Alex Stewart
Making the Scene
Contemporary New York City Big Band Jazz
$60.00, £35.00 hardcover
978-0-520-24953-0
Available Now
$24.95, £14.95 paperback
978-0-520-24954-7
Available Now
416 pages, 6 x 9 inches, 5 line illustrations, 4 tables, 46 music examples
August 2007, Available worldwide
Categories: Music; Jazz; Popular Music; Contemporary Music
August 2007, Available worldwide
Categories: Music; Jazz; Popular Music; Contemporary Music
"A gold mine of information. . . . Stewart takes his knowledge of, and observations on, the subject and weaves them into a compelling narrative."—Music Educators Journal
"This is an important contribution to jazz research dealing with a formerly under-explored area. Stewart provides exceptional insight, taking advantage of his insider status as jazz musician/scholar. Variations of big band performance practice and stylistic approaches are explored through a collection of interviews, ethnnographic study, and score analysis. This book greatly complements and enriches the field of music study at large."—Christopher Washburne, Columbia University
The received wisdom of popular jazz history is that the era of the big band was the 1930s and '40s, when swing was at its height. But as practicing jazz musicians know, even though big bands lost the spotlight once the bebop era began, they never really disappeared. Making the Scene challenges conventional jazz historiography by demonstrating the vital role of big bands in the ongoing development of jazz. Alex Stewart describes how jazz musicians have found big bands valuable. He explores the rich "rehearsal band" scene in New York and the rise of repertory orchestras. Making the Scene combines historical research, ethnography, and participant observation with musical analysis, ethnic studies, and gender theory, dismantling stereotypical views of the big band.
List of Illustrations
List of Tables
Preface
Author's Note
Intro
1. New York City Big Band Scenes
2. Behind the Scenes: Training, Rehearsals, and Gigs
3. The Rise of Repertory Orchestras
4. On the Inside: The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
5. Making It Work: Leaders and Musical Direction
6. New Directions in Jazz Composition: Three Portraits
7. On the Edge: Sue Mingus and the Mingus Big Band
8. "In the Crack" to "Totally Outside": Avant-Garde Bands
9. Jazz and Clave: Latin Big Bands
10. Going for It: All-Women Bands
11. Blood on the Fields: Wynton Marsalis and the Transformation of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
Outro
Appendix: Some New York City Big Bands Active in 1997–1998
Notes
Sources
Discography
Credits
Index
List of Tables
Preface
Author's Note
Intro
1. New York City Big Band Scenes
2. Behind the Scenes: Training, Rehearsals, and Gigs
3. The Rise of Repertory Orchestras
4. On the Inside: The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
5. Making It Work: Leaders and Musical Direction
6. New Directions in Jazz Composition: Three Portraits
7. On the Edge: Sue Mingus and the Mingus Big Band
8. "In the Crack" to "Totally Outside": Avant-Garde Bands
9. Jazz and Clave: Latin Big Bands
10. Going for It: All-Women Bands
11. Blood on the Fields: Wynton Marsalis and the Transformation of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
Outro
Appendix: Some New York City Big Bands Active in 1997–1998
Notes
Sources
Discography
Credits
Index