Nat Shapiro Books

Leading jazz composers and performers reveal their personal feelings toward the history and future of the art form

Exploring the challenges of articulating the essence of music, this collection delves into the complexities of writing about the art form. It highlights the difficulty of capturing the experience without losing its emotional depth, comparing it to describing love. The text critiques the tendency of musicians to dismiss outsiders' attempts to analyze music beyond technical aspects, emphasizing the divide between practitioners and commentators. Contributors argue that many musicians believe music should speak for itself, complicating the task of meaningful musical discourse.