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Summary
Summary
A concise history of jazz The noteworthy composers and musicians, from Jelly Roll Morton and Thelonious Monk to Miles Davis and Charles Mingus Major performers from Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald to Nat King Cole and Duke Ellington Classic songs and compositions The most influential recordings of all time A complete guide to jazz terminology and lingo Valuable resources for the Curious Listener
Author Notes
Loren Schoenberg has been a featured tenor saxophone soloist with the big bands of Benny Carter, Benny Goodman, Jimmy Health, and Buck Clayton. A faculty member at the Essentially Ellington Band Director's Academy in Snowmass, Colorado, he was recently named the program director of Jazz Aspen Snowmass Jazz Colony summer program. He was advisor to Ken Burns's Jazz Project.
Reviews (2)
Choice Review
A musician and educator whose resume would suggest that he had the background for such an assignment, Schoenberg has not filled the need for an introduction to this music for the beginner with little or no knowledge of jazz. One of several volumes in the NPR Curious Listener's Guides to ... sequence (including William Berger's on opera, CH, Oct'02), the present title provides a condensed history of jazz, description of various musical styles, an alphabetical series of capsule biographies, descriptions of notable compositions and performances, comments on selected CDs and books, and a jazz glossary whose only justification is that the other books in the sequence seem to have one. Schoenberg undertook a thankless task because every knowledgeable reader will find something missing that is inexcusable: (this reviewer's list includes boogie-woogie). And to call Paul Whiteman's orchestra "one of the greatest bands" of the time in the context of a jazz discussion is astonishing. Of greater concern is Schoenberg's perpetuation of long-outdated jazz myths, frequent lack of adequate perspective, inability to make some important relationships clear, and questionable judgments. Although knowledgeable readers may find some interesting comments or ideas here, this book cannot be recommended for those taking their first step into the jazz world. C. M. Weisenberg University of California, Los Angeles
Library Journal Review
These final entries in NPR's "Curious Listener's" series maintain the fresh spirit and informative stance of the first two, which address opera and popular standards. Smith, music critic for the Baltimore Sun, and Schoenberg, a tenor saxophonist and jazz educator, provide basic introductions geared to lay readers, focusing on the essentials of their respective musical genres, including a history of the form, a description of genres, brief biographies of featured composers and performers, glossaries, and recommended pieces and recordings (50 CDs for each). The charm of this series is the manner in which the authors cover the important points in their own casual yet expert tone, pointing up details along the way with intriguing sidebars (concert etiquette for classical and various historical figures for jazz) or turns of phrase while presenting thought-provoking artist or repertoire selections that will encourage spirited debate. The jazz volume suffers from a few minor editorial glitches (e.g., incorrect alphabetizing and typos), but both books are well crafted and logically organized. Smith's book is reminiscent of Michael Walsh's Who's Afraid of Classical Music? with updated scholarship and some different perspectives, while Schoenberg's complements Gene Seymour's Jazz: The Great American Art. Highly recommended for their combination of reliable information and accessible style, these are real bargains for public libraries. (Indexes not seen.) Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
