Jazz guitars: An anthology

by James (editor) Sallis

Although the guitar has played a sizeable role in jazz since at least the early 1920s--when Eddie Lang added his six-string expertise to recordings by the Mound City Blue Blowers--there have been surprisingly few books on the subject. James Sallis's fine anthology covers all the bases, from early pioneers like Lang and Charlie Christian to latter-day virtuosi like Jim Hall and Bill Frisell. Hardly a single significant player is overlooked. In addition, there's an attractive variety to the essays themselves, which include both close-focus examinations of particular performances such as Django Reinhardt's "You Rascal You," and wide-angle historical pieces such as Leonard Feather's introductory ramble, which crams seven decades into 11 pages.

Genres: Music

276 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1996

Reviews

[Loren · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of articles about various jazz guitar players rather than a cohesive book. Nice information on the development on guitar duets, but many of the articles are too broad for somebody with more than a basic understanding of the musicians covered. The Richard Lieberson essays standout. The rest are solidly written articles, and the Nick Lucas section is a charming bit of history. Book of interest to jazz guitar enthusiasts only, with the focus on older jazz.