Jazz in American Culture

In the spirit of scholarly enthusiasm, Peter Townsend (not of Who fame) delivers a thoughtful, historical analysis in Jazz in American Culture. He argues that jazz is a culture unto itself, complex and influential. In chapters such as ""Jazz As Aesthetic Model"" and ""Jazz As Myth,"" Townsend explores the music's status as ""culture"" via its various spheres of influence. And, of course, there are leading roles and cameos by jazz superstars like Lester Young and Charlie Parker, as well as genre-crossing discussions of artists such as Jackson Pollock and Stuart Davis. ( Mar.)