Jazz Changes

by Martin T. Williams

Jazz Changes is the late Martin Williams's third and perhaps best collection of jazz portraits, interviews, narrative accounts of recording sessions, rehearsals, and performances, important liner notes, and far reaching discussions of musicians and their music. The collection includes thirty years of Williams's finest pieces taking readers on an engaging tour of the changing jazz world. There are appreciation-profiles and comments on such performers as Ross Russell--about the noted Dial Record sessions with Charlie Parker--and greats like John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Jelly Roll Morton, Ornette Coleman, Dinah Washington, and Thelonious Monk. Williams also offers parodies of how jazz critics in 1965 might have assessed the Beatles, and reflections on the Ellington era. He concludes with an elegant plea for critics to pay attention to jazz history, always exhibiting his keen mind and gifted pen.

Genres: Jazz, Music

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Jeff Crompton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martin Williams is one of my favorite jazz writers, and this collection brings together many short pieces of his that had been hard to find. There are interviews, fly-on-the-wall observational accounts, liner notes, record reviews, and some in-depth musical analysis. When Williams gets deeply into musical analysis, he can be somewhat dry, but his feeling for musical form makes his knottier passages worth reading. Of course, with any collection like this, some parts are going to be better than others. And this book is not for the jazz neophyte. But for those who want to explore some less-traveled roads of jazz writing, this book is recommended.

[Patrick R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that gives insight to multiple eras of Jazz music. I especially enjoyed the interview portions of the book because it gave the sense that Williams not only respects these musicians, but is familiar with them in a more intimate way than just a mere critic. Several of the conversations would not be out of place at a coffee shop where two friends have gathered to fill each other in on what they had missed while being apart. Great book. If you love Jazz, pick this one up.

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brought back lots of memories and taught me about people I didn't know. Nice way to get back into thinking about music.