The vibrant world of jazz may be viewed from many angles, from social and cultural history to music analysis, from economics to ethnography. It is challenging and exciting territory. This volume of nineteen specially commissioned essays offers informed and accessible guidance to the challenge, taking the reader through a series of five basic subject areas--locating jazz historically and geographically; defining jazz as musical and cultural practice; jazz in performance; the uses of jazz for audiences, markets, education and for other art forms; and the study of jazz.

从社会和文化历史到音乐分析，从经济学到民族志，人们可以从多个角度来看待爵士乐这个充满活力的世界。这是一个充满挑战和激动人心的领域。这卷十九篇特别委托撰写的论文为这一挑战提供了信息丰富、易于理解的指导，引导读者了解五个基本主题领域——从历史和地理角度定位爵士乐；将爵士乐定义为音乐和文化实践；演奏爵士乐；爵士乐在观众、市场、教育和其他艺术形式中的应用；还有爵士乐的研究。