays providing an overview of 21st century jazz. The story starts in the 1980s, when the prevailing opinion was that jazz was nearly dead until Wynton Marsalis, Ken Burns, and newly interested cultural institutions saved it by recognizing it as "America's classical music." This view polarized the jazz community, especially since the conservatives seemed to control access to the new sources of funding from Lincoln Center, the MacArthur Foundation, and so on. The avant garde and the hybridizers just continued what they were doing.
I was happy that I knew most of the musicians Chinen discussed; he provided context for my understanding of their styles. I was surprised by the fact that nearly all of them had some degree of formal education in jazz -- the restricted access to institutional resources obviously didn't last.
Playing Changes covers a wide range of styles and subcultures, and offers numerous listening suggestions.
I was happy that I knew most of the musicians Chinen discussed; he provided context for my understanding of their styles. I was surprised by the fact that nearly all of them had some degree of formal education in jazz -- the restricted access to institutional resources obviously didn't last.
Playing Changes covers a wide range of styles and subcultures, and offers numerous listening suggestions.
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