Jazz: A History

by Frank Tirro

Jazz is a democratic music in the best sense of the word, for it is the collective achievement of a people. This book is not a recounting of ancedotes nor a simple chronology of musical events, but a history. It evaluates the gathered evidence and draws conclusions. Its narrative and summaries are based on repeated careful listenings to thouands of recordings, on the reports of musicians who witnessed and experienced many of the crucial events and created some of the masterworks, and on the fresh research and insightful thought of hundreds of serious scholars who love and respect this music.

Genres: Music, History, Jazz, Nonfiction, School

720 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1977

Reviews

[sohu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Acaba sendo terriblemente significativo de como adoitan ser as lecturas brancas de jazz, para o bo é para o malo. Definitivamente agradezo a preocupación pola técnica e o estilo, pero non deixa de ser significativo como moitas veces utiliza estas lecturas meramente formais para desligar o jazz da súa condición de música AFROamericana, insistindo que acaba sendo, sen máis, música americana. En varios momentos defende como o Jazz puido superar as súas raíces de clase obreira e racializada para poder ser música para todo o mundo, incluso ricos brancos. Curiosamente, esta apariencia de universalidade non deixa de ser, como é evidente, unha forma de multiculturalismo americano que defende o mesmo proxecto nacional polo que esus mesmes escraves existiron. Non me gustaría facer parecer que non admiro o gran traballo de documentación e coñecemento técnico, pero non podía deixar de pensar que todo iso estaba disposto sobre un fondo ideolóxico nacional bastante perigoso e, sendo honestos, lowkey racista.

[Elena Prieto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completo y muy interesante, con todo lujo de detalles.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

as a casual reader of sheet music and pretty much layman in the musical world this book was such a special treat (especially loved how much tirro transcribed from archival records into sheet music)

[Oliver Caneiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

le doy un 3 porque me moló pero no lo leí entero (sí toqué todas las partituras!) y tampoco sé si está bien escrito o no :p

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my textbook from a Jazz History class senior year in college - a CD accompanies it. The fam and I are taking a few minutes every week to learn/re-learn about jazz. Last week: the blues/Robert Johnson. This week: rags/Scott Joplin.

[Rob the Obscure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indispensable in this genre

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful overview.