Description: Through the analysis and comparison of diverse repertoires, performance practices, and theories, Thought and Play in Musical Rhythm responds to the critical need for developing richer ways of describing rhythm in all its complexity. Focusing on tensions between the general and the culturally specific, the book considers musics from Africa and Asia, as well as jazz, popular music, and "new music" of the late 20th century.
Review Quotes: "Both broad and deep, this is perhaps the most profound study of musical rhythm to have yet appeared. These essays, including the editors' remarkable collaborative introduction, offer major theoretical advances, explore traditions previously untapped for such subtle readings, and reveal new riches in musics we thought we knew. It is a book for the musician of today to read and reread, savoring its insight." -- Michael Tenzer, Professor of Music, University of British Columbia
"The cultural divide of "the West versus the rest" has been deconstructed but, in practical terms, not yet overcome in the musicological subdisciplines. This edited volume brings together excellent contributions on an impressively diverse range of musical genres, styles, repertoires, and theorizations, demonstrating that the recent rapprochement between music theory and ethnomusicology is both inspiring and productive." -- Rainer Polak, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics