Jazz in American Culture

This book explores the evolution of jazz, highlighting its role in reflecting American cultural shifts throughout the twentieth century. Jazz in American Culture offers valuable insights into this musical genre.

Part of the American Ways series, Jazz in American Culture presents a comprehensive history of jazz, delving into its music, musicians, and audience. It traces the emergence of jazz and its evolution, illustrating how this genre reflects the shifting values of American society. The narrative spans the twentieth century, positioning jazz within the broader context of American culture, and highlights the ways in which this unique musical form has woven itself into the fabric of the nation.

Burton Peretti argues convincingly that jazz is a vital thread in the tapestry of American culture. The book meticulously examines the music itself, its creators, and the audiences that embraced it, revealing much about the changes in American life since 1910. Peretti chronicles the rise of jazz from its roots in ragtime during a period of significant urban and industrial growth, through the flourishing of the genre in the 1920s, which symbolized the cultural clash between modernists and traditionalists.

As America faced the Great Depression, jazz evolved, achieving new sophistication during the Swing Era. The impact of World War II ushered in rapid changes in popular tastes, and in the postwar years, jazz emerged as both a voice for a globally dominant America and an avant-garde expression reflecting social and political upheaval. Ultimately, Jazz in American Culture tells a distinctly American story, evaluating the music and its creators while offering fresh insights into our cultural history.