The Other Side of Nowhere: Jazz, Improvisation, and Communities in Dialogue

Scholars, composers and performers write about the art of jazz improvisation.

A breakthrough book in the emergent fields of improvisation and cultural theory, The Other Side of Nowhere conveys the spirit and energy of an experimental celebration. The volume is divided into four writings of musicians about improvising; examinations of inter- and cross-cultural dialogue; discussions of social practice and identity; and essays about collaborative dissonance. The 17 essays present jazz improvisation as a cultural practice with far-reaching ramifications. Music is treated not merely as an artistic phenomenon, but as a social force with the power to effect substantial change among people of marginalized races, genders, sexualities and ethnicities. The collection argues that there is a distinctive relationship between the emergence of free jazz, the desire for social justice and activist practices. The Other Side of Nowhere is a groundbreaking book that offers multiple perspectives on the art of jazz improvisation―it will inspire readers to create, collaborate and dissent.

John Corbett, Krin Gabbard, Michael Jarrett, George E. Lewis, Nathaniel Mackey, Mark Anthony Neal, Pauline Oliveros, Eddie Prévost, Dana Reason, Michael Snow and Sherrie Tucker.