Jazz on Record: a critical guide to the first 50 years, 1917-1967

by Charles Fox, Albert J. McCarthy

1968 hardcover first edition

416 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1968

Reviews

[Jeff Crompton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jazz on Record is an example of a book that has remained valuable beyond its time. Published in 1968, it attempted to sum up and evaluate the recordings of all the major figures (and many minor ones) in jazz up to that point. As such, it's obviously out of date and incomplete by nearly 50 years. But for the period it covers, the judgements, by some of the best British critics of the time, are sure and sound. One of the contributors, Max Harrison, is in my opinion the best critic to ever write on jazz, and I turn to his segments often. His entry on Steve Lacy is one of the most insightful things I've read on one of my favorite musicians, even though it only covers Lacy's first four albums.

The entries are arranged by artist, with a generous selection of blues musicians included; those entries are mostly written by blues authority Paul Oliver. Toward the end there are entries which deal briefly with a large number of albums not covered elsewhere: "Post-War Brass," "Twenties and Thirties Big Bands," and "The Tradition - New Orleans" are three examples.

The limitations of Jazz on Record should be obvious, but for anyone who appreciates good writing about jazz, this is a book worth searching for. It's not a book to read from cover to cover, but it's a great one to thumb through, and to read the insights on your favorite jazz and blues musicians by some of the best writers on the subjects.