A Century of Jazz

I bought this for myself as a 60th birthday present. I grew up listening to Benny Goodman, the Dorsey brothers and Glenn Miller since this is what my parents played on the phonograph. The first album I bought for myself was Muted Jazz by Jonah Jones who played with Cab Calloway. Jonah passed away in 2000 and I was disappointed not to find him here though he may be hiding somewhere, since there is no index. If you are like me and enjoy sitting and musing over what was, this is the book for you. The second album I bought for myself was Time Out by Dave Brubeck; a bit about him in there, but I'm not a snob like many who criticize Dave, and I loved all those old artists: Louie Bellson, Dexter Gordon, Cannonball Adderly, but I ramble. The best thing about this book is all the great album art and statements by the artists themselves. . .and the memories.

The medium is the message! Start with the heft of the volume. And there you have a sense of jazz's musical and historical weight on America and the world (at least Europe, and a tiny tiny sprinkling of the Latin American and Carribean...But where is the rest of the world, Carr? Say, Japan. Or isnt that jazz?).The splahing color and gloss and newsy trivia spread all over the book can only highlight the fact that improvisation makes more beautiful and glorious not only the melody and tempo but also a historical (or book) account of jazz. Really, a century of jazz does not have to deal with the dry history, or a scholarly exposition, or even a musical theory of such an enchanting thing like jazz...About jazz? It is enough to hear its throbbing colors, see its haunting sax and mid-night whispers...and smell that ubiquitous cigarette smoke (I dont like that part really but soemtimes you cant have a choice of your uncles and aunts). Get this book for the necessary info and history, for the thrill and romance of jazz.