Jazz Places

The social connotation of jazz in American popular culture has shifted dramatically since its emergence in the early twentieth century. Once considered youthful and even rebellious, jazz music is now a firmly established American artistic tradition. As jazz in American life has shifted, so too has the kind of venue in which it is performed. In Jazz Places, Kimberly Hannon Teal traces the history of jazz performance from private jazz clubs to public, high-art venues often associated with charitable institutions. As live jazz performance has become more closely tied to nonprofit institutions, the music's heritage has become increasingly important, serving as a means of defining jazz as a social good worthy of charitable support. Though different jazz spaces present jazz and its heritage in various and sometimes conflicting terms, ties between the music and the past play an important role in defining the value of present-day music in a diverse range of jazz venues, from the Village Vanguard in New York to SFJazz on the West Coast to Preservation Hall in New Orleans.   

"An insightful and thought-provoking read from first to last, Hannon Teal steers the reader through the intricacies of the construction of jazz histories. . . . It will be difficult to attend any jazz event, anywhere, after reading Jazz Places . . . without taking a closer look at the brick and mortar, glass and steel.", "An impressive book.", "Jazz Places is an agile and well-thought-out book offering a wealth of evidence on the power of sites in music-making, music consumption, and production of narratives about music history."

Kimberly Hannon Teal is Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Arkansas.