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Books > Arts & Architecture > Music > Contemporary popular music > Jazz

Harold Jones - The Singer's Drummer (Paperback, New): Gil Jacobs, Joe Agro Harold Jones - The Singer's Drummer (Paperback, New)
Gil Jacobs, Joe Agro
R353 Discovery Miles 3 530 Ships in 9 - 15 working days

TONY BENNETT: Harold Jones is one of the finest men I know. I have reviewed "The Singer's Drummer" and it is a Knock-Out I am happy that someone is putting together a history of what really happens on the road. This is a very creative work. Best of luck with the book COUNT BASIE: A great drummer can mean everything to a band. Harold Jones has really pulled us together. LOUIS BELLSON: Harold Jones was Count Basie's favorite drummer. BILL COSBY: Harold is a master of mind, hands, feet and touch. His playing is very delicate, like handling the very finest crystal and china and when he is done, there's no damage. NATALIE COLE: Harold is one of the best jazz drummers in the world. NANCY WILSON: When I speak of my "Gentlemen" I am referring to a select group of super-talented musicians with whom I have had the good fortune to work. Harold was a treasured member of my trio in the mid-70's, a class act both as a musician and a man. I commend him as one of my gentlemen. JON HENDRICKS: Harold always pulled the band back of us singers. Harold always swings and he is a beautiful, sensitive cat. GEORGE YOUNG: Playing with Harold is like taking a warm bath. All you have to do is lay back and enjoy the swinging feel of his playing. JOHN BADESSA: Harold won the Downbeat International Award as the "Best New Artist and Big Band Drummer" in 1972. He has not relinquished his title. He is still the best big band drummer in the world.

Birds of Fire - Jazz, Rock, Funk, and the Creation of Fusion (Paperback): Kevin Fellezs Birds of Fire - Jazz, Rock, Funk, and the Creation of Fusion (Paperback)
Kevin Fellezs
R682 R634 Discovery Miles 6 340 Save R48 (7%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

"Birds of Fire" brings overdue critical attention to fusion, a musical idiom that emerged as young musicians blended elements of jazz, rock, and funk in the late 1960s and 1970s. At the time, fusion was disparaged by jazz writers and ignored by rock critics. In the years since, it has come to be seen as a commercially driven jazz substyle. Fusion never did coalesce into a genre. In "Birds of Fire," Kevin Fellezs contends that hybridity was its reason for being. By mixing different musical and cultural traditions, fusion artists sought to disrupt generic boundaries, cultural hierarchies, and critical assumptions. Interpreting the work of four distinctive fusion artists--Tony Williams, John McLaughlin, Joni Mitchell, and Herbie Hancock--Fellezs highlights the ways that they challenged convention in the 1960s and 1970s. He also considers the extent to which a musician can be taken seriously as an artist across divergent musical traditions. "Birds of Fire" concludes with a look at the current activities of McLaughlin, Mitchell, and Hancock; Williams's final recordings; and the legacy of the fusion music made by these four pioneering artists.

Music Makes Me - Fred Astaire and Jazz (Paperback): Todd Decker Music Makes Me - Fred Astaire and Jazz (Paperback)
Todd Decker
R1,081 Discovery Miles 10 810 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Fred Astaire: one of the great jazz artists of the twentieth century. Astaire is best known for his brilliant dancing in the movie musicals of the 1930s, but in "Music Makes Me", Todd Decker argues that Astaire's work as a dancer and choreographer - particularly in the realm of tap dancing - made a significant contribution to the art of jazz. Decker examines the full range of Astaire's work in filmed and recorded media, from a 1926 recording with George Gershwin to his 1970 blues stylings on television, and analyzes Astaire's creative relationships with the greats, including George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, and Johnny Mercer. He also highlights Astaire's collaborations with African American musicians and his work with lesser known professionals - arrangers, musicians, dance directors, and performers.

Constructing Walking Jazz Bass Lines, Bk 3 - Standard Lines (Paperback): Steven Mooney Constructing Walking Jazz Bass Lines, Bk 3 - Standard Lines (Paperback)
Steven Mooney
R803 Discovery Miles 8 030 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Standard Lines, Book III in the Constructing Walking Jazz Bass Lines series for the Double Bassist and Electric Bassist is a comprehensive guide demonstrating the devices used to construct walking jazz bass lines in the jazz standard tradition. Book III covers 24 standard jazz chord progressions with 110 choruses of professional jazz bass lines as an example. Part I outlines the Modes and the chord scale relationships and the fundamental knowledge required to be able to build the diatonic triads and 7th chords in any key. Examples are given in the " 2 " feel and " 4 " feel walking bass style enabling the bassist to develop a strong rhythmic and harmonic foundation. More advanced bass line construction examples including voice leading and mode substitutions and mode applications related to specific jazz chord progressions are also outlined. Part II outlines the Symmetric Scales as well as the Modes of the Melodic Minor Scale related to the Minor II V I progression. Provided are written examples of the Symmetric Scales and the chord scale relationships and how to apply the use of the Symmetric Scales over popular jazz chord progressions. The Minor II V I is outlined and compared to the Major II V I outlining the differences with the suggested scale uses applied to common jazz chord progressions. Part III outlines the use of the BeBop Scales and their use in the jazz walking bass tradition, providing suggested uses of the Be Bop scales related to popular jazz chord progressions. Part IV outlines the previous lesson devices and concepts with examples of professional level bass lines over standard jazz chord progressions. All information builds in a stepwise progression enabling the bassist to apply the techniques in all 12 keys.

Constructing Walking Jazz Bass Lines, Bk. 3 - Standard Lines (Paperback, Bass Tab ed): Steven Mooney Constructing Walking Jazz Bass Lines, Bk. 3 - Standard Lines (Paperback, Bass Tab ed)
Steven Mooney
R826 Discovery Miles 8 260 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Standard Lines Book III in the Constructing Walking Jazz Bass Lines series for the Electric Bassist is a comprehensive guide demonstrating the devices used to construct walking jazz bass lines in the jazz standard tradition. Book III covers 24 standard jazz chord progressions with 110 choruses of professional jazz bass lines as an example. Part I outlines the Modes and the chord scale relationships and the fundamental knowledge required to be able to build the diatonic triads and 7th chords in any key. Examples are given in the " 2 " feel and " 4 " feel walking bass style enabling the bassist to develop a strong rhythmic and harmonic foundation. More advanced bass line construction examples including voice leading and mode substitutions and mode applications related to specific jazz chord progressions are also outlined. Part II outlines the Symmetric Scales as well as the Modes of the Melodic Minor Scale related to the Minor II V I progression. Provided are written examples of the Symmetric Scales and the chord scale relationships and how to apply the use of the Symmetric Scales over popular jazz chord progressions. The Minor II V I is outlined and compared to the Major II V I outlining the differences with the suggested scale uses applied to common jazz chord progressions. Part III outlines the use of the BeBop Scales and their use in the jazz walking bass tradition, providing suggested uses of the Be Bop scales related to popular jazz chord progressions. Part IV outlines the previous lesson devices and concepts with examples of professional level bass lines over standard jazz chord progressions. All information builds in a stepwise progression enabling the bassist to apply the techniques in all 12 keys.

A Golden Age of Jazz Revisited 1939-1942 - Three Pivotal Years of Musical Excitement When Jazz Was World's Popular Music... A Golden Age of Jazz Revisited 1939-1942 - Three Pivotal Years of Musical Excitement When Jazz Was World's Popular Music (Paperback)
Hazen Schumacher
R677 Discovery Miles 6 770 Ships in 10 - 15 working days
Volume 31: Jazz Bossa Novas (with Free Audio CD), 31 (Sheet music): Jamey Aebersold Volume 31: Jazz Bossa Novas (with Free Audio CD), 31 (Sheet music)
Jamey Aebersold
R422 Discovery Miles 4 220 Ships in 10 - 15 working days
Constructing Walking Jazz Bass Lines, Bk. 2 (Paperback): Steven Mooney Constructing Walking Jazz Bass Lines, Bk. 2 (Paperback)
Steven Mooney
R659 Discovery Miles 6 590 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Rhythm Changes in 12 Keys is Book II in the " Constructing Walking Jazz Bass Lines " series for the Double Bassist and Electric Jazz Bassist. Rhythm Changes in 12 Keys compliments Book I " The Blues in 12 Keys " by following on with an in depth study of " must know " Jazz chord progressions for the aspiring Jazz Bassist. Rhythm Changes in 12 Keys is a complete guide demonstrating how to construct walking jazz bass lines in the jazz tradition. Part 1 of the book outlines and demonstrates the various techniques used by professional Jazz Bassists to provide forward motion and a strong harmonic and rhythmic foundation into bass lines. Part 2 of the book outlines Rhythm Changes in 12 keys with over 70 choruses of professional jazz bass lines. for Beginner to Advanced students.

Walking Bass Lines: Rhythm Changes in 12 Keys (Paperback, Bass tab ed): Steven Mooney Walking Bass Lines: Rhythm Changes in 12 Keys (Paperback, Bass tab ed)
Steven Mooney
R674 Discovery Miles 6 740 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Rhythm Changes like the " Blues " is an essential part of the Jazz musicians vocabulary. Book II in the Constructing Walking Jazz Bass Lines series Rhythm Changes in 12 Keys provides various insights into how the Rhythm Changes song form may be approached by the Jazz Bassist. Part I outlines the Rhythm Changes form and provides examples of how to construct walking jazz bass lines using voice leading, chromatic passing tones, pedal points, tri-tone substitutions, and harmonic anticipation. Part II provides an in-depth look at the Rhythm Changes A sections and shows the common chord substitutions used by the bebop musicians when improvising. Part III provides an in-depth look at the Bridge or B section providing various chord substitutions used when improvising and walking bass lines. Part IV outlines Rhythm Changes in 12 keys using all the previous lesson topics and bass line examples outlined in the book. Included are over 100 choruses of professional jazz bass lines in all 12 keys. Suitable for the beginning to advanced electric bassist.

The Blues in 12 Keys - Walking Bass Lines (Paperback, Bass tab ed): Steven Mooney The Blues in 12 Keys - Walking Bass Lines (Paperback, Bass tab ed)
Steven Mooney
R649 Discovery Miles 6 490 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Constructing Walking Jazz Bass Lines Book I -The Blues in 12 Keys is a complete guide demonstrating the devices used to construct walking bass lines in the jazz tradition. Part 1 demonstrates the techniques used by professional jazz bassists to provide forward motion into bass lines, while providing a strong harmonic and rhythmic foundation. Part I includes triads, 7th chords, voice leading, playing over the bar line, chord substitutions, pedal points, harmonic anticipation and chromatic approach notes. The exercises are designed to give the Electric Bassist strong jazz bass lines in the bottom register of the instrument. As an added bonus for the Electric Bassist Part 1 provides a complete study of the Blues in F whilst in the first and open positions. This is an excellent technique builder. Part 2 expands on the lessons and techniques used in Part 1 providing the bassist with the previous devices used in professional level bass lines in all 12 keys. Included is over 150 choruses of Jazz Blues lines in all 12 keys using the whole register of the instrument. There are many advanced principles applied in the following bass lines whilst never losing sight of the functioning principle of the bass in the jazz idiom. To provide a strong foundation of rhythm and harmony for the music being played & providing support for the melody and or soloist.

Basic Jazz Theory - volume 1 (Paperback): Jonathan Harnum Basic Jazz Theory - volume 1 (Paperback)
Jonathan Harnum
R258 Discovery Miles 2 580 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

All a beginner, comeback player, or serious student of jazz needs to know about jazz theory. The first of 3 parts. More information including free samples at: www.allabouttrumpet.com/BJT/

George Lewis - A Jazzman from New Orleans (Hardcover): Tom Bethell George Lewis - A Jazzman from New Orleans (Hardcover)
Tom Bethell
R1,806 Discovery Miles 18 060 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

George Lewis, one of the great traditional jazz clarinetists, was born in 1900 at about the same time that jazz itself first appeared in New Orleans. And by the time he died, on the last day of 1968, New Orleans jazz had pretty much run its course, too. By then a jazz museum stood on Bourbon Street, and a cultural center was under construction where Globe Hall had Stood. Lewis's life thus paralleled that of New Orleans jazz, and in his later years hew as the best known standard bearer of his city's music. He came to the attention of the jazz world at the time of the so-called "New Orleans Revival" of the 1940's, when veteran trumpeter Bunk Johnson was recorded by a number of jazz enthusiasts, notably William Russell. In this new biography, Tom Bethell challenges a favorite myth of the history of jazz: that the music became moribund in New Orleans after the legal red light district, Storyville, was closed in 1917, resulting in most jazz musicians going "up the river." In fact, Bethell shows, many more jazzmen stayed in the city than left, and the musical style continued to develop and grow. Thus the jazz fans who arrived in the city in the early 1940's did not encounter a "revival" of an old style so much as an ongoing tradition, with clarinetists like Lewis having been influenced by Benny Goodman and the Swing Era in addition to Lorenzo Tio and the Creole School. After Bunk Johnson's death in 1949, at a time when many other social changes were beginning to be felt in the city, the New Orleans jazz tradition began to go into a decline. It became increasingly rigid and repetitive, and was often designed to please what one observer called "Dixieland fans yelling for their favorite members." The book is based on lengthy research in New Orleans, including interviews with George Lewis shortly before his death, and unpublished material from the diaries kept by William Russell on his visits to New Orleans between 1942 and 1949. It also includes a statement by Lewis on jazz and the best way to play it and a complete Lewis discography. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1977.

Arranging for the Small Jazz Ensemble - A Step-by-Step Guide with Practical Exercises and Recorded Examples (Paperback): Robert... Arranging for the Small Jazz Ensemble - A Step-by-Step Guide with Practical Exercises and Recorded Examples (Paperback)
Robert Larson
R881 Discovery Miles 8 810 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Arranging for the Small Jazz Ensemble presents an innovative approach to the challenging subject of jazz arranging. The author, Robert Larson, has narrowed down the choices of instrumentation and texture in such a way that anyone from a novice jazz enthusiast to a seasoned professional can learn how to arrange jazz standards and originals in a relatively short period of time. Four original jazz tunes are used throughout the book to demonstrate texture, instrumentation, introductions, endings, interludes, solo backgrounds, solis, and shout choruses. Each chapter contains exercises that give the reader a chance to practice the techniques learned in that chapter. By the end of the study, the reader will be equipped to create a complete jazz arrangement. With everything you need here in one book, why aren't you Arranging for the Small Jazz Ensemble?

Stormy Weather - The Life of Lena Horne (Paperback): James Gavin Stormy Weather - The Life of Lena Horne (Paperback)
James Gavin 1
R896 R788 Discovery Miles 7 880 Save R108 (12%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Stormy Weather is a biography of Lena Horne, one Hollywood's stars, and one of the first Tony and Grammy winning stars, who opened doors for black female entertainers such as Eartha Kitt, Sarah Vaughn, Diahann Carroll, Aretha Franklin, and Diana Ross, to name a few. She was glamorous, seductive, and dignified. But under her well-crafted look of elegance and grace, lay a tidal wave of rage. By the 90s, as a defence mechanism, she had shut nearly everyone out of her life. James Gavin tells the story of Lena: the legend and the mystery. He has amassed an incredible collection of source material including: 60 hours of recorded conversations with the singer dating back to the early 50s. 40 hours of TV specials, guest appearances and other rare footage spanning her career. He has interviewed among many others: Johnny Mathis, Bobby Short, Abbey Lincoln, Ruby Dee, Carmen Delavallade, Geoffrey Holder, and Ms Horne herself.

Jazz Icons - Heroes, Myths and the Jazz Tradition (Hardcover): Tony Whyton Jazz Icons - Heroes, Myths and the Jazz Tradition (Hardcover)
Tony Whyton
R2,808 Discovery Miles 28 080 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Today, jazz history is dominated by iconic figures who have taken on an almost God-like status. From Satchmo to Duke, Bird to Trane, these legendary jazzmen form the backbone of the jazz tradition. Jazz icons not only provide musicians and audiences with figureheads to revere but have also come to stand for a number of values and beliefs that shape our view of the music itself. Jazz Icons explores the growing significance of icons in jazz and discusses the reasons why the music's history is increasingly dependent on the legacies of 'great men'. Using a series of individual case studies, Whyton examines the influence of jazz icons through different forms of historical mediation, including the recording, language, image and myth. The book encourages readers to take a fresh look at their relationship with iconic figures of the past and challenges many of the dominant narratives in jazz today.

In Love with Voices - A Jazz Memoir (Paperback): Brian Q. Torff In Love with Voices - A Jazz Memoir (Paperback)
Brian Q. Torff
R469 R394 Discovery Miles 3 940 Save R75 (16%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

"A career in music ... is a calling with such a strong pull; you'd think a tide was sucking you under. It becomes an intense obsession of such great intensity that you can almost think of nothing else, it drives you with a fever and fervor."

In the early 70s, an idealistic young man - Brian Torff - arrived in New York to pursue his passion for music. During an excursion to Long Island, Brian found his dream instrument: a 1775 re-built Nicola Galliano bass.

Such was the beginning of a career that led Torff from Cafe Carlyle to Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and the White House. He has toured worldwide with the greatest: from Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, George Shearing, and Erroll Garner to Stephane Grappelli, Benny Goodman, Mary Lou Williams, and Marian McPartland.

As Brian notes, "bass players do a lot of observing from the back of the bandstand." It is this supportive role that qualifies Torff to share his insight into jazz music, and its many personalities. Torff takes us beyond the music by adding depth with his vision of American music, and paints vivid portraits of the musicians with whom he played.

Torff's memoir is one of creativity, and determination mixed with timing, and plain good luck. His sharp narrative not only brings the legends of jazz to life, but reading about them here will certainly motivate you to add some music to your collection.

Clark - The Autobiography of Clark Terry (Paperback): Clark Terry Clark - The Autobiography of Clark Terry (Paperback)
Clark Terry; Foreword by Bill Cosby; Preface by Quincy Jones; Contributions by Gwen Terry; Introduction by David Demsey
R690 R583 Discovery Miles 5 830 Save R107 (16%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Compelling from cover to cover, this is the story of one of the most recorded and beloved jazz trumpeters of all time. With unsparing honesty and a superb eye for detail, Clark Terry, born in 1920, takes us from his impoverished childhood in St. Louis, Missouri, where jazz could be heard everywhere, to the smoke-filled small clubs and carnivals across the Jim Crow South where he got his start, and on to worldwide acclaim. Terry takes us behind the scenes of jazz history as he introduces scores of legendary greats -Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Dinah Washington, Doc Severinsen, Ray Charles, Thelonious Monk, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Coleman Hawkins, Zoot Sims, and Dianne Reeves, among many others. Terry also reveals much about his own personal life, his experiences with racism, how he helped break the color barrier in 1960 when he joined the Tonight Show band on NBC, and why - at ninety years old - his students from around the world still call and visit him for lessons.

Compendium of Over 2000 Jazz Pianists (Paperback): Arnie Fox Compendium of Over 2000 Jazz Pianists (Paperback)
Arnie Fox
R621 R523 Discovery Miles 5 230 Save R98 (16%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

... over 2000 jazz pianists listing the title of album or CD
... introducing you to the great and the unknown jazz pianists
... discography of the amazing Bernard Peiffer and Jessica Williams
... information on cdbaby
... great for collectors and musicians searching out new artists
... links to important sites
... if you enjoy piano jazz, this is a must for your library

Such Deliberate Disguises: The Art of Philip Larkin (Paperback): Richard Palmer Such Deliberate Disguises: The Art of Philip Larkin (Paperback)
Richard Palmer
R1,401 Discovery Miles 14 010 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

"Jazz Writings" made Larkin's jazz criticism widely available - Palmer now offers the first extensive revaluation of Larkin's writing on jazz as well as covering his poetry and early work."Such Deliberate Disguises: The Art of Philip Larkin" argues that a true understanding of Philip Larkin as man and poet lies beyond his enduring public appeal and the variety of criticism that has recently been applied to his work.Richard Palmer suggests that the ostensible simplicity of Larkin's writing, which continues to attract so many readers to him, is deceptive, masking as it does one of the richest and most resonant of oeuvres in twentieth-century poetry. Penetrating the many masks of Larkin, the book sheds new and considerable light on the hitherto largely ignored spiritual significance of his work. Based upon close and scrupulous reading of the poems themselves, it draws upon insights gained from the history of art and the study of religion and myth as much as literary criticism and personal biography.It also brings long-overdue attention to what is seen to be perhaps the chief love, and operative aesthetic force, of Larkin's life: jazz. "Such Deliberate Disguises" is thus a major contribution, not just to Larkin studies, but to the wider cultural history of our times.

Big Ears - Listening for Gender in Jazz Studies (Paperback): Nichole T. Rustin, Sherrie Tucker Big Ears - Listening for Gender in Jazz Studies (Paperback)
Nichole T. Rustin, Sherrie Tucker
R780 R722 Discovery Miles 7 220 Save R58 (7%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

In jazz circles, players and listeners with "big ears" hear and engage complexity in the moment, as it unfolds. Taking gender as part of the intricate, unpredictable action in jazz culture, this interdisciplinary collection explores the terrain opened up by listening, with big ears, for gender in jazz. Essays range from a reflection on the female boogie-woogie pianists who played at Cafe Society in New York during the 1930s and 1940s to interpretations of how the jazzman is represented in Dorothy Baker's novel "Young Man with a Horn" (1938) and Michael Curtiz's film adaptation (1950). Taken together, the essays enrich the field of jazz studies by showing how gender dynamics have shaped the production, reception, and criticism of jazz culture.

Scholars of music, ethnomusicology, American studies, literature, anthropology, and cultural studies approach the question of gender in jazz from multiple perspectives. One contributor scrutinizes the tendency of jazz historiography to treat singing as subordinate to the predominantly male domain of instrumental music, while another reflects on her doubly inappropriate position as a female trumpet player and a white jazz musician and scholar. Other essays explore the composer George Russell's Lydian Chromatic Concept as a critique of mid-twentieth-century discourses of embodiment, madness, and black masculinity; performances of "female hysteria" by Les Diaboliques, a feminist improvising trio; and the BBC radio broadcasts of Ivy Benson and Her Ladies' Dance Orchestra during the Second World War. By incorporating gender analysis into jazz studies, "Big Ears" transforms ideas of who counts as a subject of study and even of what counts as jazz.

"Contributors" Christina Baade, Jayna Brown, Farah Jasmine Griffin, Monica Hairston, Kristin McGee, Tracy McMullen, Ingrid Monson, Lara Pellegrinelli, Eric Porter, Nichole T. Rustin, Ursel Schlicht, Julie Dawn Smith, Jeffrey Taylor, Sherrie Tucker, Joao H. Costa Vargas

Coltrane - The Story of a Sound (Paperback, First): Ben Ratliff Coltrane - The Story of a Sound (Paperback, First)
Ben Ratliff
R551 R458 Discovery Miles 4 580 Save R93 (17%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

John Coltrane left an indelible mark on the world, but what was the essence of his achievement that makes him so prized forty years after his death? What were the factors that helped Coltrane become who he was? And what would a John Coltrane look like now--or are we looking for the wrong signs?
In this deftly written, riveting study, "New York Times "jazz critic Ben Ratliff answers these questions and examines the life of Coltrane, the acclaimed band leader and deeply spiritual man who changed the face of jazz music. Ratliff places jazz among other art forms and within the turbulence of American social history, and he places Coltrane not just among jazz musicians but among the greatest American artists. Ben Ratliff has been a jazz critic at "The New York Times "since 1996. The author of "The Jazz Ear" and "The New York Times Essential Library: Jazz," he lives in Manhattan with his wife and two sons. Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle AwardAn "Artforum" Best Book of the Year What was the essence of John Coltrane's achievement that makes him so prized forty years after his death? What was it about his improvising, his bands, his compositions, his place within his era of jazz that drew so many musicians and listeners to his music? Jazz writer and "New York Times "music critic" "Ben Ratliff addresses these questions in "Coltrane." First Ratliff tells the story of Coltrane's development, from his first recordings as a navy bandsman to his last recordings as a near-saint, paying special attention to the last ten years of his life, which contained a remarkable series of breakthroughs in a nearly religious search for deeper expression. In the book's second half, Ratliff traces another history: that of Coltrane's influence and legacy. This story begins in the mid-'50s and considers the reactions of musicians, critics, and others who paid attention, asking: Why does Coltrane signify so heavily in the basic identity of jazz? Placing jazz among other art forms and American social history, and placing Coltrane not just among jazz musicians but among the greatest American artists, Ratliff tries to look for the sources of power in Coltrane's music--not just in matters of technique, composition, and musical concepts, but in the deeper frequencies of Coltrane's sound. "Ratliff suggests, intelligently and persuasively, that Coltrane had, among other attributes, a 'mystic's sensitivity for the sublime, which runs like a secret river under American culture.' Ratliff patiently explicates Coltrane's legend, writing in short, aphoristic bursts, often as elliptically as his subject played tenor saxophone, but never less than lucidly."--Pankaj Mishra, "The New York Times Book Review" "Engaging . . . clear-sighted . . . Ratliff suggests, intelligently and persuasively, that Coltrane had, among other attributes, a 'mystic's sensitivity for the sublime, which runs like a secret river under American culture.' Ratliff patiently explicates Coltrane's legend, writing in short, aphoristic bursts, often as elliptically as his subject played tenor saxophone, but never less than lucidly."--Pankaj Mishra, "The New York Times Book Review
"""Coltrane: The Story of a Sound" is not a biography but an extended, deeply informed analysis of the qualities that make Coltrane and his music so meaningful to people today, four decades after his death."--Matt Schudel, "The Washington Post Book World
""Ratliff, a "New York Times" jazz critic, has written a book that's neither a biography nor a critical study, although it has elements of both. It is, rather, a kind of cultural history . . . Ratliff writes extremely well, with terse, assured brio, as when he refers to Coltrane's 'serene intensity' or the 'incantational tumult' of his vast, cathedral solos."--Mark Feeney, "The Boston Globe
""Ratliff has turned me on to more music over the last few years than any other writer . . . The listening skills of a great critic and the ability to convey what he hears are what he brings here."--R. J. Smith, "Los Angeles Times
""Brilliant, economical . . . sharp . . . [Ratliff] skillfully and convincingly places Coltrane as something of a man apart from most other musicians--a cultural comet, as much as a musical one."--Henry C. Jackson, "San Francisco Chronicle
""In his astute and unorthodox biography, "Coltrane: The Story of a Sound," "New York Times" critic Ben Ratliff pays as much attention to Coltrane's haunting absence over the last forty years as he does to his brief decade of renown . . . As attentive a reader as he is a listener, Ratliff charts the rapid expansion of the mythology in various, often contradictory tropes: the humble music student and theorist who never stopped practicing and learning, the Christian into Eastern religious for whom pride was a far graver sin than wrong notes, the wordless spokesman for black civil rights and revolution, the unbound thinker who tripped across inner and outer space."--Richard B. Woodward, "Bookforum
""Ratliff condenses the biography proper into the first part of the book in order to devote himself in part two to a lengthy consideration of the saxophonist's influence since his death. Even more important, the book is less about music than it is about sound--as jazz musicians understand it . . . Ratliff's book is intelligent and compelling. The text and its sources reveal how seriously he took his task. In addition to working with biographies and interviews, some of which must have been difficult to locate, Ratliff also draws on obscure radio programs, various unpublished materials, thirty-nine interviews he conducted with musicians and countless conversations with people knowledgeable about jazz, American culture and New York City. Throughout he tackles topics that might seem the province of academics--such as the merits of Theodor Adorno's and Edward Said's ideas about 'late style'--with considerable skill and clarity . . . While Ratliff avers in his introduction that he is a writer rather than a musician, his discussions of the sound of Coltrane and Coltrane's compatriots in performance are informative and compelling, especially when his own writing captures the spirit and feel of a recording in ways that a transcription never could . . . Most important, Ratliff focuses his observational eye again and again on the power and perils of repetition, both for Coltrane and the jazz musicians who have emerged since his death . . . Indeed, Ratliff's reconsideration of a musician who has already been the subject of countless books, poems, and documentaries is perhaps a subtle reminder of how much joy there is in repetition. Like the best writing on music, his book not only provides food for thought but also creates an insatiable desire to go back to the recordings, in hopes that we too might discover some elusive truth."--Travis A. Jackson, "The Nation
""Were it not for the power and breadth of saxophonist John Coltrane's legacy and the lithe prose of "New York Times" critic Ben Ratliff, "Coltrane" would be a scholarly

Stephane Grappelli - A Life in Jazz (Paperback): Paul Balmer Stephane Grappelli - A Life in Jazz (Paperback)
Paul Balmer 2
R789 R673 Discovery Miles 6 730 Save R116 (15%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Born in Paris in 1908, Stephane Grappelli experienced every decade of the jazz century and his story spans an astonishing 77 years, during which time he performed with the great names of jazz: Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson. But it's his performances with Django Reinhardt, for which he is perhaps best remembered. Contains exclusive interviews with Stephane as well as contributions from his family and friends, much newly discovered evidence on both Stephane and Django and many previously unpublished photos. This is a slice of music history, a testament to a man who invented his own style of jazz.

Jazz Folk Songs for Choirs - 9 songs from around the world (Sheet music, Paperback vocal score): Bob Chilcott Jazz Folk Songs for Choirs - 9 songs from around the world (Sheet music, Paperback vocal score)
Bob Chilcott
R409 Discovery Miles 4 090 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

for SATB choir and piano This exciting collection gives a jazzy twist to nine favourite folk songs from around the world, including 'Scarborough Fair', 'A la claire fontaine', and 'Waltzing Matilda' as you've never heard them before! Each song is presented in its original language, and an English singing translation is provided where applicable. The accompanied songs can be peformed with piano solo or with jazz-trio accompaniment; a separate part is available for the bassist, and the drummer should play along ad lib. This fantastic, varied collection will revitalise the repertoire of any choir and is guaranteed to give audiences a fresh perspective on these traditional songs.

Jazz Folk Songs for Choirs - 9 songs from around the world (Sheet music, Spiral-bound paperback + CD): Bob Chilcott Jazz Folk Songs for Choirs - 9 songs from around the world (Sheet music, Spiral-bound paperback + CD)
Bob Chilcott
R618 Discovery Miles 6 180 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

for SATB choir and jazz trio or piano solo This exciting collection by Bob Chilcott gives a jazzy twist to nine favourite folk songs from around the world, including 'Scarborough Fair', 'A la claire fontaine', and 'Waltzing Matilda' as you've never heard them before! Each song is presented in its original language, and an English singing translation is provided where applicable. The accompanied songs can be performed with piano solo or with jazz-trio accompaniment; a separate part is available for the bassist, and the drummer should play along ad lib. They can also be performed with the fantastic jazz-trio backings on the CD included with the spiral-bound edition. This wonderful, varied collection will revitalise the repertoire of any choir and is guaranteed to give audiences a fresh perspective on these traditional songs.

Piano Lesson Book (Paperback): Coles Piano Lesson Book (Paperback)
Coles
R448 Discovery Miles 4 480 Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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