"With grace and precision, Carney synthesizes two generations of scholarship to tell the story of how jazz became the soundtrack of modern America." Joel Dinerstein, author of Swinging the Machine: Modernity, Technology, and African-American Culture between the World Wars "A fascinating account of how the confluence of media technology, an evolving art culture, and urbanization enabled Americans to recognize their hybrid identity through jazz." Bruce Boyd Raeburn, author of New Orleans Style and the Writing of American Jazz History "A compelling narrative of jazz's creation, dispersal, and acceptance." John Gennari, author of Blowin' Hot and Cool: Jazz and Its Critics"