Rhythm-a-ning: Jazz Tradition and Innovation in the '80s

These articles, originally published in the Village Voice, address the current state of jazz which Giddins characterizes as neo-classical. Focusing on the performances and recordings of the past five years, Giddins demonstrates the richness of jazz in the 1980s and surveys both the young musicians who are exploring jazz traditions and the acknowledged masters who created and sustained those traditions. He examines a diverse galaxy of performers, including Thelonius Monk (who coined the term "Rhythm-a-ning" as a song title), Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Wynton Marsalis, Frank Sinatra, Roy Eldridge, and Sonny Rollins. He also covers topics such as blues, mainstream pop, 1950s rock and roll, accomplishments of European jazz and the development of the trombone.