The Language of Jazz

The word "jazz" did not appear in print until around 1915 and was only grudgingly admitted into polite discourse.The Language of Jazzexplores the vocabulary that has grown up around it. It includes words unique to jazz (bebop, Dixieland, ragtime); ordinary words with specific jazz meanings (cool, jam, stride); musical terms adopted by jazz (bar, rhythm, swing); instruments associated with jazz (alto, clarinet, trombone); nicknames of outstanding musicians (Bird, Duke, Satchmo); place-names linked to movements in jazz (Chicago, Harlem, Storyville); record labels (Dial, Okeh, Savoy); and notable venues (Birdland, Cotton Club, Blue Note, Minton's). Neil Powell's book is for jazz lovers and provides for the unconverted, too, a witty, informative tour of the subject.