Jazz for Dummies
by Dirk Sutro
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Book Summary Information
Author: Dirk SutroForeword: Barney Kessel
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1998-09-16
ISBN: 0764550810
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: For Dummies
Book Reviews of Jazz for Dummies
Book Review: A Good Place to Start
Summary: 4 Stars
Both the accolades and criticisms of the reviews above are accurate. As someone new to jazz, I wanted to hear some examples of what makes jazz unique - such as syncopation, emphasis on chords, and slurred notes. The CD does not deliver this, but neither does any other introduction to jazz that I could find. The closest thing is the PBS web site for Ken Burns' Jazz, which has a virtual piano that morphs "Mary Had a Little Lamb" from the nursery rhyme tune into a jazz version, step by step.
The author's emphasis on performers and "names" is true, but all music is developed by people. Jazz (more so than other music types) has evolved from the performers and their personalities. The different eras of jazz seem to be best explained by the creative changes of people playing it. Jazz as a whole today seems to be strongly influenced by the major figures of the past, such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and Thelonius Monk. Understanding these types of figures, and the others who have been influenced by them, explains a lot about the development of jazz. There are some omissions in the book that seem to be common from the jazz "elite", for example Glenn Miller. While maybe not the best performer of big band swing jazz, he certainly was one of the most popular.
If you are interested in jazz, want to know more about it and the people who made it what it is, this book is a good place to start. After that, let your own taste be your guide as to where you go next.
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