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A
book in the popular World of Art Series (a series that mainly concerns
the visual arts). This is a very general, but well-written and sound introduction
to the history of jazz, from its early balancing of African and European
influences, through the formative years in New Orleans and Chicago and
the rise of the big bands in New York, to bebop and the post-war proliferation
of styles from a new generation - hard bop, West Coast, cool, free jazz,
modal jazz, fusion and crossover. The book sets jazz in its social and
political context against a background of constant racial tension. The
author looks also at individual talents who shaped the music, from Armstong,
Ellington, Billie Holiday to Miles Davis.