The Imperfect Art: Reflections on Jazz and Modern Culture (Portable Stanford Book Series)
"This is a unique book on jazz. I highly recommend it as a bridge between the jazz musician and layman."--Stan Getz"This is an unusual jazz book for two reasons: it deals with the music not just on its own terms but in a broader cultural and aesthetic context, and it was written by a musician....Much of what Mr. Gioia has to say is thoughtful and thought-provoking."--Peter Keepnews,The New York Times BookReview"Gioia's absorbing collection is phenomenological and interdisciplinary, providing connective tissue for fresh perspectives of jazz and its transactions with a wide arc of cultural forces.The Imperfect Artis an important contribution celebrating jazz as a true treasure of our times."--Herb Wong, Past President,The National Association of Jazz Educators"Well-written...a compelling primer on jazz aesthetics....Thoughtful jazz lovers of all degrees of musical literacy ought to be delighted and enlightened by Gioia's yeomanly effort.  A rich little book."--Booklist"A thoughtful book of essays about the evolution of jazz in the context of modern mass culture, its historical relation to other arts and its unique position as an 'imperfect art' of improvisation."--San Francisco Chronicle