Gigs

Gigs provides a fascinating account of a unique victory for musicians against repressive entertainment licensing laws. It provides a much-needed study of the social, political, cultural and legal conditions surrounding a change in law and public attitudes toward vernacular music in New York City.
This second edition includes a new preface by Hamish Birchall and an introduction by the series editors, Guy Osborn and Steve Greenfield, as well as an afterword by the author, and it will be essential reading for all those interested in the history of social attitudes toward the popular arts and the use of constitutional litigation for social change.

Paul Chevigny is Professor of Law at New York University. He has a long-standing interest in jazz music and civil rights and has worked on problems of international human rights.

Preface Hamish Birchall Series Editors Introduction 1. Prelude 2. The Musicians Union 3. The Music in the Clubs 4. Regulation as Denigration 5. The Campaign to Change the Law: Lost in the Labyrinth 6. The Campaign to Change the Law: Free Expression 7. The Process of Change 8. The Lives of Musicians 9. Conclusion: Politics, Law and Music Afterword