musical meaning. Focusing on pianists Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett, Ake investigates the ways in which musicians' postures and attitudes influence perceptions of them as profound and serious artists. In another essay, Ake examines the musical values and ideals promulgated by college jazz education programs through a consideration of saxophonist John Coltrane. He also discusses the concept of the jazz "standard" in the 1990s and the differing sense of tradition implied in recent recordings by Wynton Marsalis and Bill Frisell.

Jazz Cultures shows how jazz history has not consisted simply of a smoothly evolving series of musical styles, but rather an array of individuals and communities engaging with disparate--and oftentimes conflicting--actions, ideals, and attitudes.

List of IllustrationsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction

One"Blue Horizon"Creole Culture and Early New Orleans JazzTwoJazz Historiography and the Problem of LouisJordanThreeRegendering JazzOrnette Coleman and the New York Scene in the Late 1950sFourBody and SoulPerforming Deep JazzFiveJazz 'TraningJohn Coltrane and the ConservatorySixJazz TraditioningSetting Standards at Century's Close

NotesIndex

David Ake is Professor and Chair of the Department of Musicology at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami.

"His appreciation of Keith Jarrett's solo performances is the best ever published."—Jack Chambers Canadian Literature: A Qtly Of Criticism And Review

"Ake blends careful historical research with intelligent textual criticism and sophisticated cultural theory. . . His critiques augment and enhance our understanding and appreciation of great artistry, but they do much more. This is new, imaginative, original, and generative work. There are very few people who can write about both music theory and social theory with such clarity, depth, and insight."—George Lipsitz, author of