What does jazz "mean" 20 years into the 21st century? Has streaming culture rendered music literally meaningless, thanks to the removal of all context beyond the playlist? Are there any traditions left to explore? Has the destruction of the apprenticeship model (young musicians learning from their elders) changed the music irrevocably? Are any sounds off limits? How far out can you go and still call it "jazz"? Or should the term be retired? These questions, and many more, are answered in Ugly Beauty, as Phil Freeman digs through his own experiences and conversations with present-day players. Jazz has never seemed as vital as it does right now, and has a genuine role to play in 21st-century culture, particularly in the US and the UK.

About the Author
Philip Freeman is a music journalist specializing in jazz and metal. He is the former managing editor of the world music magazine Global Rhythm; the former editor-in-chief of the metal magazine Metal Edge; the founder of MSN Entertainment's Headbang daily metal blog; and currently writes a monthly jazz column, Ugly Beauty, for Stereogum. He lives in Elizabeth, NJ.


Book Information
ISBN 9781789046328
Author Philip Freeman
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Zero Books
Publisher Collective Ink