Jazz Book / Video Reviews
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Jazz Piano Scales & Modes by Misha V. Stefanuk
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Misha V. Stefanuk has created a remarkable instruction guide to jazz piano scales and modes. JAZZ PIANO SCALES & MODES is a remarkable instruction work. Clearly written, enjoyable to read, and entertaining, this is definitely a book to have in the home library and Public Library. The table of contents is concise, helpful, and arranged in...
(Musical Instruction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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Jazz Scales For Bass by Corey Christiansen & Jay Farmer
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Corey Christiansen & Jay Farmer have produced a winning entry in bass instruction book publications, for this work is detailed and highly helpful to bass players. It contains a play-along CD that adds hands-on experience to the well-crafted book. I would point out that I learned new information on many topics with this fine book, among them, topics...
(Musical Instruction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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Jazz Scales For Guitar by Corey Christiansen
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Learning jazz scales for guitars has now become easy and fun with Corey Christiansen's book, JAZZ SCALES FOR GUITAR. 80 pages of learning enjoyment with play-along CD! Bebop Scales are covered as are other important scales. The explanations are clear. This book is highly recommended for its clarity and ease of learning. Nicely...
(Musical Instruction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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Jazz Solos: Improvised Solos Over Standard Progressions, Volume 1 by Frank Vignola
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Frank Vignola, master guitarist, recording artist for Concord Records, innovator, composer, and creator of guitar approaches, has put together an intriguing collection of improvised solos over standard progressions. JAZZ SOLOS is Volume 1. For those who enjoy the performances and guitar writings of Frank Vignola, this is a must-have for your library. This collection comes...
(Musical Instruction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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Jazz Structures for the New Millennium by Joe Diorio
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JAZZ STRUCTURES FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM by Joe Diorio is an enjoyable way to learn and expand improvising methods for the guitarist. On page 21 is examined II - V - I followed by a detailed look at Cmaj7flat5 lines in & out. The book is designed as part of The Right Brain Guitarist Series, and it...
(Musical Instruction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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Jazz Studies For Piano by Paul T. Smith
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This jazz music instruction book comes with a play-along CD. Like Paul T. Smith's BLUES/BOOGIE SOLOS FOR PIANO (which also comes with an instructional play-along CD), this book gives great hands-on studies for those wanting to learn jazz fingerings and sharpen their skills. There are 22 tracks on the accompaning CD that key to the material covered...
(Musical Instruction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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Jazz Veterans: A Portrait Gallery by Text by Chip Deffaa, photographs by Nancy Miller Elliott, John Johnsen
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With a lively, informative text accompanied by photos, JAZZ VETERANS: A PORTRAIT GALLERY is a fine example of this art form. The photos are candid and reveal their subjects clearly, and perfectly. The text observes, comments, and reveals! If you are a reader who enjoys jazz photos of great veteran jazz performers, you will want this...
(Non-Fiction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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Jazz Women: Conversations With Twenty-One Musicians by Wayne Enstice & Janis Stockhouse
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Congratulations to the authors for bringing this fine collection of interviews together under one cover! The dialog sparkles, and each of these 21 jazz women interviews reveals the uniqueness of the woman being interviewed. Among the many brilliant lady jazz artists are found Regina Carter, Shirley Horn, Diana Krall, Abbey Lincoln, Maria Schneider, Marian McPartland, and...
(Non-Fiction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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JAZZ: A History of America’s Music by Geoffrey C. Ward, Ken Burns
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JAZZ: A History of America's Music is a companion piece to the award-winning 10 part documentary series of the same name. If you've been thinking of this book as just another devious marketing tie-in, think again. Weighing in at 512 pages, this to me is a thoroughly representative (if not exhaustive) history of our nation's music. Its text is...
(Non-Fiction)
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| Book Review by David Seymour |
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Jazz: The Ultimate Guide by Ronald Atkins (Editor)
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Jazz: The Ultimate Guide is a very nice showcase of information and photographs. This paperback book is edited by Ronald Atkins, and is 224 pages; it is constructed in easy to locate divisions beginning with a crisp, well-written history of jazz in the Introduction, followed by Evolution of Jazz, Jazz Giants, A - Z Jazz Players, Milestone Recordings, Jazz...
(Non-Fiction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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JK Rowling's Harry Potter Novels by Philip Nel
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JK ROWLING'S HARRY POTTER NOVELS by Philip Nel is a 96 page reader's guide to the popular novels, and to the numerous jazz fans who like these fantasy novels, this book gives much helpful information. The book is a reference work, and it gives a short biography of the novelist who created Harry Potter, studies of the novels...
(Fiction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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John Coltrane by Bill Cole
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John Coltrane Biography is
Interesting but Problematic
"There are two things in
particular that I would like to get at in this book: John Coltrane as a
musician, and John Coltrane as a religious person. And both of these aspects are
bound up with his being African-American."
So Bill Cole begins his
affectionate biography, and so continues ad infinitum. This is...
(Biography)
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| Book Review by David Seymour |
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John Coltrane by Martin Smith
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JOHN COLTRANE is a detailed, sharp, concise look at the American saxophone legend, John Coltrane. Martin Smith has given the readers a memorable account in this short biography. This book is a look at jazz, racism, the civil rights movement and its directions during the 1960s, resistance, and the role of John Coltrane. The chapters on...
(Biography)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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John Coltrane: His Life and Music by Lewis Porter
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Over the years, John Coltrane and Harry Partch have become archetypes of the spiritual jazzman and the renegade avant-garde composer, respectively, and been elevated to Sainthood by their followers and fans.
In Fact, There's a church in San Francisco, St. John Coltrane African Orthodox church that worships Coltrane as a saint. Biographies, especially well-researched biographies threaten to fill in...
(Biography)
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| Book Review by Beatrice Richardson |
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Josephine Baker: Image & Icon by Edited by Olivia Lahs-Gonzales
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What would jazz be without the legendary Josephine Baker? She was a classic, unique unto herself, and this fine book is a non-fiction, biographical look at what, who, and where she was. Carefully edited by Olivia Lahs-Gonzales, the book also includes essays by Bennetta Jules-Rosette, Tyler Stovall, and Olivia Lahs-Gonzales.
This book is rich with photographs, many of which will be...
(Biography)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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Josephine: The Hungry Heart by Jean-Claude Baker & Chris Chase
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JOSEPHINE: THE HUNGRY HEART is a fine biography of Josephine Baker (1906-1975), a famous personality of the Jazz Age and beyond, whose life and times as a famous Folies-Bergere dancer in France make for fascinating reading. This is her story, the courage of a young black American woman who became an international celebrity. The book contains many photographs,...
(Non-Fiction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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Just for a Thrill: Lil Hardin Armstrong, First Lady of Jazz by James L. Dickerson
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James L. Dickerson has written an intimate biography of Lil Hardin Armstrong. For those new to her role in the early years of American jazz, she is one of the first major black women to appear in jazz, and her contributions are as important as those of Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. Lillian Hardin (1898 - 1971)...
(Biography)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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Just Jazz Guitar Articles by Jack Wilkins
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Jack Wilkins gives the guitarist a nice collection for guitar workouts. His writing about how to practice is a gem, and even the most experienced guitarists will find it full of great tips! Three parts on comping are detailed. Fingerings, altered scales, inner voices, endings, and intros are among the topics covered. For those who...
(Musical Instruction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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Keyboard Latin Grooves for the Creative Musician (Book and CD) by Rogelio Maya
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Keyboard Latin Grooves for the Creative Musician is a creative work indeed. Rogelio Maya has designed his method in an engaging, educational, and enjoyable manner. The complimentary audio CD further rounds out the student's experience.
There are over ninety-nine Latin style rhythms in this well-organized book. After learning these fundamental rhythmic approches to Latin music, the pianist can easily adapt them...
(Musical Instruction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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Killer Comping by Corey Christiansen
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KILLER COMPING is an approach to harmonic complement and accompaniment. It will guide the aspiring guitarist on solo work. This guide offers chord shapes which can be used for guitar comping. For example, there are chords for style in the manner of Freddie Green, and there is a section of songs titled "Comping Blues 1"...
(Musical Instruction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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Killer ii - Vs: Unlocking Jazz Improvisation by Corey Christiansen
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For those who are interested in and enjoy the guitar instruction books of Corey Christiansen, this handy reference will be a valuable addition to the guitarist's home library. Covering transposing key work, the examples are clearly illustrated for a hands-on approach. Get this one! The section on long ii-V lines will intrigue all guitar...
(Musical Instruction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece by Ashley Kahn and Jimmy Cobb
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In this age of "metafication", when every work of art must be held up, turned over, upside down, jiggled, poked, prodded and made to turn its head and cough, it was only a matter of time until Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue landed on the Petrie dish. In recording Kind of Blue, the Davis Sextet of 1959 - Davis,...
(Non-Fiction)
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| Book Review by Bill Smith |
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L'Esprit Manouche: A Comprehensive Study of Gypsy Jazz Guitar by Romane & Derek Sebastian
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Romane and Derek Sebastian have put together a fine collection which is an excellent comprehensive study of gypsy jazz guitar. It is a book to be savored, and enjoyed. Complete with a play-along CD, the book contains illustrations and photographs. The English translation is by Vincent Michael. The glossary and introduction are followed...
(Musical Instruction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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Larkin's Jazz: Essays and Reviews 1940 - 1984 by Philip Larkin
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Considered one of the most important
of British authors in the twentieth century, Philip Larkin (1922 - 1985)
contributed many outstanding works in poetry, literature, and jazz analysis.
Among his many books are High Window (1974, poetry), and All What Jazz (1970,
essays).
What makes this book memorable reading is the width and scope
of Larkin's ability to understand and analyze works of...
(Non-Fiction)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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Lee Konitz: Conversations on the Improviser's Art by Andy Hamilton
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As an oral biography, this book ranks among the top ones written about jazz musicians. The well-written book gives an in depth look at one of the world's great jazz saxophonists, Lee Konitz.
With a foreword by jazz saxophonist Joe Lovano, this book offers everything known about the great skills and talents of Lee Konitz.The reader is given an understanding of...
(Biography)
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| Book Review by Lee Prosser |
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