People Get Ready
The Future of Jazz Is Now!
Rob Wallace editor Ajay Heble editor
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Duke University Press
Published:17th May '13
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This collection, People Get Ready, examines jazz's evolution since 1965, emphasizing its political roots and the ongoing innovations that shape contemporary music.
In People Get Ready, a diverse group of musicians, scholars, and journalists explore the evolution of jazz since 1965, highlighting its deep connections to political consciousness. The book is named after Curtis Mayfield's iconic civil rights anthem, which serves as a backdrop for discussions on how jazz has been shaped by social and political movements over the decades. Contributors delve into the avant-garde, Free Jazz, fusion, and other innovative forms that emerged during and after the 1960s, illustrating how these styles continue to resonate in contemporary music.
The essays present a nuanced view of jazz history, revising traditional narratives about prominent figures like Duke Ellington and lesser-known artists such as Jeanne Lee. They also examine the impact of socio-economic factors on the performance of experimental music, shedding light on how class, space, and money influence artistic expression. Additionally, the book addresses the role of digital technology in shaping improvisation, revealing the ways in which modern tools are integrated into the jazz tradition.
People Get Ready not only reflects on the rich tapestry of jazz's past but also offers a vision for its future. By celebrating the complexity of its heritage and the ongoing innovation within the genre, the book serves as a testament to jazz's enduring relevance and its ability to inspire new generations of musicians and audiences alike.
"If you thought jazz was dead, think again. As this remarkable collection of essays makes crystal clear, jazz is alive, loud, messy, sprawling, old and wise, born again, and playful. People Get Ready makes an essential contribution to jazz studies, cultural studies, and our increasingly global understanding of modern music. And it demonstrates what discerning readers and listeners already know: that 'hip' is both an adjective and a verb."—Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original
"Reader Get Ready! This lovely collection blasts past pessimism and uncertainty to showcase the resonant vibrancy of jazz today. From history to technology and from improvisation to politics, People Get Ready constitutes mandatory reading for anyone with a serious interest in answering Marvin Gaye's perennial question—'What's Going On?'"—Daniel Widener, author of Black Arts West: Culture and Struggle in Postwar Los Angeles
“This collection of thought-provoking essays is as much about inclusion, looking at jazz as a genre relevant to all, as it is futurism. Evolved from the Guelph Jazz Festival Colloquium, the publication is like a breath of fresh air in the scholarship pertaining to the music, first and foremost because it looks at it from new angles, and, perhaps more importantly, provides a platform for artists who simply have not been lionised according to their full worth.” -- Kevin L Gendre * Jazzwise *
“A diverse array of knowledgeable improvisers riffing on the musical practice and community that has inspired them.” -- Alex W. Rodriguez * Ethnomusicology Review *
"...an excellent companion, presenting a diverse range of voices on the various aesthetic, social, and economic contexts bearing on improvised music currently and fleshing out how jazz and its aesthetic corollaries negotiate with these material factors through an ongoing stylistic restlessness and capacity for exchange." -- Michael Borshuk * English Studies in Canada *
"[T]he clearly situated specificity and well-grounded interdisciplinarity ... make[s] the conversations in People Get Ready so compelling." -- A. Scott Currie * Ethnomusicology *
ISBN: 9780822354086
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 1583g
336 pages