Blue: The Murder of Jazz

In this provocative, controversial, and disturbing book, Eric Nisenson declares that jazz, once a thriving body of innovative and fluid music, is being killed. Corruption by marketers, appropriation by the mainstream, superficial media portrayal, and sheer lack of skill have all contributed to the demise of this venerable art form. Nisenson argues that the entire jazz "industry" is controlled by a select cadre that has a choke hold on the most vital components of the music. As the listening culture has changed, have spontaneity and improvisation been sacrificed? Can contemporary jazz recover its vitality or has the seemingly eternal inspiration of jazz has evaporated?