The New York Times Essential Library: Jazz: A Critic's Guide to the 100 Most Important Recordings

The reviews here have been too harsh to this book. This book is not meant by any strech to be a replacement for the Penguin Jazz on CD Guide, but as a list and analysis of 100 very good jazz CDs it isn't bad at all. The reviews are generally insightful and informative, and the book contains a fine balance of big band, be-bop, and post-bop, with all the colours in between. (His defense of Cecil Taylor is particularly refreshing.) I might quibble with the title, but no list of 100 CDs will satisfy every reader as including all the "essentials." The main list, combined with the additional 100 CDs listed in the appendix, would provide enough listening enjoyment for a lifetime.