The Return of Jazz

Jazz has had a peculiar and fascinating history in Germany. The influential but controversial German writer, broadcaster, and record producer, Joachim-Ernst Berendt (1922OCo2000), author of the worldOCOs best-selling jazz book, labored to legitimize jazz in West Germany after its ideological renunciation during the Nazi era. German musicians began, in a highly productive way, to question their all-too-eager adoption of American culture and how they sought to make valid artistic statements reflecting their identity as Europeans. This book explores the significance of some of BerendtOCOs most important writings and record productions. Particular attention is given to the OC Jazz Meets the WorldOCO encounters that he engineered with musicians from Japan, Tunisia, Brazil, Indonesia, and India. This proto-OC world musicOCO demonstrates how some West Germans went about creating a post-nationalist identity after the OC Third Reich.OCO BerendtOCOs powerful role as the West German OC Jazz PopeOCO is explored, as is the groundswell of criticism directed at him in the wake of 1968."