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Learning to Listen (by Gary Burton)
From his start as a child prodigy in Indiana through his long dual career of musician and educator, Gary Burton has been an important force in jazz for the past five decades. His new autobiography, Learning to Listen tells of his career, his sexuality and, as Thomas Cunniffe notes in this review, an eloquent chapter…
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The Jazz Standards (by Ted Gioia)
Ted Gioia’s new book The Jazz Standards is an invaluable guide to the standard repertoire of working jazz musicians. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the volume, which includes essays on 252 songs by Tin Pan Alley and jazz composers. And if you’re wondering why we’re featuring this book in a Women in Jazz issue, it’s because Gioia…
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Jazz Tales from Jazz Legends (by Monk Rowe with Romy Britell)
Over the past several decades, jazz oral history projects have preserved the stories of great musicians. While the Filius Jazz Archive from Hamilton College may not be as well known as other jazz oral history projects, a new book Jazz Tales from Jazz Legends reveals that the Filius Archive holds several unique treasures. Thomas Cunniffe…
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Jive Colored Glasses (by John F. Goodman)
Up until a few years ago, John F. Goodman’s best-known work in jazz journalism was his nine-year tenure as the music critic for Playboy magazine. Jazz has been a passion for Goodman ever since his childhood, and in his new self-published memoir, “Jive Colored Glasses” he relates how jazz was a constant part of his…
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The Last Balladeer: The Johnny Hartman Story (by Gregg Akkerman)
Most jazz fans know the vocalist Johnny Hartman for his intensely romantic album with John Coltrane. In his new Hartman biography, The Last Balladeer, Gregg Akkerman sorts through all of the myths about this misunderstood singer. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the results.
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Swinger!: A Jazz Girl’s Adventures (by Judy Carmichael)
Jazz’s coexistence of styles allows any musician of any age, gender or race to pursue any genre they wish, even if it’s not currently in style. Still the late 1970s appearance of Judy Carmichael, a white, blond and stunningly beautiful stride pianist turned several heads. In her new memoir, Swinger!, Carmichael offers a compelling narrative…
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Keystone Korner: Portrait of a Jazz Club (by Kathy Sloane)
Todd Barkan’s Keystone Korner. was one of San Francisco’s premier clubs in the 70s and 80s. In her new book, Keystone Korner: Portrait of a Jazz Club, author/photographer Kathy Sloane offers an intimate portrait of the nightspot, complete with a CD of recordings from the club. Chris Coulter reviews the package.
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Being Prez: The Life & Music of Lester Young (by Dave Gelly)
It would be hard Lester Young being anything except a jazz musician. His music was so emotionally transparent that it was easy to tell his mood just by the sound of his improvisations. Dave Gelly’s biography Being Prez is the first book to discuss Young’s life and music side by side. As Thomas Cunniffe notes…
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Loft Jazz: Improvising New York in the 1970s (by Michael C. Heller)
In the 1970s, many free jazz musicians were unable to find gigs in mainstream clubs. With new zoning regulations in Manhattan, many of the old factories in lower downtown were available as cheap living and performing spaces. The term loft jazz was used to describe this esoteric music, even though the moniker was quite inaccurate.…
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Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism (by Thomas Brothers)
In one of the finest books ever written on the subject, Thomas Brothers’ Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism examines Armstrong’s pioneering work from 1922-1931. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the volume, noting Brothers’ free use of the race card, but praising his method of humanizing Armstrong.