NEW HISTORY OF JAZZ, THE

A New History of Jazz by Alyn Shipton offers a radical new look at jazz history, testing many of the myths and assumptions that have been perpetuated in all other accounts of the music. Shipton looks afresh at every aspect of jazz, from its origins to its current dilemmas in the postmodern era. On the way he convincingly re-examines many key elements, proposing a vitally important role in jazz development for string ensembles, suggesting that it did not simply begin as a New Orleans-based phenomenon, and examining the pivotal role of the black theatre and of territory bands in spreading the message far and wide. No other general history looks in such detail at jazz outside the United States, from pioneers in the UK and France to Russia and South America. This line of enquiry is carried forward into the modern age, and today's conjunction of jazz and world music is seen as a continuation of developments begun in 1918. Shipton assesses and places the careers of many significant jazz innovators, but he also examines the influential work of many lesser-known figures, from Kansas City leader Jesse Stone through bassist John Kirby, and from West Coast boppers Gerald Wilson and Roy Porter to pianists Billy Kyle and Clyde Hart.