Concise Guide to Jazz

by Mark C. Gridley

This abridged version of Jazz Styles was developed in response to requests for an introductory book offering the clarity and accuracy of Jazz Styles with 1/2 the size, 1/4 the number of names and tune titles, and 1/3 the number of musician profiles. Using a simple, yet lively writing style, and an abundance of illustrations, it is easily accessible to readers with no previous knowledge of music—or any technical sophistication. Written by an active jazz musician and eminent jazz historian, this brief yet substantive introduction to jazz examines how jazz originated, how it is made, what to listen for, the major style eras, and the individual styles of 40 historically significant jazz musicians. These styles include early jazz (Dixieland); swing; bebop; cool jazz; hard bop; avant-garde of the 1960s and 70s; and jazz-rock fusion. For music lovers who want to increase their enjoyment of jazz.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music

246 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1991

Reviews

[My work is never done · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its a good book to learn the history of Jazz and how modern music relates to it. I learned for instance, that Jazz can trace its linage to military brass bands from the Civil War. So it's literally a musical phenomena that has been going on for centuries.

But it is a tad boring at first for someone who is not particularly into music or already knows the history well.

In either case, its a good read and comes with its sound track of Jazz music.