Is Jazz Dead?

Is Jazz Dead? examines the state of jazz in America at the turn of the twenty-first century. Musicians themselves are returning to New Orleans, Swing, and Bebop styles, while the work of the '60s avant-garde and even '70s and '80s jazz-rock is roundly ignored. Meanwhile, global jazz musicians are creating new and exciting music that is just starting to be heard in the United States, offering a viable alternative to the rampant conservatism here. Stuart Nicholson's thought-provoking book offers an analysis of the American scene, how it came to be so stagnant, and what it can do to create a new level of creativity. This book is bound to be controversial among jazz purists and musicians; it will undoubtedly generate discussion about how jazz should grow now that it has become a recognized part of American musical history. IsJazz Dead? dares to ask the question on all jazz fan's minds: Can jazz survive as a living medium? And, if so, how?

Stuart Nicholson is an award-winning author of several best-selling books on jazz, including Reminiscing inTempo: A Portrait of Duke Ellington , Jazz-Rock: AHistory , Billie Holiday: A Biography , and EllaFitzgerald: A Biography . He writes regularly for leading US and European newspapers and jazz journals. He lives in England.