In this companion volume to The Jazz Tradition, Williams collects a
variety of his critical pieces, including short reviews and essays
(some updated) on various jazz greats, ringside portraits of
recording and rehearsal sessions and album-liner note
"annotations." The pieces vary in length, approach and
technicality, but the end result is a fascinating education for the
jazz fan about the legacy and recordings of early jazz giants like
Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller and Charlie Parker,
as well as the contributions of more contemporary greats like
Basic, Ellington, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis. Williams offers
a knowledgeably critical but unjaundiced view in his attempt to
reach certain truths about this genuinely American musical idiom:
that he (and many colleagues) regard Ellington as America's
greatest composer; that the assimilation of others' work and honest
dedication to a personal vision creates the great jazz artist; that
the phonograph as messenger and the influence of "Afro-American"
heritage have both had an incalculable effect on the genre; that
great discipline is essential to the art of improvisation. He
covers a grab bag of interesting nuances, and a great range of
artists who collaborate, admire and emulate as they stretch the
boundaries of their art. He traces the origin of boogie-woogie,
explores the problems of "third streamers" who attempt to mix jazz
and classics, and even suggests that Mick Jagger's emulation of
Southern black sound reflects a new generation of symbolic
"blackface." We are even treated to the legendary pianist Bill
Evans' view on the art of Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis on Louis
Armstrong, and Jelly Role on himself. A rich pastiche that will
delight jazz fans. (Kirkus Reviews)
Jazz Heritage brings together twenty years' of reviews, musicians'
profiles, and critical essays by the renowned critic Martin
Williams. This companion volume to the prize-winning The Jazz
Tradition includes profiles of great performers at work in studios
and clubs, "liner notes" for many classic recordings, and
Williams's acclaimed critical essays on the artistry of Charlie
Parker, Cecil Taylor, Thelonious Monk, Ella Fitzgerald, and others.
Consistently eye-opening and original, these pieces are essential
reading for jazz musicians, students, scholars, and fans.
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