Giants of Jazz

by Studs Terkel, Robert Galster (Illustrator), Milly Hawk Daniel (Contributor)

A beautifully illustrated edition of Studs Terkel's timeless portraits of America's jazz legends, for readers of all ages.

Studs Terkel's first book, Giants of Jazz , is the master interviewer's unique tribute to America's jazz greats, now available in an affordable paperback edition with the original illustrations and discography.

The thirteen profiles in this "luminous" ( Jazzwise ) collection weave together stories of the individual jazz musicians' lives with the history of the jazz era, and the music's evolution from the speakeasies of New York to the concert halls of the world's greatest cities. Terkel—a lifelong fan and friend of many of these legends—uses firsthand interviews with artists such as Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, and Charlie Parker to tell the human stories behind the giants who shaped this uniquely American music form. Some of the many fascinating details Terkel relates include Joe Oliver's favorite meal, Fats Waller's 1932 rendezvous in Paris with eminent organist Marcel Dupré, Dizzy Gillespie's childhood trip to a pawnshop to buy his first horn, and the origin of Billie Holiday's nickname. Paperback with French flaps, thirteen b/w illustrations.

Genres: Music, Jazz, Nonfiction, Biography, History

214 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

Louis "Studs" Terkel was an American author, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1985 for "The Good War", and is best remembered for his oral histories of common Americans, and for hosting a long-running radio show in Chicago.

Terkel was acclaimed for his efforts to preserve American oral history. His 1985 book "The Good War: An Oral History of World War Two", which detailed ordinary peoples' accounts of the country's involvement in World War II, won the Pulitzer Prize. For "Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression", Terkel assembled recollections of the Great Depression that spanned the socioeconomic spectrum, from Okies, through prison inmates, to the wealthy. His 1974 book, "Working" also was highly acclaimed. In 1995, he received the Chicago History Museum "Making History Award" for Distinction in Journalism and Communications. In 1997, Terkel was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters. Two years later, he received the George Polk Career Award in 1999.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book of Terkel's I've read, as well as his first book. It's a model of clear and effective writing and a loving and reverent portrayal of 13 great jazz musicians. (I admit I skipped the chapter about Woody Herman, since I've never listened to much of his stuff.) The writing level would probably suit a middle-schooler just fine, but that's no insult. In fact, the simplicity of the writing and the relative absence of complicated musicology would make this an excellent read for even the most casual jazz fan, which can't be said of some other books about jazz. The profiles are not overloaded with biographical detail. Terkel breezes through their lives with a remarkably light touch, in each case covering many years in surprisingly few pages but always seeming to hit the important notes.

Terkel illustrates several key points worth remembering about jazz: that it's a music of the people, that came from the people (is this at all the case today? a question worth considering more deeply at some point); that its innovators were truly courageous in pursuing their visions and did not always meet with immediate success (a worthwhile reminder for anyone following a creative pursuit); and that jazz's greatest musicians became such thanks in part to a diet of steady encouragement from the larger jazz community. It's heartwarming to read of the friendships the musicians forged and of their passion for what they created.

I found the book's only weakness to be that the final two profiles, about Charlie Parker and John Coltrane, felt somewhat thinner than the rest. Perhaps this was because Coltrane charted such a different path from the other figures (who range chronologically from King Oliver to Charlie Parker), and at the time Terkel was writing, maybe listeners and critics had not yet come to terms with Coltrane. (Maybe they still haven't.) It might also be that Terkel didn't speak directly with Coltrane. (The book's sourcing is unclear--it's hard to tell when Terkel had actually spoken with the musicians, and when he might have been imagining the details of their childhoods that he relates.) But that's a minor shortcoming when compared with the book's overall accomplishments.

[Jay French · Rating 2 out of 5]

My daughter brought this book home from the library. She found it in the adult non-fiction section, although it is labelled as young adult on a sticker. I'd firmly place this in the YA camp. I actually found the writing annoying. The style I would label as "Fifties Filmstrip", as it sounds like it could have been the narration beside one of those filmstrips I saw back in elementary school. Most every story has at its heart a Horatio Alger turn - the artist makes it through obstacles from when they were kids. It was interesting to see Terkel make the case, time and again, that these artists fought to do their music their way. The other theme he repeatedly played was that the artists, and other jazz artists they work with, are always thinking. He doesn't say they are smart, but they are always thinking and figuring out how to play new ways. Given that this felt aimed at kids, the repetition and the focus on thinking to be creative is a good story -- I'd give it higher marks for that audience.

[Harold Citron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was both the first book written by Studs Terkel, and the first one of his books that I read. I was an interesting, if light read, providing 15 vignettes on the lives of a number of major Jazz musicians and singers. Given the size of the book and the number of entries, its not surprising that this was not a deep biographical dive into these Giants, any one of which could have, and likely have, their life stories written on in detail. For those looking for a deeper review of the lives of these Jazz icons, I would suggest looking elsewhere.

But Terkel seeks to provide a feeling of their lives, not just a personal history. Their joys, triumphs, and tragedies are placed front and center on the page. For someone looking to get a first glance at a number of individuals who advanced Jazz through the decades, this is a worthwhile read. The discography at the end is an additional bonus.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although limited in number of musicians highlighted, the short biographies were very interesting and organized in a way that shows the progression of jazz through the decades. This surely was a community of musicians who worked together, mentored each other, and were deeply committed to their music. The discography in the back is also useful!

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published in 1957, this book offers a sanitised primer on some of jazz's biggest stars. Terkel's style is conversational and he comes across as a fan of jazz music.

[Karah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book under the impression Studs Terkel had interviewed these legends. It's a series of biographical profiles. I saved the best for last: Billie Holiday. She and Bessie Smith were the only women featured in this book. I guess Dinah Washington was considered a blues singer in her time because there's no mention of her. Bessie Smith was labeled a blues singer, too. Hmmm, why no Dinah, we may never know.

[Martijn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine yourself, with a headphone, leasurly mood, nice weather, outside, a beer, glas of wine, whiskey. Listening to the songs Terkel is referencing to. And reading this very human account of these historical giants of jazz, stirrers of the soul. Real synergy in this immersive experience.

What it is not, is an accurate description of the political or socio economical reasons behind the rise or fall of these grand artists. So the book could also be construed as being too safe or too naive.

[Sadie Thorburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thai book was great! I learned so much about the history of jazz and jazz players. There's so much about how some musicians influence others, and I love how it flows. Each chapter of each person incorporates the next person in it, which helps the timeline in your brain. Great read!

[Alan Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Studs' first book...written in 1957, before Studs was Studs. At the time, he was a DJ for WFMT, playing folk records, and trying to get a jazz show off the ground. This book is clearly written with the intent of attracting more listeners to his jazz show. It consists of a dozen vignettes each providing a capsule history of a musician, and describing their music and the place that music holds in the history of jazz. However, these are not based on the sorts of interviews Studs made famous in his later works. He interviewed some of the people described, but for others he relied on secondary sources. Studs makes sure that each vignette has some, at least tenuous, connection to Chicago--presumably to build a connection that his audience would be driven to explore further by listening to Studs' show.

Parts of it age well--Dizzy Gillespie is now universally creStan Kenton dited (along with Parker and Monk) with revolutionizing jaz and inventing bebop. Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington are indisputably key figures in anyone's history of jazz.

However, in retrospect, I'm not sure that (for example) Woody Herman and Stan Kenton deserve slots, while Mingus and Miles are excluded (although both were around and playing by 1956. It is very much a book of its time. A good introduction to jazz as it was played between the World Wars--but should not be taken as a representative overview of the history of the development of jazz in the US.

[Boydsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Just wow. A must read for every jazz musician and listener... and for every musician. Terkel doesn't just spout facts. He weaves them into people, lives, passions, defeats, genius, and, most of all, a story of magnificent music and some of the talents that brought us the music that lives and grows and will last forever. Viva la jazz!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una piacevole ed interessante primo tuffo nel mondo del jazz, a tratti commovente. Utilissimo ai fini della mia ricerca.

[Joan Wetherell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good brief capsules of great jazz artists. Written at a YA level but still interesting.

[Jimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light, breezy read. It's a collection of short biographical sketches of 13 "jazz giants," starting with Joe "King" Oliver and ending with John Coltrane. And throughout telling the stories of these jazz legends, Terkel introduces the names of other jazz giants as well. In my opinion, Studs Terkel does a fine job of introducing some of the most prominent names in 20th Century jazz to a novice audience. Nothing earthshattering to the more attentive and knowledgable jazz fan; but good for a person just becoming curious about jazz. What makes this little volume enjoyable is the conversational and storytelling narrative style. It's not a pretentious academic biographical exercise; and Terkel clearly takes some liberties in embellishing little tidbits of information about the people he profiles -- not that he is dishonest or fabricates anything, but simply that he imagines simple conversations and dialogues that probably didn't actually happen verbatim, but which nonetheless capture probably the gist of what the individuals were thinking. In the process of learning a little bit about the individuals he profiles, the reader will also get a very basic primer on the evolution of jazz as a musical genre over the 20th century. It's a great jazz starter book, which I recommend to anyone with a budding interest in this musical tradition. More serious students of jazz and its legends, however, should look elsewhere for biographical and historical nourishment. The one big weakness in the book is that the women of 20th century jazz are mostly left out. Of the 13 vignettes, only 2 are of women: Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday -- and both are jazz vocalists. Even just one or two vignettes of women jazz musicians and instrumentalists, such as Mary Lou Williams or Melba Liston, would have been nice.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does nothing to diminish my ongoing (platonic) love affair with Studs Terkel, but after "The Spectator" I was hoping for a bit of the musicians themselves talking. It's a good introduction for a general audience, Terkel's insights and crisp, funny writing make it worthwhile for readers more familiar with jazz history.

Given that there are no footnotes it's difficult to tell where some of the history comes from. Probably the great man gets most of it right, but since Billie Holiday's as told-to bio is notorious for including many falsehoods, it's hard to know how much of the chapter on her, for instance, is dead-on.

I do love that Studs winds up irritated with debates between swing and tradional jazz lovers and the bop-obsessed, given that Studs really loves the best of all those tendencies produced. He writes lovingly of early trad jazz heroes like Bix Beiderbecke, but concludes with a well-informed and enthusiastic discussion of New York's loft jazz of the 70's and the avant garde cultural black nationalists the AACM in Chicago.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jazz was one of the main musical genres of the 1950s: swing, big band, bop and cool. Studs Terkel started out in radio and got his own show in 1944, playing all styles of music. In 1952, he landed on television with a show called Stud's Place. From there on he developed an interviewing style which he put into a long series of books about various periods of 20th century America. Giants of Jazz was his first book.

He covers thirteen jazz artists from Louis Armstrong to Billie Holiday to Charlie Parker. Each artist has a chapter combining a life story with quotes from Terkel's interviews. He concentrates on their innovations and achievements; how they overcame race, poverty and changing styles. A musician's hardships are touched on but personal troubles and substance abuse are downplayed.

The book is a celebration of music and the development of jazz into a unique American music. Studs Terkel revels in the joy and creativity these artists brought to audiences everywhere they went. It is both an educational and uplifting read.

[Brett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Giants of Jazz didn't do much for me. I've never read Terkel before, but have spent years hearing about how great his books were. I don't think he had quite found his footing yet when he wrote this one. It's pretty clear that he has a great respect for the musicians he writes about--perhaps a little too much respect, since many of the pieces come off more as hagiography than genuinely searching essays.

This does give a casual jazz fan a decent starting point, but I was unengaged throughout. I'm sure that there are better books about jazz out there, and there are better books by Terkel.

[Natalie]

Short biographies of the great jazz musicians. The book in general has a few too many hyperboles. Terkel focuses on the personalities of these "giants" and how they changed what was accepted as jazz so that the next "giant" could do his/her cool thing. There are some major jazz musicians that I feel were looked over (such as Miles Davis) but over-all a quick, informative overview of the "giants of jazz".

[Shawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing, especially after I saw Studs Terkel on The Daily Show. His book on World War II The Good War An Oral History of World War_II was much better. Giants of Jazz is a bunch of short stories about various jazz greats, but none of the stories are really in depth enough and they tend to storify things too much.

[Emma Vaughan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned Bessie Smith empress of jazz died because she got in a car wreck and the first hospital they went to denied her because of her skin color and she lost too much blood on the way to another hospital

[Jean]

since he died I have a renewed interest in Studs Terkel. I found this book at a bookstore in Brooklyn shopping with Anna

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read: slight, fun and illuminating.

[Patrick Fiorill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terkel's first book, published in 1956, and a quick read. Written in a somewhat dated, gee-whiz style. Kinda fun.

[Nathan Wittmann]

As a volume of jazz historiography this work should not necessarily be consulted for hard facts, but I’m sure that’s not Terkel’s intention. In fact as I was reading it I got the impression that Terkel’s clear affinity for jazz was being showcased as if to show people, “here, here is why this music is so moving, so essential, so reverential in its gusto and sheer breadth.” Given that it was initially published in 1957, the world could’ve been on a comedown from the jazz heyday of the prior decades, rock and roll already starting to usurp the domains where once jazz was king. If that is his real intention, imagined or not, the work largely succeeds, and should be viewed in that context, not as a history or biography, but as a love letter to his subject of jazz and the masters that brought it to the forefront of the twentieth century.