Jazz Rock: A History

by Stuart Nicholson, Bill Laswell (Contributor), Jon Newey (Discographer)

The quintessential crossover form, jazz-rock encompasses the most popular hybrid styles, from 1970s fusion to the latest in acid jazz. Jazz-Rock: A History provides a clear overview of the many trends and musical genres that comprise this popular music.

Genres: Music, Jazz, Nonfiction

454 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1998

Reviews

[Serge Pierro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll never forget the first time I heard "The Dance of Maya" by Mahavishu Orchestra, as it was a turning point in my career as a guitarist. Before that I was a rock guitarist, into the likes of Page, Clapton, Beck etc., but when I heard my first fusion tune I knew that this was the type of music I would be pursuing for the rest of my life. The combination of rock and jazz had great appeal to me and John McLauglin's sound really caught my attention. No longer would blues licks suffice, I started to practice 12-16 hours a day and pursued this new musical form.

Needless to say this was a book that spoke to my heart, as many of the players mentioned within were big influences on me - especially: John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola, Pat Metheny, Allan Holdsworth and Charlie Hunter. So it was quite fun reading the historical outline as to how the genre developed over time and the trials and tribulations of the jazz artists as rock became the more dominant art form. The section on Jimi Hendrix was noteworthy, as it was approached from a jazz viewpoint and spoke of his interaction with jazz artists. This was quite refreshing, especially when compared to the plethora of material about him as a rock guitarist.

While the book is quite good at giving an overview, there were times where the author got a bit sidetracked with an agenda. Even still there is a good amount of information contained within, though there was surprisingly little material on Allan Holdsworth, someone I would consider to be the "Best of the Best". Even the section on Pat Metheny was a bit short for a player of his stature and success. Though on the other hand, I was delightfully surprised to see a section devoted to Charlie Hunter included!

One the book's better aspects is the discography at the back that that's all of the important artists and albums within the genre. It is quite comprehensive and will provide curious listeners with a long list of titles to peruse.

Overall this is a book that many musicians should take the time to read, especially those interested in this type of music. Seeing as "fusion" never really crossed over to popular acceptance, it is remarkable that a book like this even exists. Even with its shortcomings this is an excellent book for fans of this genre.

[Fred Bautista]

Early jazz rock was radical and uncompromising. I love this book because it uncovers musical treasures too adventurous to go mainstream. And with streaming music services, I can hear it all first hand.

[Jim Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book about a subset of jazz and rock, jazz rock. It takes the reader from its beginnings in the late 1950s with Miles Davis and Gil Evans through the 1970s and the John McLaughlin-led Mahavishnu Orchestra to the late 1990s and jazz-funk. A discography in the back of the book lists key artists and albums, many of them out of print. Stuart Nicholson is very knowledgeable about jazz and presents the subject well, though I had to look up some of the terms, such as "hard bop" and "head". Recommended for those interested in this jazz subgenre.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit more dry than I was hoping. It was definitely informative and filled with new artists to check out, but I really struggled to get through it at times and found it to be a bit of a chore. Some chapters are more interesting than others and it seemed to lose focus a bit towards the end.

[Voyt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it long time ago, still have it. It is very informative text about this genre, that is my favourite besides progressive hard rock. At a certain point in time about late 60es, some jazz players decided to incorporate rock into pure classic jazz, to make the latter more interesting and appealing to larger audience..and they succeeded big time. During the late 80es and 90es I stopped following jazz-rock fusion, but after getting this book as a gift, I learned about many new and unheard bands and musicians. Great book for all who collect music and are ready to learn about this part of music history !

[Skrot · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know why the author would take time and energy to write a book about a genre of music they clearly dislike.