The jazz tradition / Martin Williams.

Author/creator Williams, Martin
Format Book
EditionSecond revised edition.
Publication InfoNew York : Oxford University Press, ©1993.
Descriptionxviii, 301 pages ; 21 cm
Subjects
Jazz--History and criticism.
Jazz musicians.

Contents 1. Introduction: a matter of fundamentals -- 2. King Oliver: father figure -- 3. Jelly Roll Morton: three-minute form -- 4. Sidney Bechet: first and last -- 5. Louis Armstrong: style beyond style -- 6. Bix Beiderbecke: the white man's burden -- 7. Coleman Hawkins: some comments on a phoenix -- 8. Billie Holliday: actress without an act -- 9. Art Tatum: not for the left hand alone -- 10. Duke Ellington: form beyond form -- 11. Count Basie and Lester Young: style beyond swing -- 12. Charlie Parker: the burden of innovation -- 13. Thelonious Monk: modern jazz in search of maturity -- 14. John Lewis and the Modern Jazz Quartet: modern conservative -- 15. Sonny Rollins: spontaneous orchestration -- 16. Horace Silver: the meaning of craftsmanship -- 17. Miles Davis: a man walking -- 18. Sarah Vaughan: the meaning of self-discovery -- 19. Bill Evans: a need to know -- 20. Charlie Mingus: the pivotal instrument -- 21. John Coltrane: a man in the middle -- 22. Ornette Coleman: innovation from the source -- 23. Eric Dolphy: step by step -- 24. World Saxophone Quartet: four in one -- 25. The meaning of a music: an art for the century.
Abstract When it was first published in 1970, this lively and fascinating book was greeted with almost universal acclaim. The American Record Guide called it "the best one-volume of jazz we have," and the Jazz Journal praised it as "a brilliant study of the whole of jazz." Perhaps the greatest tribute was paid by Louis Armstrong himself who raved: "it held Ol' Satch spellbound." Now thoroughly revised and expanded, the new edition offers readers a unique history of jazz, as seen through its greatest practitioners. An original blend of history and criticism, this book explores the work of nearly two dozen leading musicians and ensembles that have shaped the course of jazz, from King Oliver's Creole Jazz band to the present day. Couched in the same readable, non-technical language that made earlier editions so popular, this book adds new chapters on some of the more recent giants of jazz, performers like pianist Bill Evans, versatile horn player and saxophonist Eric Dolphy, and the World Saxophone Quartet, and considerably expands the chapter devoted to Count Basie. In addition, a foreword by Richard Crawford introduces the new edition, and the discographies on each performer have been fully brought up to date. Written by an author The Washington Post lauded as "the most knowledgeable, open-minded, and perceptive American jazz critic today," this book belongs in the library of all lovers of this distinctly American sound.
Local noteLittle-290404--305130043264V
Bibliography noteDiscography: pages 269-284.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references and index.
LCCN 92029007
ISBN0195078160 (paper : acid-free paper) :
ISBN0195078152 (cloth : acid-free paper)

Availability

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Music Music Stacks ML3506 .W545 1993 ✔ Available Place Hold