Book Reviews

Book review | ‘Graphic Works 1959-2016’ | Peter Brotzmann

Peter Brotzmann sent me a copy of his book ‘Graphic Works 1959-2016’ a little while ago and it has sat on my desk for a couple of months. Not because I was not...

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Buddy Bolden | The First Man Of Jazz by Don Marquis

No recordings of Buddy Bolden exist. Only one photograph of him has ever been authenticated (even this stirred a debate as to whether it was back to front or not). He never played...

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Sidney Bechet | The Wizard Of Jazz by John Chilton

Sidney Bechet is a legendary figure in the history of jazz. A larger than life character, he was perhaps the only man who could hold a candle to the extraordinary talents of Louis...

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Marc Myers | Why Jazz Happened

Why Jazz Happened is not your typical history of jazz. You won’t get long biographies of Coltrane, Davis, and Monk. You won’t get in-depth analyses of great songs,...

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The Cover Art of Blue Note Records: The Collection

This is a must for anyone who loves the stunning and historical cover art of one of jazz’ most legendary labels, Blue Note. There are literally hundreds of covers from some...

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DownBeat | The Great Jazz Interviews

Large format,soft cover,with the articles/interviews arranged in chronological order,starting in the 1930’s through the 2000’s. The soft cover is substantial and would...

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Miles Davis | The Complete Illustrated History

For fans of Miles Davis (like me) this is a great book to add to the library. The chapters (beginning in 1926) are broken down into chronological periods, with different writers...

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Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings

I’ve enjoyed Pettinger’s unpretentious study of Evans’ life and music as much as any comparable jazz title that comes to mind. The British author admits that he...

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Jazzology: The Encyclopedia of Jazz Theory for All Musicians

Although it is only one of many jazz theory books on my shelf, I find that this book sticks out for its breadth and applicability to performing and arranging in the jazz idiom....

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Jazz : A Film By Ken Burns (2001)

The old saying goes that one should never talk about religion or politics in polite company. After reading several reviews about this series on this page, I wonder if jazz should...

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The History of Jazz | Ted Gioia

Anyone purportedly writing a “History of Jazz” faces a daunting task: A complex history of interwoven musical strands, the linkages and evolutions (sometimes skipping...

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