Jazz: A People's Music, Sidney Finkelstein — The Jazz Book Club Edition

£9.50

Jazz: A People's Music, Sidney Finkelstein — The Jazz Book Club Edition

Name: Jazz: A People's Music, Sidney Finkelstein — The Jazz Book Club Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 4843
Price: 9.50 GBP
Availability: InStock

Write Review

In stock

£9.50

Shipping is calculated at checkout.

Publication: London, The Jazz Book Club, 1964

Formatting: 8vo, pp. 278.

Condition Report: Very Good. The original hardcover boards remain firm and square, presenting with sharp corners and only faint rubbing to the spine extremities. The binding is pleasingly tight and robust, with no rolling or weakness to the hinges. Internally, the text block is bright and clean, free from significant blemish, though the top edge exhibits light, scattered foxing ctypical with age. The unclipped pictorial dust wrapper remains vibrant and substantially complete, now preserved in an archival sleeve; however, it bears notable Sellotape ghosting to the inner flaps, offsetting onto the corresponding pastedowns from historical adhesive protection, and light wear to the panel edges.

Catalogue Note: This 1964 issue represents the first edition thus, published exclusively for members of The Jazz Book Club by arrangement with The Citadel Press, New York. Originally released in 1948, Finkelstein’s pioneering text is accompanied here by the striking, stylised line illustrations of Jules Halfant, which beautifully punctuate the socio-musical history within.

Of provenance note, the rear pastedown bears a modest contemporary bookseller's ticket from a Birmingham retailer, securely anchoring this copy within the mid-century British book trade.

While true 1948 first printings command higher premiums, this secondary mid-sixties book club issue provides a highly accessible, complete reading copy. It remains relatively common on the secondary market but continues to be collected by jazz historians and those drawn to the distinctive, modernist aesthetic of the JBC's uniform publishing run.

Widely regarded as a foundational text in jazz criticism, Jazz: A People’s Music challenges the historical ghettoisation of the genre. Sidney Finkelstein applies a sharp, socio-political lens to the evolution of jazz, tracing its working-class roots from the blues and ragtime through to the bebop innovations of the 1940s. He convincingly argues that jazz is not merely an esoteric offshoot of popular entertainment, but rather a vital, living art form intrinsically linked to the social struggles and cultural triumphs of the African American experience. Finkelstein's passionate manifesto successfully breaks down the artificial barriers between 'classical' and 'jazz' traditions, celebrating the genre's profound, enduring contribution to the global musical canon.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: Sidney Finkelstein

Book Publisher: The Jazz Book Club

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Non-Fiction

Genre: Music

Book edition:

Signed: No

Book Pages: 278

Book Publication Year: 1964

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: Jules Halfant

Book Series: The Jazz Book Club

Country/region of manufacture: London, United Kingdom

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.