Gertrud Pickhan is a German historian who specializes in the history of Eastern Europe. She is currently a professor for Eastern European History at the Free University of Berlin.
During the Cold War, jazz became a cultural weapon that was employed by both sides. In the Eastern Bloc countries, new jazz scenes emerged. This volume explores the history and roles of jazz in Poland, the German Democratic Republic (GDR), Czechoslovakia, Hungary, the Soviet Union, and the Baltic States by means of several case studies.
Jazz has never been simply music. From its very inception, jazz has been imbued with social meaning. This is what makes this kind of music an interesting field of study not only for the music historian, but also for the sociologist and the cultural historian. This title deals with this music.