ABSTRACT

This book presents the recent positions, theories, and methods of artistic research in jazz, inviting readers to critically engage in and establish a sustained discourse regarding theoretical, methodological, and analytic perspectives.

A panel of eleven international contributors presents an in-depth discourse on shared and specific approaches to artistic research in jazz, aiming at an understanding of the specificity of current practices, both improvisational and composed. The topics addressed throughout consider the cultural, institutional, epistemological, philosophical, ethical, and practical aspects of the discipline, as well as the influence of race, gender, and politics. The book is structured in three parts: first, on topics related to improvisation, theory and history; second, on institutional and pedagogical positions; and third, on methodical approaches in four specific research projects conducted by the authors.

In thinking outside established theoretical frameworks, this book invites further exploration and participation, and encourages practitioners, scholars, students, and teachers at all academic levels to shape the future of artistic research collectively. It will be of interest to students in jazz and popular music studies, performance studies, improvisation studies, music philosophy, music aesthetics, and Western art music research.

part I|64 pages

Improvisation, Theory, and History

chapter 1|12 pages

Improvising Artistic Research

chapter 2|14 pages

Improvising Touch

Musical Improvisation Considered as a Tactile Practice

chapter 3|17 pages

Mapping Jazz’s Affect

Implications for Music Theory and Analysis

chapter 4|19 pages

Artistic Research in Jazz

Historical Contexts

part II|47 pages

Institutional and Pedagogical Considerations

chapter 5|18 pages

Wordplay

Negotiating the Conservatory ‘Culture Clash’

chapter 6|13 pages

The Lessons of Jazz

What We Teach When We Teach Jazz in College

chapter 7|14 pages

It Don’t Mean a Thing Without My Web Fan Base Thing

A Dance of Cultural Relevancy in Jazz Education Culture Today

part III|79 pages

Specific Projects

chapter 9|20 pages

Analysis and Observations of Pre-learnt and Idiosyncratic Elements in Improvisation

A Methodology for Artistic Research in Jazz

chapter 10|20 pages

Articulating Musical Practice and Research

Notes on a South African Recording Project

chapter 11|17 pages

Embodied Hope

An Empathically Creative Approach to Contemporary Jazz