Product Description
Artie Shaw led one of America's most accomplished big bands during the 1930s and 1940s, and has sold over 100 million records. An enigmatic figure, Shaw frequently tired of the music business, often forsaking it for extended periods. This study offers a narrative account and analytical assessment of the achievements and concerns of this hugely important musician. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Artie Shaw biography
I'm an Artie Shaw fan, and thought that I'd read all the material on Shaw. But, this one is little known, and is superb. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

my favourite hipster
I loved Parisian Jazz Chronicles. Very sorry to have found out about MZ's death in the past month. What a guy! Plenty Renaissance for me. I found a copy in a remainder bin on a neighbourhood walk in Vancouver BC. To hear from a real jazz man, dedicated lifelong player, great writer, Birth of the Cool band alumnus etc with such a communicative genius, hanging himself out to dry as required for honesty's sake. Tough with you, tough with me, romantic, fair, I love that. Hipster pretensions not always where you'd expect them to be located. One of my favourite lives. Sorry not to have encountered him earlier on, made some time.



Ken Lutes

Bonjour, hepcat
Zwerin is no doubt an interesting cat -- not unlike David Amram -- deeply invested in a complicated past -- musician on the Birth of the Cool sessions -- expat in Paris & invaluable jazz columnist for the international Herald Tribune (the rag Jean Seberg peddled in 'Breathless') -- his cut & paste memoirs are so coy & cloying that this reader had to aggressivley cut through the grease to the scattered gems & direct-hits -- sketchy & self-lathering, these episodes can't quite reach beyond the vanity press ka ka --the lingering odor of vanity w/ slithery insights & veritasare deeply bogged down by hep hip narrative-- Zwerin's book on the jazz scene in wartime Paris is much more sustained & useful -- check it out --

Great gift!
Put this on your holiday gift list for the jazz fan who has everything - or who thinks he or she knows everything. This is not, as might be expected, a collection of Zwerin's columns for The International Herald Tribune, though that would have been a fine thing, too. This is, rather, a collection of riffs improvised out in the margins of those columns: what the interview subjects were really like, what was going on in the author's life, the vagaries of travelling around Europe in search of true jazz, the real thing, an authentic self. Lyrically written, it swings. ... Read more

Product Description
Pianist George Shearing is that rare thing, a European jazz musician who became a household name in the US, as a result of the 'Shearing sound' - the recordings of his historic late 1940s quintet. Together with his unique 'locked hands' approach to playing the piano, Shearing's quintet with guitar and vibraphone in close harmony to his own playing revolutionised small group jazz, and ensured that after seven years as Melody Maker's top British pianist, he achieved even greater success in America. His compositions have been recorded by everyone from Sarah Vaughan to Miles Davis, and his best known pieces include Lullaby of Birdland, She and Conception. His story is all the more remarkable because Shearing was born blind. As a teenager he joined Claude Bampton's orchestra, and he recounts hilarious anecdotes about the trials and tribulations of this all blind group. By the start of the war years, Shearing was established as one of Britain's most popular and impressive jazz pianists - broadcasting regularly and playing and recording with Stephane Grappelli.In 1947 he emigrated to the US and started his landmark series of records with his quintet as well as performing classical pieces with several leading symphony orchestras. His candid reminiscences include a behind the scenes experience of New York's 52nd Street in its heyday, as well as memories of a vast roll-call of professional colleagues that includes all the great names in jazz. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great biography
Well written, laced with subtle humor and offering a true insight into the world of the blind and the misconceptions that seem to plague it! The work reflects not only Shearin's human qualities, but the remarkable beauty of his music. Great book!
Enrique Renard

Lullaby of Birdland
Having heard George Shearing play in person in the early 1950's I was well aware of his talent & his impact on the jazz scene then and now.Like George, I too had played the accordion as a youth and was always interested in the sounds that could be created by any talented musician.The book shares with the reader the many espisodes in George's musical career with the many well known musicians and singers that he crossed paths with over the past 60 years.The book brought back many fond memories from the past.David L. Morris

A charming and often funny autobiography
This is a delightful book by one of the finest jazz pianists in the world. Born blind in Britain, in a poor neighborhood in London, who would have guessed that Mr. Shearing would end up becoming one of the true jazz greats? It's a remarkable story, made all the more enjoyable by his boundless sense of humor. The book is full of stories of practical jokes and delightful reminiscences of the other fine musicians Mr. Shearing has had the pleasure of playing with. There is not a huge amount of in-depth history or musical theory in here, this is a fun, light read, but Mr. Shearing's character shines through as does his relentless optimism about life. In a delightful touch, my copy of the book includes a braille sticker on the third page, which has Mr. Shearing's name on it. If you close your eyes and run your fingers over the sticker, and then try to imagine playing the piano, it makes Mr. Shearing's life and achievements all the more remarkable. ... Read more

Product Description

The ultimate resource on 1950s jazz bass artistry

This book explores the musical, creative and artistic contributions of 15 jazz bass masters of the straight-ahead era. A chapter on each one reveals the various factors that combined to bring about his lasting stylistic achievements. But more than mere history, this in-depth work is, first and foremost, about the music, whether bebop, hard bop, blues, or standards interpretation.

Customer Reviews (1)

Valuable Resource!
Dave Hunt's "Jazz Bass Artists of the 1950's" is an exhaustive resource of information on jazz bassists - some well-known, as well as those deserving of wider recognition - whose abilities and style contributed to the development of mid-20th century jazz.A 'must-have' for bass teachers and serious students of the instrument. Jazz Bass Artists of the 1950s ... Read more

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No music is as individual as jazz. And no writer is as deft at bringing out what is individual in each jazz artist as W. Royal Stokes. As a reviewer, feature writer, public radio host, and author, Stokes has spent three decades covering the jazz scene. Now he draws on that rich store of knowledge and friendship to introduce us to the jazz life. In some forty interviews with saxophonists, pianists, singers, composers, and string, brass, and rhythm players, Stokes illuminates the lives of the artists and the sheer pleasure of the sounds they create. Stokes paints a vivid portrait of jazz musicians--bringing to life their influences, their careers, and their art. We hear firsthand how they became interested in jazz and how they emerged onto the jazz scene. Stokes ranges across the globe in his interviews, introducing us to vaudeville stars, blues musicians, and a dozen women instrumentalists--like the acclaimed violinist Regina Carter--from the many who now shine on a stage where they were once limited to vocals alone. From legendary veterans Jackie McLean and Louie Bellson to such rising stars as Diana Krall, Cyrus Chestnut, and Ingrid Jensen, Stokes gathers together the brightest lights in the jazz firmament, capturing not only the life of the musician, but how the musician gives life to jazz. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Must For Researchers
As Continental forces and Virginia militia units were engaged in winning independence, American quartermasters and provisioners struggled to provide these units with all the necessities of life, from meals and guns to meat, fodder for horses, the horses themselves, firewood, and every other type of material. Much of this was requisitioned from the civilian population and certificates were issued payable in either continental or state funds, depending on the units supplied, upon presentation to court authorities. Thousands of these certificates issued to Virginians were duly entered by the courts, and they provide a fascinating insight into the period of the Revolution. These "Publick" Claims booklets contain interesting and useful information about the contributions of ordinary people to the Revolutionary War. They provide some details of people's service in the militia or as guards for prisoners of war; they indicate where some bodies of troops were at particular times; and they identify providers of horses, wagons, cattle, grain, or other supplies. Much of the information in these booklets cannot be found anywhere else, which makes the surviving records particularly valuable. Also remarkable is the fact that records survived from virtually every county in the state at that time with the exception of the newly formed Kentucky counties. This makes the collection even more valuable in covering areas which heretofore in this time period have suffered from a lack of personal data. The "Virginia Publick Claims" are published by counties. In addition to a faithful transcription by Janice Luck Abercrombie and the late Richard Slatten, a complete index is provided for each county booklet. This series is an extremely important genealogical tool for searchers in Revolutionary-era materials.
... Read more

Product Description
For jazz historians, Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings mark the first revolution in the history of a music riven by upheaval.Yet few traces of this revolution can be found in the historical record of the late 1920s, when the records were made.Even black newspapers covered Armstrong as just one name among many, and descriptions of his playing, while laudatory, bear little resemblance to those of today.For this reason, the perspective of Armstrong's first listeners is usually regarded as inadequate, as if they had missed the true significance of his music.This attitude overlooks the possibility that those early listeners might have heard something valuable on its own terms, something we ourselves have lost.If we could somehow recapture their perspective-without abandoning our own-how might it change our understanding of these seminal recordings?
In Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings, Harker selects seven exceptional records to study at length: "Cornet Chop Suey," "Big Butter and Egg Man," "Potato Head Blues," "S.O.L. Blues"/"Gully Low Blues," "Savoy Blues," and "West End Blues."The world of vaudeville and show business provide crucial context, revealing how the demands of making a living in a competitive environment could catalyze Armstrong's unique artistic gifts.Technical achievements such as virtuosity, structural coherence, harmonic improvisation, and high-register playing are all shown to have a basis in the workaday requirements of Armstrong's profession.Invoking a breadth of influences ranging from New Orleans clarinet style to Guy Lombardo, and from tap dancing to classical music, this book offers bold insights, fresh anecdotes, and, ultimately, a new interpretation of Louis Armstrong and his most influential body of recordings. ... Read more

Product Description
Joni Mitchell writing about Jaco Pastorious, Quincy Troop on Ornette Coleman, and ten other in-depth profiles of great jazz musicians mark an illustrated collection of memorable articles from Musician magazine. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Jazz insights
Say the word jazz and many immediately shy away, jazz is "that other music. "Nothing could be further from the truth as jazz isa vital art form that continues to evolve and is Americas's music. In this fantastic little book some of the greatest musicians that have created or advanced this musical art form to it's current level are either discussed or interviewed. The heavyweights interviewed arethe fine and diverse in style saxophonists Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorterand Ornette Coleman. Included are an interesting and funny interview with Wyton Marsalis and Herbie Hancock that reveals the differences that muscial interpretations of the purist and the fusion player can be on the same page in many regards. Also a nice chat with trumpeter extraordinaire Dizzy Gillespie with his marvelous puffed out cheeks and several other notable greats. Also there are personality based discussions on John Coltrane, where the giants of jazz give their recollections and impressions of Coltrane and others. The others who are treated in this book with discussion are the late great Miles Davis , Chet Baker, Charlie haden, Lester Bowieand Tony Williams. Of particular interest is an essay by musican /artist Joni Mitchel as she wrties about one of the greatest bass players whose flame burned out much too quickly, Jaco . Besides these musicians it isunlikely and inevitable to not have a discussion of jazz without mentioning the forefathers includingArmstrong and "Bird." The interviews are excellent insights into the minds of those that create the music, the reasons, the feelings, the inspiration. Taken from the magazine "The Jazz Musician" this short book is long on information about the lives of the greats of jazz. This book is especially handy since it can be read without going in order of presentation, but at will as one chooses. Recommended for jazz buffs of all ages.

Jazz insights
Say the word jazz and many immediately shy away, jazz is "that other music. "Nothing could be further from the truth as jazz isa vital art form that continues to evolve and is Americas's music. In this fantastic little book some of the greatest musicians that have created or advanced this musical art form to it's current level are either discussed or interviewed. The heavyweights interviewed arethe fine and diverse in style saxophonists Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorterand Ornette Coleman. Included are an interesting and funny interview with Wyton Marsalis and Herbie Hancock that reveals the differences that muscial interpretations of the purist and the fusion player can be on the same page in many regards. Also a nice chat with trumpeter extraordinaire Dizzy Gillespie with his marvelous puffed out cheeks and several other notable greats. Also there are personality based discussions on John Coltrane, where the giants of jazz give their recollections and impressions of Coltrane and others. The others who are treated in this book with discussion are the late great Miles Davis , Chet Baker, Charlie haden, Lester Bowieand Tony Williams. Of particular interest is an essay by musican /artist Joni Mitchel as she wrties about one of the greatest bass players whose flame burned out much too quickly, Jaco . Besides these musicians it isunlikely and inevitable to not have a discussion of jazz without mentioning the forefathers includingArmstrong and "Bird." The interviews are excellent insights into the minds of those that create the music, the reasons, the feelings, the inspiration. Taken from the magazine "The Jazz Musician" this short book is long on information about the lives of the greats of jazz. This book is especially handy since it can be read without going in order of presentation, but at will as one chooses. Recommended for jazz buffs of all ages. ... Read more

Product Description
Bix Beiderbecke is one of jazz music's most enigmatic figures and he has captivated listeners since his career began in the 1920s. He died at just 28, leaving many loose ends and inspiring much speculation. This book aims to clarify many of the myths created by the musician's premature death and the fictionalisations of Bix's life (three novels and a film: "Remembering Bix" by Ralph Berton, "1929" by Fredericks W. Turner, "Young Man with a Horn" by Dorothy Baker and the 1950 film of Baker's novel by Michael Curtiz) and to update his two prior biographies ("Bix", "Man and Legend" being out of print for many years). French jazz scholar Jean Pierre Lion travelled the trajectory of Bix's life, from birth to death, to boarding school, on tour and beyond, to find the true story of this pivotal figure. Considered a genius by his fans and fellow musicians, Bix Beiderbecke was a master cornet player and one of the most inspiring white jazz musicians of his age. He drank heavily during Prohibition and fell ill from the toxic swill he had been drinking. When he died he left behind a tremendous list of recordings (included here in a definitive discography) and several original compositions.This biography culls the entirety of Bix scholarship into one volume, painting a complete picture of the man, his music and his times. Lion brings the true legend of Bix into historical context, underlining the importance of the jazz scene that Bix not only participated in, but also helped to establish. The originality of Bix's style has roots in New Orleans jazz and such classical composers as Debussy and Ravel, and this biography traces the evolution of these various inspirations alongside the tale of the white cornet player. Historical ambience is created by descriptions of the Chicago of the 1920s - ruled by Al Capone and people with fast cars, flappers and hot jazz musicians - and Bix's personality is fleshed out by excerpts from the few letters he wrote in his lifetime, memories of friends and witnesses of the jazzage. The story is lively and emotional, the testament of a true fan and a true scholar. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Best biography of greatest jazzman
When you see a biography of a noted person that proclaims itself, in the title, as "definitive," you might be forgiven for expressing a little skepticism. If it's truly "definitive," isn't it the place of reviewers to say that?

Except that, in this case, this book is "the McCoy" -- the real thing. In just 283 tightly-written pages of narrative, Jean Pierre Lion gives us a fascinating story of the short life -- all TOO short -- of Bix Beiderbecke, who may well have been the world's greatest jazzman -- almost certainly its greatest cornetist.

Biographical sketches of Beiderbecke almost invariably refer to him as "the greatest white jazz cornetist of the 1920s." I think this habit of always mentioning his race is unfair -- sort of like saying some black scientist is "the smartest African American professional in the world." Extensive quotes from equally great black jazz cornetist Louis Armstrong in the book bespeak Armstrong's great admiration of Bix's music, and of Armstrong's warm friendship with the German-American musician from Davenport, Iowa. Armstrong tells especially, in an extended quote, of a marathon jam session in which he, Bix, and several other jazz musicians, black and white, participated. What wouldn't the world of jazz give for a recording of that session?

Bix's unique, warm, beautifully golden tone is described repeatedly in the book by jazz musicians who heard him in person and played with him. Again and again they say that recordings on which Bix played, numerous though they are, do not really do credit to that tone. His genius at improvisation is also described often, in a musical genre where doing things "spur of the moment" is just part of the job. His attack (the split second in which you first hear a note), his phrasing, the fact that he made his cornet "sing" while playing mostly in the middle ranges where the average vocalist would perform, his ability to "lead" a band to perform beyond its normal capabilities, the way you could always hear Bix, through all the other instruments -- these are the qualities of this musical genius who found other, more mundane aspects of daily life impossible to manage.

The young Iowan developed a taste for alcohol in his early teens. That taste ripened as he took up the cornet at age 15, mastering it without any professional training and thus always using his own, peculiar fingering style. What motivated young Leon Bismarck Beiderbecke, deep down? No one ever really figured that out. He was failing in high school, and when he was arrested for allegedly trying to molest a 5-year-old girl (the charges were dropped for lack of evidence), his proper bourgeois parents shipped him off to Lake Forest Academy in Illinois to try to "straighten him out." But Lake Forest was near Chicago, and Chicago was the "northern capital" of 1920s jazz.

Beiderbecke's creation, along with several other young jazzmen, of the Wolverines, a legendary jazz band, followed shortly after his failure at Lake Forest. Within a year he had moved up to the Jean Goldkette Orchestra, and by 1927 to Paul Whiteman's giant musical organization.

The latter year was Bix's most productive qualitatively, before his drinking and other self-destructive behavior began to take their toll. Stays in hospitals and sanitariums, journeys back to Davenport where he hibernated in his parents' home, marked his downward path, which ended in August 1931 when he died of lobar pneumonia and general neglect in a rented apartment in Queens, NY. He was just 28 years old.

Lion's biography of Beiderbecke is meticulously researched, heavily documented, and filled with direct quotes garnered from previous books and his own personal interviews. It packs an enthralling, but ultimately saddening, story into a surprisingly compact book. It's the story of a genius who, like many of that breed, created wonderful things but couldn't deal with daily life as the more ordinary among us do. Even if you're familiar with Bix's story, you'll find things about him here that you probably never knew before, such as that he had one, memorable "love of his life" -- a young lady named Ruth Shaffner, who still spoke tenderly of him many years later.

It is hard to believe in reading this book that it was originally written in French. The translation is superb; I spotted only two or three minor awkward phrases in the entire book. The price is just a tad high, but considering the quality of the product, it's well worth it.

MAGNIFICENT REFERENCE WORK THAT JUSTIFIES ITS TITLE
This is quite simply the best available guide to the life and times of Bix Beiderbecke. In just under 350 pages the author traces Bix's background, early life, and career, assesses his importance in the development of jazz, and charts objectively the factors that led to his decline and early death. It is copiously illustrated with contemporary photographs, and the text is annotated, and although translated from the French (by Gabriella Page-Fort) one is never aware of that, as is sadly so often the case. It carries a bibliography, and a detailed 30-page discography. It is an invaluable source of reference which fully lives up to its title.

If you're looking for Bix, you can stop here!

To put it simply, this is IT.The One.Order it.

Berton's book is a nice read but there's information in this book that changes the whole scope of how we should see Bix's depression/nomadism/problems. I'll not print it here, you'll have to read it.

Suffice it to say that of all the "reasonably available" books on Beiderbecke, this is the beginning AND the end.

Probably not the starting point for the neophyte but still, "THE DEFINITIVE BIOGRAPHY".

Wow!
This could be the definitive book on Bix. It has everything, lots of pictures (the publisher did it right and put the pictures where it relates to the text and not all together in the middle of the book which is cheaper for the publisher), copies of important documents and new information about his life not mentioned in other books, an embarrassing arrest of a High School age Bix that has either been throughly suppressed by the Beiderbecke family and/or a blind eye turned to this incident and ignored by previous biographers.When I first read about the incident I thought to myself I didn't need to know that and it kind of bothered me for a while.When I finished the book I had to admit that I really enjoyed the book and the research by the author was very extensive and thorough, at times uncomfortably so.Which is what a good biography should be. Highly recommended.

A gripping biography that reads like a novel...
Incredibly well researched and eminently readable, "Bix" is a mandatory addition to the library of twentieth-century historians, Beiderbecke fans and casual listeners alike. ... Read more

Product Description
'Max Harrison . . . surveys the whole history and development of jazz in a concise, well written and well illustrated . . . article together with an extensive bibliography.' —Richard D. C. Noble, Times Literary SupplementThe chapters of this book are in roughly chronological sequence: Spirituals, Blues, Gospels, Ragtime, and Jazz. The first three are by Paul Oliver, whose New Grove entry on the Blues is widely regarded as the definitive brief history of the genre. He has revised and expanded it for this book publication and, in addition, has extended the coverage of his essays on Spirituals in The New Grove to discuss both black and white traditions. Similarly, Oliver has revised and recast his coverage of Gospel music, which has been considerably expanded. Max Harrison's long entry on Jazz, which has also been extended, draws together the separate strands of the book to discuss the concept of Jazz as a matrix of mutually influential folk and popular styles. William Bolcom's short and definitive article on Ragtime has been revised, and all the bibliographies have been updated to include new and important works. ... Read more

Product Description
Louis Armstrong pioneered the jazz vocal. Based on dozens of interviews, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the diverse performers who inherited Satchmo's legacy and made it their own. They are Ethel Waters, Bing Crosby, Bobby McFerrin, Cab Calloway, Big Joe Turner, Billie Holiday, Nat "King" Cole, Joe Williams, Dinah Washington, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, Tony Bennett, and many others. This edition has been updated with a substantial new chapter that focuses on current artists like Cassandra Wilson and harry Connick, Jr. ... Read more

Product Description
This portrait of jazz musicians Willie Ruff and Dwike Mitchell tells not just how these men became musicians but how they live their lives as musicians-how they give the gift of jazz to communities that would otherwise not have access to this powerful music. Born into Southern homes long before the civil rights era began, Ruff and Mitchell became successful musicians with degrees from two of the country's most elite conservatories. Mitchell & Ruff follows the musicians to Shanghai, where they bring jazz to China; to the Midwest, where they demonstrate their talents to audiences usually ignored by musicians; to New York City, where Mitchell teaches a new generation of talented but untrained musicians; and to Venice, where Ruff travels back to the roots of Western music in order to understand jazz's legacy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

an overlooked classic
This book is a masterpiece. Zinnser delivers what is perhaps the archetypical story of the development of serious American artists. Zinnser is one of the most talented and overlooked writers, and he tells the story of Mitchell and Ruff with humor, clarity, and intelligence. If most books about jazz and jazz musicians were this good, we'd have a whole subset of profound literature based on the music, but unfortunately, Zinnser's book is a rare gem. Dwike Mitchell and Willie Ruff couldn't have hoped for a better writer, nor Zinnser for a better subject.

Willie, Dwike and Zinsser
I am a big fan of Zinsser and the child of a big band sax man so had to read Willie and Dwike. Willie and Dwike (the earlier, out -of -print edition of this book) is the life stories of two amazing and brilliant musicians and the author who shadows them as they travel to foreign countries and small towns across the U.S. Throughout, Zinsser conveys the great minds, quiet dignity and incredible musicianship of these men so dedicated to their art - the art of jazz. It is a delightful read! A must read if you love jazz and good writing.

Not Just for Jazz Fans
Get this book! Zinsser is a fabulous writer. You will be moved and enthralled by the story of these gifted and dedicated men. The author's description of Ruff explaining the concept of musical improvisation to a Chinese audience is unforgetable.
I think this is a re-issue of Willie & Dwyke (1984), now out of print. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Chicago Jazzman
I LOVE jazz AUTObiographies. There's something about reading the authors own words which conjurs actual images of that person's life. Without exception, each jazz autobiography has made me feel as if I've actually metthat person.

Bud Freeman was on the Chicago jazz scene in the 1920's whena lot of the "so called" New Orleans names were there. I say"so called" because Freeman says that people like Louis Armstrongand King Oliver were more Chicago musicians than they were New Orleansmusicians. Freeman's stories about Chicago during those years almost makesyou feel like you've been there before.

One thing which really made animpression on me is Freeman's descriptions of road life, as a jazzmusician. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is aspiring tobe a professional musician, if for no other reason than to get a glimps ofthe less glamorous aspects of that life style. ... Read more

Product Description
Artie Shaw, the world famous clarinet-playing bandleader who became popular during the Swing Era, was immersed in the music business as a performer for 30 years, from the summer of 1924, when he began to study saxophone, until the summer of 1954, when he stopped performing. This period of activity is the focus of this musical biography and discography, a detailed account of Shaw's musical career and recorded output. The book begins with a summary of Shaw's career in the contexts of jazz history and social setting, then moves into more detail. The chronologically arranged sections, mirroring each phase of his career, incorporate contemporary reviews and interview quotes to create an insightful narrative. The discography lists all known recordings and preferred issues of them, and is separate from the text to facilitate easy reference. Includes appendixes and index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

It's A Shaw Thing!
Wow!What can I say.I have to agree with the previous reviewers this is an excellent book on an artiste who was undoubtedly among the last of his era to be living and who,sadly,passed away in 2004 at the age of 93.

Thank goodness he was able to collaberate with the author on this definitive work!

If you want a well rounded picture of Artie Shaw, the man and his music, read this book for factual content and Shaw's own autobiography 'The Trouble With Cinderella,' for an inside view of the big band era and also of a fascinating and complex personality who was also a modernist in music in a number of regards.

Back to this book though.As a presenter and would be author myself I have found this book to be an invaluable reference guide.it is one of several that I constantly pull down from my book shelves when I am in the middle of researching something.

This is Mr. Simosko's life work and it shows. Alongside Ed Polic's work on the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band and Russ Connor's two volumes on Benny Goodman, it stands as one of the definitive reference works of the period.Oh, the price?Shop around on your friendly on line store, discounts can be found!!

Drew.Drew Savage is an author and music enthusiast of forty years standing.He is thrilled to have been a guest presenter with the BBC

Also recommended:

The Trouble With Cinderella: An Outline of Identity

Listen to Shaw! A good selection of his music is still available.I like the 1940-42 bands with strings and also the 'last recordings.'Seek out the Musicraft sessions too, where Shaw introduced Mel Torme

King of the Clarinet 1938-39
1941-1942
Frenesi
What Is This Thing Called Love
Last Recordings: Rare and Unreleased

Everthing you wanted to know about Arite Shaw and then some!
As an avid Artie Shaw fan, it's a rare treat to have a book so complete and thoroughly researched as this one is. I must state at the outset that this book is best intended for the Jazz Collector, Jazz Enthusiast or Artie Shaw collector. If you do not have an absolute love for jazz and a strong interest in Artie, or if you are just a casual Shaw listener, this book will be too much for you. You can always turn to other areas to get information about Shaw. However, if you are a collector of this man's music, or a teacher of jazz, then this book is a must. It has the most complete and accurate discography of Artie Shaw ever put together. Complete with a biography about Artie and given the fact that the man himself wrote the foreward, this book is definitive. I thought the book was wonderfully put together and endlessly fascinating. You will have so much greater appreciation about his music and the kind of things that musicians suffer through to make great music. Logically separated Chronilogically by era and by record label, it becomes very easy to research key era's of Shaw's life. There is even a section that breaksdown EVERY recording that vocalists have made with Shaw. If only other jazz books were writen like this! The one draw back is the price. It is VERY expensive. This is without question the most expensive book about a jazz artist I've ever purchased. Fortunately for me, a friend of mine bought me a $50 gift card and I used it towards the purchase of this book. At a whopping $80, you really better love the man and his music! Fortunately, I do and I have turned to this book often as more of Shaw's unreleased recordings continue to surface. The book also has rare photos and stories. It is truly a wonderful biography and an even better referrence book. I can not recommend this book enough to lovers of classic jazz. If you have a library of great music, compliment it with this great book of Shaw's musical career. You won't be sorry.

Artie Shaw: A Musical Biography and Discography bySimosko
Vladimir Simosko has written the book I have been trying to write since I became an Artie Shaw fan and collector in 1938 when I was 13.Mr. Simosko has assembled all the information I have collected over the years regarding recording dates, musicians involved, and covers many of the questions I have asked as well. Of most interest will be the years before Shaw recorded Begin the Beguine when he was a sideman with many large radio orchestras. Simosko uses conversations he had with Artie Shaw to backup much of the information. As Shaw wrote the introduction, the book becomes "authorized" and must be regarded as the ultimate record of one of the most complex jazz musicians in the jazz world, and at the age of 90 one of the last living members of the Big Band Era. ... Read more

Product Description
From 1985 to the present, Hank O'Neal interviewed 42 jazz legends who made music in Harlem during its heyday and decline.In their homes or immediate neighborhoods, he took their portraits with a large-format view camera and talked with them about what had been the best places to play, the interaction of the races, and about why the Harlem scene had faded.

For each 'session' with a jazz legend, O'Neal has supplemented the interview and portraits with many of his other photographs, historical photographs and memorabilia.From the archives of Chiaroscuro Records, O'Neal has produced a CD that accompanies the book, which features sixteen of the 'ghosts' playing at the ends of their careers, between 1972 and 1996, including Cab Calloway, Milt Hinton, Doc Cheatham, Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Tate, Eddie Barefield, Earl Hines, and Illinois Jacquet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Superb
A superb collection of oral histories. As a serious student of the history of the music, this book knocks me out. Buy it.

The Ghosts of Harlem
Sensational photohistory of Jazz; reflects the milieu that is THE venue of an unparalleled artform; you can all but hear the riffs beats rhythms; these artists come alive in these pages ... ... Read more

Product Description
The Jazz Itineraries series, a new format based on Ken Vail's successful Jazz Diaries, charts the careers of famous jazz musicians, listing club and concert appearances with details of recording sessions and movie appearances. Copiously illustrated with contemporary photographs, newspaper extracts, record and performance reviews, ads and posters, the series provides a fascinating insight into the lives of the greatest jazz musicians of our times.No.2 in the series, co-authored by Ron Fritts, Ella Fitzgerald: The Chick Webb Years & Beyond 1935d1948, chronicles Ella_s life from her discovery and development by Chick Webb, the shock of Webb_s early death, her years as a bandleader, her success as a solo singer, marriage to Ray Brown and her first tour of England. ... Read more

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One of the world's great tenor saxophonists, Sonny Rollins has always been committed to the fundamental truths of jazz, especially swing. He has managed to be consistently experimental and forward-looking, and he has recorded at least a dozen essential albums. Here, Richard Palmer charts Rollins's career in full. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Interesting Analysis
Anyone can have opinions, but the ability to make a compelling case in defense of them is rare.I think Palmer succeeds.His critiques of Rollins' music, as well as the state of jazz during the various periods of Rollins' output, are well developed and quite interesting.Even if you disagree with his conclusions, his theories provide ample food for thought.This is not a biography or discography (although it contains a good deal of both), but an analysis.P.N. Wilson's Sonny Rollins: The Definitive Musical Guide is similar and also very good, but I prefer this book.

basic information required
in, my not so humble opinion,all books of this type should have as comprehensivea discography as possible ....certainly any adverts for such should indicate the presence or not of one...willietmitchell

Not bad, but not great
This is a fairly typical "synopsis" style narration, of facts that most hard-core jazz fans already know. There is little new information, and one could probably glean most of the book's content from the liner notes of Rollins' records and the myriad of magazine articles that have been written about him. Mr. Palmer could have done all fans a service if he had been able to secure a new, in-depth interview with Sonny (although notoriously difficult to obtain, he could have persevered in order to provide some real insight into Rollins in the new millenium), discussing his artform rather than who he has played with or specific compositions. This man will not be around for many more years and this was a wasted opportunity to really plumb the depths of the artist while he is still alive, adding fresh insight to an otherwise regurgitative book. ... Read more

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"In Tom Talbert--His Life and Times Talbert--in his own words--describes his progress, his influences, his skirmishes with fate, and his sometimes surprising detours. His account, and the anecdotes and memories of many musicians who played with him conjure up a lost world of music and music-making that has disappeared as completely as last winter's snow." ... Read more

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This biography charts the life and career of the trumpeter, Roy "Little Jazz" Eldridge, whose style is universally recognised as the all-important link between the playing of Louis Armstrong and the achievements of modernist, Dizzy Gillespie. The indignities he experienced and overcame during the 1940s while working in otherwise all-white ensembles proved he was as bold a social pioneer as he was a performer. John Chilton, who knew Eldridge for many years, presents a picture of a fiery yet sensitive individual who never shunned candour, and who was at his happiest when playing the trumpet. New light is shed on the various occasions when Eldridge unwillingly became entangled with gangsters in New York and Chicago, and there are revealing details about Eldridge's uneven working relationship with Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson, Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie. ... Read more

Product Description
Supplies a complete, chronological bio-discography to all issued recordings (including compact disc) as well as unissued material including radio and television appearances, concerts, interviews, and privately-owned home recordings spanning the period 1942-1965. ... Read more