Collected Works: A Journal of Jazz 1954-2001

by Whitney Balliett

Jazz critic for The New Yorker since 1957 and the author of some fifteen books, Whitney Balliett has spent a lifetime listening to and writing about jazz. "All first-rate criticism," he once wrote in a review, "first defines what we are confronting." He could as easily have been describing his own work. For nearly half a century, Balliett has been telling us, in his widely acclaimed pitch-perfect prose, what we are confronting when we listen to America's greatest―and perhaps only original―musical form. Collected A Journal of Jazz 1954-2001 is a monumental achievement, capturing the full range and register of the jazz scene, from the very first Newport Jazz Festival to recent performances (in clubs and on CDs) by a rising generation of musicians. Here are definitive portraits of such major figures as Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Django Reinhardt, Martha Raye, Buddy Rich, Charles Mingus, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holliday, Art Tatum, Bessie Smith, and Earl Hines―a list that barely scratches the surface. Generations of readers have learned to listen to the music with Balliett's graceful guidance. For five decades he has captured those moments during which jazz history is made. Though Balliett's knowledge is an encyclopedic treasure, he has always written as if he were listening for the first time. Since its beginnings in New Orleans at the turn of the century, jazz has been restlessly and relentlessly evolving. This is an art form based on improvising, experimenting, shapeshifting―a constant work in progress of sounds and tonal shades, from swing and Dixieland, through boogie-woogie, bebop, and hard bop, to the "new thing," free jazz, abstract jazz, and atonal jazz. Yet, in all its forms, the music is forever sustained by what Balliett calls a "secret emotional center," an "aural elixir" that "reveals itself when an improvised phrase or an entire solo or even a complete number catches you by surprise." Balliett's celebrated essays invariably capture the so-called "sound of surprise"―and then share this sound with general readers, music students, jazz lovers, and popular American culture buffs everywhere. As The Los Angeles Times Book Review has observed, "Few people can write as well about anything as Balliett writes about jazz."

Genres: Music, Jazz, Nonfiction, Essays, Art

880 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Whitney Lyon Balliett was a jazz critic and book reviewer for The New Yorker and was with the journal from 1954 until 2001.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Balliett is my favorite reviewer of any art because he describes what he experiences rather than just rating it. He writes about Miles Davis in the 50s: "In a medium tempo blues, say, Davis is capable of creating a pushing, middle-of-the-road lyricism that is a remarkable distillation, rather than a one-two-three outlining of the melodic possibilities; indeed, what comes out of his horn sounds like an instantaneous editing of a far more diffuse melodic line being carried in his head."

Balliett began writing in what now looks like a great period in jazz, and he seems to be blissfully unaware. He considers Davis' classic Relaxin' album made with John Coltrane as "less satisfactory" than the equally classic Bag's Groove made with Milt Jackson and Theolonius Monk, and in the same review he praises the work of Vic Dickenson, a swing trombonist who has never achieved the renown of the others.

Like many of us Balliett seems to have a feeling that the good times ended just before he achieved adulthood, and the players and bands of the 40s always seem to set the standard that musicians of later years must meet. In retrospect, it's interesting to see the calm, measured reviews he gives to things like the first Newport Jazz Festival: "It will be good to see a second festival next year, for jazz goes well with sea air, trees, history, and the haut monde.

[L.A. Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Collected Works: A Journal of Jazz" by Whitney Balliett is a remarkable exploration of jazz spanning over half a century. Balliett, known as the epitome of elegant jazz writing, offers insightful portraits of jazz legends and pivotal moments in the genre's history. His prose, characterized by its grace and depth, captures the essence of jazz and its evolution from its roots in New Orleans to its modern iterations. While readers should be aware of Balliett's perspective as a critic, the book remains an indispensable resource for jazz enthusiasts and scholars alike, providing a rich tapestry of the genre's legacy.

L.A. Review

Collected Works: A Journal of Jazz 1954-2001

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frustratingly, this book omits published essays from the time period and also some of the included essays have been re-edited. Would be nicer to have the exact versions that were originally published and W.B. could have included introductions or notes to comment on any changes he would have made. And of course, many of the longer biographical pieces are in other Balliett books. This is a case where a well-thought-out two- or three-volume set in strict chronological order would make a lot of sense.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful collection of reviews and critical pieces from one of the great jazz critics of our time ...Whitney Balliett