Jazz is born of collaboration; improvisation; and listening. In much the same way; the American democratic experience is rooted in the interaction of individuals. It is these two seemingly disparate; but ultimately thoroughly American; conceits that Gregory Clark examines in Civic Jazz. Melding Kenneth Burkersquo;s concept of rhetorical communication and jazz musicrsquo;s aesthetic encounters with a rigorous sort of democracy; this book weaves an innovative argument about how individuals can preserve and improve civic life in a democratic culture.Jazz music; Clark argues; demonstrates how this aesthetic rhetoric of identification can bind people together through their shared experience in a common project. While such shared experience does not demand agreementmdash;indeed; it often has an air of competitionmdash;it does align people in practical effort and purpose. Similarly; Clark shows; Burke considered Americans inhabitants of a persistently rhetorical situation; in which each must choose constantly to identify with some and separate from others. Thought-provoking and path-breaking; Clarkrsquo;s harmonic mashup of music and rhetoric will appeal to scholars across disciplines as diverse as political science; performance studies; musicology; and literary criticism.
#191277 in eBooks 2015-02-09 2015-02-09File Name: B00U6IMU7M
Review
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Great! Great! Great Read!By KassThis book is full of insight. I learned tons of things that I didnt know Id want to know. I was never really an art buff but now I am seeing art in a totally different way. I truly enjoy learning about the development of art in people groups and societies joined with spiritual reflection. I highly recommend.
