In The Moment

by Francis Davis

In the Moment traces the rise of such 1980s stars as Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Anthony Davis, David Murray, Bobby McFerrin, Stanley Jordan, and Billy Bang, while assessing the continuing influence of such father figures as Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, George Russell, John Lewis, and Roscoe Mitchell. In the process Francis Davis discusses the low visibility of jazz in the media, the uneasy relationship of jazz to pop, and the surprising emergence of the composer as the pivotal figure in what has always been regarded as the improviser's realm. Now updated with a new introduction, In the Moment is a superb companion to some of the best music and musicians of an eventful decade.

Genres: Music

272 pages, Paperback

First published October 23, 1986

About the author

Francis Davis was an American author and journalist. He was best known as the jazz critic for The Village Voice, and a contributing editor for The Atlantic Monthly. He had also worked in radio and film, and taught courses on Jazz and Blues at the University of Pennsylvania. He was a 1994 recipient of the Pew Fellowships in the Arts.

Reviews

[Peter Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

As ever, a deeply insightful volume from the pen of Francis Davis, one of a handful of jazz critics for whose work I have the deepest respect and to whom I owe a debt of gratitude for continuing to inform me through the quality of his writing.