Bowed Strings in 20th-Century Jazz in the United States serves as a historical examination of the roles of bowed strings (violin, viola, and cello) in jazz. The subject of bowed strings in jazz has garnered considerable interest, evident in the swell of pedagogical materials published in the last decade, the proliferation of college programs incorporating alternative styles for strings, the increasing number of jazz groups featuring improvising string players, and the abundance of articles, both biographical and historical, on bowed strings in jazz.

Sequentially, this book discusses the roles of violin, viola, cello, string quartets, and miscellaneous groupings of strings in various contexts. The discussion progresses from specific instruments and players to chamber groups and then ensembles of a variety of sizes.

This book will appeal to scholars and students alike interested in the musical study of Jazz in the United States.