Bebop & Nothingness: Jazz & Bebop at the End of the Century

By Francis Davis

Book Overview

This collection of essays and artist profiles examines the emergence of a jazz orthodoxy founded on the values of the late 1940s and 1950s, a time when bebop still represented a departure from convention. The author argues that for many modern young musicians and their audiences, bebop has become a way of playing it safe. In this overview of the jazz and pop scenes, Davis explores the greatness of the bebop legacy and celebrates the creativity of musicians who are moving into new territory. He also conveys his listening experience in venturing beyond the range of the traditional jazz spectrum. Styles covered in these essays range from old style swing to avant garde free jazz, from gospel to klezmer, and from rock to American pop standards and rap.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0028704711
• ISBN13: 9780028704715
• Release Date: March 1996
• Publisher: Schirmer Trade Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.9" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

A great jazz book

I always look forward to Davis's essays in 'The Atlantic.' He goes his own way and he's open to a lot of music that the neo-classical crowd shrugs off, such as John Zorn and Don Byron. His takes on musicians like Benny Carter and Art Pepper are unique and well thought out. More important, he's a great prose stylist. Sometimes I disagree with him, e.g., his opinions about hip-hop, but even then I find him pretty thought provoking. Check out his essay on Michael Jackson and Prince--Davis is a sharp observer of pop music, too. I wish they'd bring the rest of his books back in print.