The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jazz PDF
Preview The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jazz
Page i Jazz by Alan Axelrod A Division of Macmillan General Reference A Pearson Education Macmillan Company 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 100196785 Page aa DEAR READER Page ab THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S REFERENCE CARD Page ac Page ii For Anita. Copyright © 1999 by Alan Axelrod All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of information contained herein. For information, address Alpha Books, 1633 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY 100196785. THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO and design are trademarks of Macmillan, Inc. Macmillan Publishing books may be purchased for business or sales promotional use. For information please write: Special Markets Department, Macmillan Publishing USA, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. International Standard Book Number:0028627318 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 9887600 01 00 99 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Interpretation of the printing code: the rightmost number of the first series of numbers is the year of the book's printing; the rightmost number of the second series of numbers is the number of the book's printing. For example, a printing code of 99–1 shows that the first printing occurred in 1999. Printed in the United States of America Note: This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering professional services in the book. If the reader requires personal assistance or advice, a competent professional should be consulted. The author and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book. Page iii Alpha Development Team Publisher Kathy Nebenhaus Editorial Director Gary M. Krebs Managing Editor Bob Shuman Marketing Brand Manager Felice Primeau Acquisitions Editor Jessica Faust Development Editors Phil Kitchel Amy Zavatto Assistant Editor Georgette Blau Production Team Production Editor Mark Enochs Cover Designer Mike Freeland Illustrator Brian Mac Moyer Designer Nathan Clement Indexer Nadia Ibrahim Layout/Proofreading John Bitter Angela Calvert Mary Hunt Jeannie McKay Page iv CONTENTS AT A GLANCE Part 1: Downbeat 1 1 If You Have to Ask, You'll Never Know 3 What jazz is—and why you should listen to it. 2 Changing Venues: Where to Find Jazz Today 15 Jazz in clubs, concert halls, festivals, on the air, and on disk. 3 Sharp Ears, Cool Head, Big Heart 27 Strategies for listening to, understanding, and enjoying jazz. Part 2: The Sounds of Jazz 37 4 Black and Blue 39 The essential heritage and basic elements of jazz. 5 It's Instrumental 47 A brief guide to the instruments of jazz. 6 The Jazz Singer 67 The role of the jazz vocalist and a look at some of the top names. Part 3: Backbeat 81 7 Lively Fossils: The Prehistory of Jazz 83 Jazz origins: African, AfricanAmerican, EuroAmerican, ragtime, and the blues. 8 Down in the Big Easy: Jazz Is Born 97 Early New Orleans jazz: From Buddy Bolden to Louis Armstrong. 9 Toddlin' Town and Harlem Renaissance: Classic Jazz 113 Birth of the “Jazz Age”: What happened to the music when it moved north. 10 Limelight and Legends: The Soloist Takes Center Stage 125 Jazz emerges as a showcase for the brilliant soloists. 11 …If It Ain't Got That Swing: The First Big Bands 133 The birth of the swing era. 12 Long Live the Kings of Swing 143 The heyday of swing: The sound of America—in Depression and at war. 13 Being Bop: Life After Swing 157 Jazz in rebellion: The boys of bop. 14 When Cool School Was in Session 173 “Cool jazz”—an alternative to bebop. Page v Part 4: The Elements of Style 189 15 Diving into the Mainstream 191 Bop? Cool school? Some musicians chose more conservative routes. 16 A Swim in the Third Stream: Jazz with a Classical Accent 205 Breaking down the barriers between jazz and the classics. 17 Dash of Salsa and Bit of Bossa Nova: Jazz Goes Latin 219 The Latin strain in jazz: Where it came from, where it went, and where it's going. 18 Bopping Harder: Hard Bop Takes a Stand 229 The union of bop, rhythm and blues, blues, gospel, and a general “soul” feeling produces an exciting alternative sound in the '50s and '60s. Part 5: Wild Side or Mild Side? 241 19 Welcome to the Edge: AvantGarde and Free Jazz 243 Pushing jazz to the limits of music. 20 Fusion Power: Jazz Rocks 259 Jazz improvisation plus rock rhythms: a sound for the '70s. 21 Pop Go the Jazzmen: Some Crossover Artists 269 How jazz reached out to a new pop audience. 22 Ear and Now: Jazz Today 279 The chaotic world of jazz today: New traditionalism vs. new extremes. 23 Getting Personal: How to Build Your Own Jazz Archive 287 Howto strategies for intelligently building your jazz record collection— without breaking the bank. Appendices A Main Men (and Women): Who's Who in Jazz 297 A short list of the central figures. B Counting Time: A Brief Chronology of Jazz 307 A jazz timeline. C Beyond the Core: Ideas for Building a Bigger Collection 313 When it's time to grow beyond the basic collection. D Words on Music: An Essential Jazz Bibliography 317 Some suggestions for further reading. E Talk the Talk: The Words of Jazz 321 The jive and jargon of jazz. Index 327 Page vi CONTENTS Part 1: Downbeat 1 1 If You Have to Ask, You'll Never Know 3 1 Already Dig Jazz. So Who Needs a Book? 4 History, If You Want It 4 Consumer Advice, If You Prefer 5 Someone to Bounce Off of 5 Jazz Is Boring. So Who Needs a Book? 6 “Bored with Life” 6 Bored or Just Bewildered? 6 Elementary, My Dear Reader 7 We Got Rhythm 7 Melodies Merry and Melancholy 7 The “Changes” 8 Colors for the Ear 9 Bent but Not Broken 10 Close Enough for Jazz 10 Writing It 10 Faking It 11 Categorically Speaking 11 Instrumentals 12 Vocals 12 Why Jazz? 12 2 Changing Venues: Where to Find Jazz Today 15 Endangered Species? 16 “Can You Direct Me to the Nearest Speakeasy?” 17 The Club Scene 18 The Classic Clubs 18 Where to Find More 21 “How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall?” 21 Making “a Lady Out of Jazz” 21 The Concert Experience 22 Higher Education: Tapping into Your Local College 23 Festive Occasions 23 Make a Day of It 24
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