Jazz for Young People Curriculum with Book(s) and Video and CD (Audio)

Book Description

JAZZ FOR YOUNG PEOPLE CURRICULUM - 10-CD SET, VIDEO TEACHING GUIDE AND 30 STUDENT GUIDES

This multimedia jazz appreciation kit is based on Jazz at Lincoln Center's popular Jazz for Young People[TM] concert series. Designed primarily for up per elementary and middle school students, it is also well-suited for high school and college music appreciation, introduction to jazz, and music educ ation courses. The curriculum explores core concepts -- including improvisa tion, form, style, and swing -- and major figures in jazz through accessibl e, interactive lessons. Because it was written for both musicians and non-m usicians, the Jazz for Young People Curriculum is perfect for any teacher w ho wants an entertaining and structured way to bring jazz into the classroom

Customer Reviews:

A Great Teaching Resource for grade 6 - 9 students.......2007-01-15

This is truly one of the best kits available to teach jazz to young students. It offers an interactive approach, and creator Wynton Marsalis speaks to the students in a language that they can understand. If you are looking to expose your students to a different style of music....other than the music of Beethoven, Mozart etc. then this is the program for you. The student workbooks are set up in a magazine type format and the video segements just enhance the CD's. A great resource for upper elementary music teachers.

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Listen, Read, Listen Again ... And You Will Hear More Each Time.

Understanding Jazz: Ways to Listen
Tom Piazza
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400063698
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Book Description

“Jazz is primarily to be heard, to be experienced.”
–Tom Piazza, from the Introduction

Much more than just another history of this vital music and those who play it, Understanding Jazz is a multimedia master class and late-night jam session rolled into one–an indispensable guide to a deeper appreciation of jazz.

Jazz is America’s greatest indigenous art form, a musical hybrid whose origins are as mysterious, complex, and surprising as its evolution has proved to be. Written by Grammy award-winning author Tom Piazza and produced by the experts at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Understanding Jazz uses simple explanations and analogies to illuminate the basics of listening to a jazz performance: how to discern form, instrumentation, style, and intent.

Each of the book’s seven sections focuses on a particular aspect of the jazz vernacular, from the way individual instruments or voices come together yet remain distinct, to the spontaneous miracles of skilled improvisation, to the transcendent rhythmic qualities of swing and the enduring influence of the blues.

Specific points in the text are illustrated and reinforced on the accompanying CD in recordings that capture some of jazz’s most gifted musicians: Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Lester Young, Duke Ellington, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie, among others.

A unique celebration of the influence of jazz on American life, this book and CD are perfect for both jazz enthusiasts and beginning listeners alike, initiating them into the exciting world of this singular style of music.

Customer Reviews:

Listen, Read, Listen Again ... And You Will Hear More Each Time........2006-01-03

Tom Piazza took on a difficult subject. Explaining how to listen to jazz via the printed word can be a daunting task and the author's approach of selecting several classical jazz recordings for inclusion with the book on a "companion CD" is right on the mark. Piazza approaches each of the tracks individually, often providing stop watch-timed musical analysis--allowing the reader to first read and absorb the technical explanations and then playback the track and engage in focused listening exercises."Understanding Jazz: Ways to Listen" is geared towards musically-trained readers eager to add to their knowledge base the intricacies of jazz music--it is not a book for those without any prior knowledge of music theory and terminology. Piazza also succeeds in bringing to life the music through creative use of analogies, thus going beyond explanations of the discussed recordings. He also offers ample of "further listening suggestions." The only thing missing is a glossary containing the most commonly used musical terminology which is not always synonymous with the terminology used in classical music theory. Definitely worth checking out!

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An Insightful Look at the Improvisational Process
On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again
Absolutely Fantastic Work!
Marsalis' words are profound and poetic

Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life
Wynton Marsalis , and Carl Vigeland
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0306810336
Release Date: 2001-06-05

Book Description

Travel into the creative heart of the world's most famous jazz musician.

Experience the inspiration and joy of creation and performance in Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life, an intimate portrait of a unique artist and his audience. Set in the studio, on the stage, and in great cities and small towns across the country, this book captures life on the road for Marsalis and his musicians, evoking its ritual and renewal, energy and spirituality. Describing the art of improvisation, the book's two voices mirror the interplay at the heart of jazz-both among the musicians, and between them and the people they meet in their travels. "On the road and on the bandstand," Wynton writes, "something great may happen at any moment, something that might even change your life." Alternately luminous and boisterous, often poignant, and always passionate, Marsalis and Vigeland's extraordinary dialogue is a must for fans, musicians, and anyone curious about America's only indigenous art form.

Customer Reviews:

An Insightful Look at the Improvisational Process.......2004-01-02

Jazz, America's music, is an improvisational art. In Bittersweet Blues Marsalis and Vigeland do a lot do educate the reader just how this works. Not just on the bandstand but also on the road and in the life of jazz' leading spokesman. The book helps you see how musicians must comminucate, must hold each other with respect, must listen with an ear for creativity and must withhold judgement.

The book alternates between Vigeland's discussion of the events in life of Marsalis' Septet and Wynton's discussions of what it means to be a jazz musician. This interplay is what gives the book it's beautiful tone and variety. In a sense, you see the two authors improvising around each other's styles. What amazed me the most was the pace of Marsalis' life and the breadth of his associations. I enjoyed learning more about the creative process behind some of my favorite music as well.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in road stories, jazz or how artists create the ir art.

On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again.......2001-10-20

You can't just say those words without putting music to the most famous road anthem by Willie Nelson. That's what this book is about: life on the road with jazz musicians.

Co-author Carl Vigeland was invited to travel the country and Europe with jazz superstar Wynton Marsalis and his band.

This is about the music of jazz, the blues and the road. Vigeland and Marsalis make numerous references to the book's title "Jazz In The Bittersweet Blues of Life. Vigeland covers personal observations of life with its rigors of the road, the overwhelming passion to produce quality performances. You don't get too much of the personal life of Marsalis, he shares little about his two older boys living in New York.

Brother Branford splits for a rock band
We also get very little info on tenor saxophone Branford Marsalis along with member Kenny Kirkland who left the band in the early 80's to play with rock superstar Sting. Branford also did a short stint as band leader for Jay Leno's "Tonight Show." In the book, we DON'T' get a clear understanding about the departure of his brother Branford and member Kenny Kirkland. Little is known here about Branford's departure, only mentioned here is "that others have thought that it may have been hurtful to have your brother leave for a rock musician." This book doesn't discuss that a rift was occurring and the finality was the departure. But I believe now, all is well with the brothers.

Marsalis, on the other hand, shares keen insight into the world of jazz, his composition style, and rhythm including his relationship with the trumpet. About the trumpet, he says "you can never force the trumpet, you got to baby it, treat it gently, coax it. It's always there when you need a high note, or something very loud. If you don't handle up on it, it won't respect you"

He teaches us about playing the songs and how the members produce an evening's show. We learn about his amiable personality and he exudes the passion to please his audience.

Observations from the Jazz man
Just from this book alone, we get the impression that Wynton Marsalis is cool and collected, caring of young children, family man and friend. His insights into life are fascinating. Of people who hang out at bars, discos, etc., he says are the unhappiest and lonliest blankety blanks in the whole world. He says, "If you want to be happy, go inside. Inside yourself, inside the people you love, inside your art. Inside seems much lonlier than outside, don't be fooled, you go far enough, it's always warm and good."

But most of all, Wynton gives us an idea how he works, how he composes; it's incredible. It may be no surprise that he is also an accredited author with his books by "Marsalis on Music" and "Sweet Swing Blues on the Road." Wonderful read....MzRizz

Absolutely Fantastic Work!.......2001-06-28

Picked up Marsalis + Vigeland's work and just couldn't put it down! From descriptions of events, to understanding the personal struggles of band members, Jazz in the bittersweet blues of life fully expresses the goings on of the Wynton Marsalis Septet. Above all, I found Marsalis's commentaries on life, love, and music striking chords within my soul, and left me pleading for more.

Marsalis' words are profound and poetic.......2001-06-07

Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life is a chronicle of one artist's ten year journey as he shares his gift and talent with the world. Marsalis' words, which appear in italics throughout the book are both profound and poetic. As you read, you can hear him speak, but most of all you feel the passion he has for his craft. He poses the question early in the book when explaining that everyone is an artist, "...how do you want to make me feel with your art, and what insights do you have that distinguish your ideas from someone else's?" A rhetorical question for every artist.

You get a sense of the daily experiences of Wynton and the other musicians in the Septet, from composing on the road, to the daily pick-up basketball games, to the lectures in schools across the country to the musicians ironing their clothing before each performance. It is a demanding, yet rewarding life. Throughout the book (and his travels) Marsalis not only meets and encourages young musicians, but he keeps in contact with them through periodic phone calls, updating himself on their growth as musicians. Some of the young musicians he met early in his career became members of the septet.

Book Description

In a swinging improvisation with poster artist Paul Rogers, Wynton Marsalis celebrates the spirit of twenty-six stellar jazz performers, from Armstrong to Dizzy — and showcases the same number of poetic forms.

A is for "almighty" Louis Armstrong, whose amazing artistry unfolds in an accumulative poem shaped like the letter he stands for. As for sax master Sonny Rollins, whose "robust style radiates roundness," could there be a better tribute than a poetic rondeau? In an extraordinary feat, Pulitzer Prize-winning jazz composer Wynton Marsalis harmonizes his love and knowledge of jazz's most celebrated artists with an astounding diversity of poetic forms — from simple blues (Count Basie) to a complex pantoum (Charlie Parker), from a tender sonnet (Sarah Vaughan) to a performance poem snapping the rhythms of Art Blakey to life.

Matching Wynton Marsalis's musical cadences note for note is the bold, poster-style art of Paul Rogers, highlighted in two phenomenal foldout spreads. The art's vibrant nostalgic feel is echoed in an exquisite design, with its size simulating an old 78 LP and its endpapers die-cut to mimic a vintage record sleeve. Complete with a discography and brief biographies of the featured musicians as well as notes on the various poetic forms, this is truly an incomparable gift book — for older children learning about jazz, longtime jazz aficionados, lovers of poetry, and readers of all ages who appreciate the finest in book design.

Customer Reviews:

Don't quit your day job, Wynton.......2007-09-10

Wynton Marsalis breezes through the gamut of Second Grade literary formats (Acrostic, Gibberish, Shape Poem) before devolving into fractious purplisms. This serious of tributes to jazz icons is more of what we've come to expect from Mr. Marsalis: Lugubrious idolatry, trumpeted from the peak of Mt. Wynton.

As with his mind-numbing dissertations on Ken Burns's jazz documentary, Mr. Marsalis presents two central theses in his poetry that are very damaging to the genre. There are:
a) You have to understand it to enjoy it, and
b) You have to worship it to talk about it.

Apart from offering another volume to the jazz nerd catechism, it's difficult to image how this book will in any way promote the music itself. But then again, as Marsalis notes, "Mingus might just talk about your momma, then go 'head and manifest a masterpiece by midnight. By moonlight. Maybe."

a wonderful book .......2007-02-25

Before I post my review, I'd like to make a correction to amazon's book information which states this book is for ages 4 to 8. Jazz ABZ would work extremely well in a high school or college jazz history class, and would be a hip coffee table book gift for a jazz fan, but it's not for young children!

This is a visually stunning and brilliantly written book. The first page instantly grabs you: it has a large round hole in the center to resemble a classic lp record sleeve. The second page is a glossy black picture of a record with the author information listed on the record label.

Wynton Marsalis collaborated with artist Paul Rogers to create this beautiful book. They selected famous jazz musicians for each letter of the alphabet. Marsalis wrote poems using a variety of poetic forms to fit each musician's unique playing/composing style. Many of the poems were written while Marsalis was touring, and he read and refined them with the other musicians on the bus or plane during the course of their travels. While Marsalis has very strong opinions about other jazz musicians (the PBS Ken Burns series, while interesting, was essentially "Jazz According to Wynton"), he keeps his opinionated and didactic sides at bay and focuses on the task at hand with this book.

Jazz ABZ is a book that assumes its readers have a decent understanding of jazz terms and forms. For this reason, it's not appropriate for elementary school readers (unless they have an unusually advanced understanding of this music). Imagine reading "Couldn't he just keep on cascading through closely clustered chord changes, cartwheeling through complex, careening, chromatic calculations?" to introduce third graders to the music of John Coltrane... I think not. Most of the poems work well with the illustrations and the different musician's personalities and music. The back of the book includes excellent short biographical sketches of each musician by Phil Schaap. Highly recommended.

'And all that jazz'.......2006-05-05

This book is infectious! For those committed and devoted to Jazz this is a book that will bring smiles and memories and plaudits to the many giants of this most American of music forms. But to those of us whose knowledge of the impact of jazz on the spirit of music has always been from the periphery, here is a book to discover and celebrate an idiom so joyous in nature and in the presentation of this book that new converts are guaranteed!

The concept of presenting famous jazz figures from A to Z (in actuality from Louis Armstrong to DiZzy Gillespie) is a sound one in that it does not tend to group artists by style or time. Each of the featured giants is introduced in poetic form written by Wynton Marsalis, poems that ring of jazz styles themselves. Additional succinct biographical data is sprinkled throughout the handsome design of the book. And each of the figures is brought to visual life by the stunning artwork of Paul Rogers, an illustrator who obviously loves and understands jazz in tandem with Marsalis.

Though this book is being marketed for youngsters ages 4 - 8 or for junior high students, the book as an artwork and as an introduction to the world of jazz is so well done that it makes a terrific excursion for readers of any age and degree of jazz sophistication. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, May 06

Great art work, might be too many words for the littler ones........2006-03-14

The art work is first rate: each page would make a great poster, it's that stylized and refined. The print and colors are high quality and elegant.

The selection of jazz greats -- only one musician per letter -- may seem unfair and arbitrary to some readers. But hey, it doesn't promise to be an encyclopedia or who's who! Loosen up! Remember, it's an intro for kids! I like how it's light and not *too* educational and pedantic.

My gripe that it's too wordy, too poetic. It's extremely tiring to read to the little ones, especially late at night at crankytime. If there were a dumbed down, large text version, I would buy it. Seriously.

Excellent for both kids and adults.......2005-12-30

I purchased this book for the benefit of both me and my new daughter. The artwork is wonderful, and reminiscent of advertisements from the 50s and 60s. The title page is printed and die-cut to look like an LP record sleeve. The poems are not typical nursery-rhyme material, and are at times challenging to read. The poems are composed in a wide variety of styles, ranging from a short and simple haiku to longer, more complex alliterative forms. The poems are designed to be enjoyed not only for their content, but also for their rythymic and musical quality, which in turn are intended to reflect the styles of the jazz artists themselves. In case you (or a loved-one you're reading to) want more information, there is a section in the back with short biographical sketches of all the artists covered in the book.

In short, if you love poetry, this would be a great addition to your library. If you love jazz legends (such as Lady Day, Thelonious Monk, Jelly Roll Morton, etc.), this is a fantastic book. Mostly, I look forward to reading the complex and tongue-twisting poems to my little girl. The beauty of the book is that while young children might not understand the poems, they sure are fun to read; older children, teenagers, and adults, however, will hopefully appreciate the meaning of the poems.

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Marsalis writes as good as he plays!
Treat for Eye and Ear.
A Window On Wynton
Travelogue of a Legend
Wynton swings sweet to eye as well as ear.

Sweet Swing Blues on the Road
Wynton Marsalis
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1560251557

Book Description

Wynton Marsalis's captivating text and Frank Stewart's stunning photographs give readers a year in the life of today's premier jazz musician and composer. Marsalis's account of his world of grueling travel, performances, and backstage encounters includes views on rap, the road, romance, creativity, politics, culture, and the role of the artist in American society. By turns lyrical, down to earth, exalted, and profane, the book itself is structured like the "sweet swing blues" of the title. 180 photos.

Customer Reviews:

Marsalis writes as good as he plays!.......2005-11-03

Combine Armstrong, Ellington, Twain and Leonard Bernstein and you get Wynton Marsalis. His musical genius is well-established but his prose writing is just as good. SWEET SWING is part travelogue, part history book, part opera, part day-in-the-life of a jazz band, part philosophy of celebration of existence. A total package of words that swing, baby, from sentence to sentence. There is enough in this book to delight anyone with eyes and ears!
You tap your feet and snap yr fingers to Marsalis' writing. If you weren't a jazz fan before reading this magnum opus, you will be now.
Frank Stewart's photography supplies a visual rhythm section spanning the entire keyboard of jazz and American existence!

Treat for Eye and Ear........2001-01-02

The book "Sweet Swing Blues on the Road" is a fantastic view into the life of American jazz darling Wynton Marsalis.

It professes and appears at first glance to be about life touring on the road, but instead reveals itself as a collection of essays about subjects as diverse as bandmates, romance, and of course music.

The tone Marsalis takes is very reminiscent of his good friend, Stanley Crouch, who wrote most of the liner notes for Marsalis' albums. However, while Crouch can come off as losing a ferocious battle against the English language, Marsalis seems earthy, clever, and insightful.

Marsalis writes like a musician or every black preacher worth a drive. He has a cadence. A strong cadence. A cadence that finds resonation in the soul. He developes writing themes like any good improviser should.

It is clear that Marsalis has spent time with noted writer Albert Murray, whose book "Stomping the Blues" finds a kindred heart in "Swing Sweet . . ."

Readers receive a sneak peak at Marsalis' Pulitzer-prize winning epic "Blood on the Fields" as some of the sights of this book reappear in that work. Readers also find themselves agreeing with Marsalis' view of rap ("Rappers have funny haircuts") and misunderstandings of jazz.

Photographer Frank Stewart provides visual compliments to the text in fine black and white fashion. Perhaps the belle of this ball is the out of fucus shot of the late Dizzy Gillespie with an in-focus sillouette of Marsalis in the foreground.

"Swing Sweet home blues" is a great book that people who like jazz would love and those who don't understand jazz owe to themselves to check out.

A Window On Wynton.......2000-12-22

There's more to Mr. Marsalis than his stewardship of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. There's even more to him than his relationship with Albert Murray and Stanley Crouch. This book is--in addition to being a polemic on self-worth, love, and swing--the diary of one of the greatest working jazz bands of all time (well, since Buddy Bolden, anyway): The Wynton Marsalis Septet. Wynton gives you a seat on the bus, and it's an illuminating look at the life of a working band. My only quibble is that too many pictures go without captions: It's up to you to figure out that Wynton is hugging Clark Terry somewhere in Greenwich Village.

Travelogue of a Legend.......2000-07-04

Wynton Marsalis is commonly referred to as the leader of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in New York. His fame was established through years of touring with his brilliant Wynton Marsalis Septet. It is from that period in his creative life that this memory album comes. Frank Stewart's genius snapshots are complimented by Marsalis' commentary on a multitude of topics. Some excerpts are just recollections, others read like sermons. If nothing else, one is given a chance to observe Wynton in all of his elements - intellectually, musically, and socialy as well. His band is also introduced throughout the episodes. A highly intimate journey through the life of a jazz legend in our time.

Wynton swings sweet to eye as well as ear........1998-05-05

The book "Sweet Swing Blues on the Road" is a fantastic view into the life of American jazz darling Wynton Marsalis.

It is clear that Marsalis has spent time with noted writer Albert Murray, whose book "Stomping the Blues" finds a kindred heart in "Swing Sweet . . ."

Amazon.com

One of the 20th century's greatest composers, Duke Ellington (1899-1974) led a fascinating life. The first biography to draw on the vast Duke Ellington archives at the Smithsonian Institution, this book recounts the entirety of his remarkable career: his childhood in Washington, D.C. and musical apprenticeship in Harlem; his long engagement at the glamorous, gangster-owned Cotton Club; the challenging years during the Depression; his tours to Europe and into America's deep South, where he helped lower racial barriers; the postwar years when television and bebop threatened to eclipse the big bands; Ellington's own triumphant comeback at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival; his collaborations with Billy Strayhorn, Johnny Hodges, Ella Fitzgerald, and John Coltrane, among others; and of course, the music itself, five decades of hits and masterpieces that constantly broke new ground.

John Edward Hasse serves as Curator of American Music at the Smithsonian Institution, curator of its traveling exhibition Beyond Category, and producer and annotator of the boxed set of recordings by the same name.

Book Description

One of the twentieth century's greatest composers, Duke Ellington (1899-1974) led a fascinating life. Beyond Category, the first biography to draw on the vast Duke Ellington archives at the Smithsonian Institution, recounts his remarkable career: his childhood in Washington, D.C., and his musical apprenticeship in Harlem; his long engagement at the Cotton Club; the challenging years of the depression; his tours to Europe and into America's deep South, where he helped lower racial barriers; the postwar years when television and bebop threatened to eclipse the big bands; Ellington's own triumphant comeback at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival; his collaborations with Billy Strayhorn, Johnny Hodges, and Ella Fitzgerald; as well as five decades of hits and masterpieces that constantly broke new ground. The art of Duke Ellington was a musical expression of the African-American experience, in all its pain, pride, and glory. He composed his music as he composed his life-with flair, passion, and individuality-and no book reveals the man and his artistic evolution more brilliantly than Beyond Category.

Customer Reviews:

Not Merely A Genius Of Jazz...But Rather A Musical Genius!!!.......2005-06-02

His music has resonated all around us for nearly a century. We almost unconsciously react to the melodic rhythms of his brilliant compositions as we watch television or listen to the radio. Often the arrangements are backdrops to our daily lives...soothing our mood or stimulating us to tap our feet or simply sway to its almost spiritual cadences. Such is the music of the Great Duke Ellington. In "Beyond Category" we find an outstanding biography of arguably the greatest composer the world has ever known. From his early days as an aspiring composer/bandleader in Washington, D.C.; through his New York days at the Cotton Club; and onto his unprecedented tours of Europe, Africa and the Far East, this book takes you on a delightful journey into the creative mindset and personality genius of Ellington. Unlike many writings of this nature, Hasse manages to avoid sentimental veneration in conveying many of Ellington's talents in regards to people, business dealings, and his relationship with women. The book is a well-written, enjoyable composition that draws the reader into Ellington's world. Additionally, the author grants appropriate respect to the musicians, artists and businessmen who aided Ellington throughout his career, thus balancing the text superbly. I highly recommend "Beyond Category", not only for the Ellington fan or even a Jazz fan, but for anyone interested in the life and times of a musical genius and an icon of American history.

Top Ellington biography of the 3 I've read so far.......2004-05-29

Beyond Category is the best introduction to Duke Ellington's life and music. It was created to coincide with a Smithsonian exhibit and it offers a quality professional biography of Ellington's life and times. The author considers Ellington's life a series of problems to solve for his mind. Some of these problems are how to learn piano, how to start a band, how to compose with a partner, how to react to the recording band, how to deal with the loss of key soloists, how to compose larger works and ends up hitting many of the high points of Ellington's life and works.

Most of the new research at the time came from Mercer Ellington's enormous donation of his warehouse of materials for the Duke Ellington collectionl. Yet as a book intended for a popular audience, the musical content of this trove was not really fully dealt with. Mercer's collection comes through in the fabulous photographs that are interspersed throughout the book. It may have been better to have all the photographs grouped in several sections as not everyone will have time to read the entire book I suppose.

One very helpful aspect to the book was that at the end of each chapter there was a guide to key recordings of Ellington's life. This type of material is very helpful to those new to Ellington's life.

I found the prose to be clear and adequate although not as lively as some of the other excellent jazz biographies I've read such as Chambers' Milestones.

This book gets a 4.5 star rating for anyone new to Ellington. It's accessible, readable, and gives you several ideas to approach the true gold mine of Ellington's music.

For jazz researchers and scholars, there's still room for a knockout biography of Ellington that adds the information from the Smithsonian collection to wide ranging interviews and even better prose. Researchers will want to read this, but I'm not sure how much of this material is groundbreaking.

4.5 stars for neophytes
3.5 stars for Ellington scholars

4 stars overall

Better late than never.......2003-11-08

No sentimentality here. Just warm, rich story telling of a great man. I'm actually embarrassed to say that after lifetime of jazz I just dicovered The Duke. This is a very well written and balanced portrayal of a man,his music and his times. If there's more to say I don't want to read it; it's time to listen.

excellently researched book.......2000-04-12

As an old time lover of Jazz, but rather new to really examining the lives behind its great musicians, and particularly Duke Ellington, I started out with "Duke Ellington: A Spiritual Biography" by Janna Tull Steed (great book (and just 192 pages) for anyone new to the Duke & jazz). It was Steed's book that really built the interest to explore Ellington in more depth and, Hasse's book is just what I was looking for. It is a hefty book but it is absolutely and completely accessible, just what is required to approach this great man of Jazz.

A compeling portrait of one of America's greatest composers.......1999-04-08

This is a thoroughly enjoyable story of the life and times of one of America's greatest and most prolific composer/musicians. It characterises the "Duke" as a caring, people loving person with close family ties, and a quest for excellence against all odds. The Forward by Wynton Marsalis is clear and insightful. The author has accomplished an easy to follow sequence of events enhanced by photos and drawings. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the genre.

To a Young Jazz Musician: Letters from the Road

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Rich in Passion and Wisdom

To a Young Jazz Musician: Letters from the Road
Wynton Marsalis , and Selwyn Seyfu Hinds
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 140006399X
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Book Description

In To a Young Jazz Musician, the renowned jazz musician and Pulitzer Prize—winning composer Wynton Marsalis gives us an invaluable guide to making good music–and to leading a good life.
Writing from the road “between the bus ride, the sound check, and the gig,”

Marsalis passes on wisdom gained from experience, addressed to a young musician coming up–and to any of us at any stage of life. He writes that having humility is a way to continue to grow, to listen, and to learn; that patience is necessary for developing both technical proficiency and your own art rather than an imitation of someone else’s; and that rules are indispensable because “freedom lives in structure.”

He offers lessons learned from his years as a performer and from his great forebears Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and others; he explores the art of swing; he discusses why it is important to run toward your issues, not away; and he talks about what to do when your integrity runs up against the lack thereof in others and in our culture. He poetically expresses our need for healers: “All of it tracks back to how you heal your culture, one patient at a time, beginning with yourself.”

This is a unique book, in which a great artist offers his personal thoughts, both on jazz and on how to live a better, more original, productive, and meaningful life. To a Young Jazz Musician is sure to be treasured by readers young and old, musicians, lovers of music, and anyone interested in being mentored by one of America’s most influential, generous, and talented artists.

Customer Reviews:

Rich in Passion and Wisdom.......2006-10-29

I am neither particularly young, nor able to justifiably call myself a jazz musican and yet I found this book to be both enjoyable and enlightening. It is rich in wisdom and brimming over with the love Wynton Marsalis has for Jazz and Jazz Musicians. It contains much practical advice and covers his philosophy on music and life.

The book comprises ten letters; each is amusing, stimulating, thought provoking and most engaging. It is particularly well written. He has a way with words that makes the reader feel a conversation is being conducted face to face.

The letters cover defining a musical objective, retaining humility, being yourself, freedom vs rules in music, the importance of swing, avoiding arrogance, being a custodian of taste and morals, music as art, leadership and friendship. In my view his ideas are masterful and inspiring.

It is not written for children, but rather is directed at teenage and young adult musicians. I recommend that those who enjoy this book also buy Wynton's book "Sweet Swing Blues on The Road".

The Book of Rhythms (The Iona and Peter Opie Library of Children's Literature)

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The Book of Rhythms

The Book of Rhythms (The Iona and Peter Opie Library of Children's Literature)
Langston Hughes , and Robert G. O'Meally
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0195098560

Book Description

Rhythm is something we share in common, you and I, with all the plants and animals and people in the world, and with the stars and moon and sun, and all the whole vast wonderful universe beyond this wonderful earth which is our home."
In this beautifully designed book, Langston Hughes shares an appreciation of the rhythms of life--from visual patterns that catch the eye to rhythms in nature like the beating of a human heart, the pulse of the ocean, and the turning of the planets.
With the keen eye of an artist and the perception of a poet, Hughes finds the seeds of rhythm in the slow flowing of the Mississippi River, the even slap-slap-slap of a jump rope, the swoop of a swing, and the steadiness of Grandma's rocking. He relishes the rhythms of nature in the opening of a
many petaled rose or the intricacy of a snowflake.
He calls up images and offers examples even the youngest reader will understand--clapping the rhythm of a favorite song, scrutinizing the lines and wrinkles of our hands, even examining the dining room chairs for "charming and graceful rhythms."
Originally published in 1954, this new edition offers original illustrations, an introduction by musician Wynton Marsalis, and an afterword by Hughes scholar Robert G. O'Meally. Read it aloud to the youngest children as they become aware of the diversity of the world. Older children will delight in
the varied and offbeat exercises and examples, and all ages will be touched by Hughes's zest for rhythm and for life itself.

Customer Reviews:

The Book of Rhythms.......2002-11-04

The Book of Rhythms is a wonderful book that teaches children how to create their own poems. It begins by teaching children how to create their own rhythm by drawing a pattern on a piece of paper. Then it goes on to describe some of the different rhythms you hear everyday, such as your own heartbeat. Hughes then teaches children how to vary their rhythms and how to put words to the rhythm the reader has created. Towards the end, the author tells you about all the different rhythms such as broken or unseen rhythms.
This book serves as a great source for teaching children how to compose their own poems. The author is very qualified to write on this subject, since he is such a renowned poet. The book is neatly organized with clear appropriate headings and helpful illustrations that allow the reader to visualize the author's point. The language is vivid and interesting, yet easy enough for even very young readers to understand and enjoy.
In conclusion, Hughes' Book of Rhythms is a great book introducing children to poetry composition. With interesting vocabulary and illustrations, it is enough to keep any reader's attention. This book serves as a great teaching tool for any elementary aged child.

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You Owe Your Child (and Yourself) This Book

Marsalis on Music
Wynton Marsalis
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0393038815

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You Owe Your Child (and Yourself) This Book.......2000-04-11

First the book - buy the book. And as much as you'll love it, anyone under the age of 13 (the book's main target) will love it FACTOR 10.

A treat for the eye with art work and photographs that make adults check the title page for a photographer (unlisted - Frank Stewart? is that you?) A treat for the mind as well. Reading Marsalis' text out loud is a fantastic elixer for verbal sophistication with vibe. An even more intense dosage (which some of us need) is found in his "Sweet Swung Blues . . ."

Now, the point of this book is music theory. Can Wynton teach your child that which you - a grown man with complete power over child-proof lids - cannot understand? You know how as a little kid, you'd watch TV (say, ScoobyDoo) and the picture would be a little out of focus? Then your dad would come in and adjust the rabbit ears and - blammo! instant clarity! This is Marsalis discribing music theory. Blammo! Instant clarity!

It is not as good as the videos by the same name, but it fulfills a very worthwhile endeavor of capturing both the information and presentation of these worldclass videos. The special audio CD included with the book is worth the price of the book - easily.

Next - the man. Wynton Marsalis is a 20th and 21st century genius. Don't let anyone tell you differently, especially music critics(see also: non-musicians). Three minutes of hearing him play (_especially_ live - don't ever miss him live) is all the defense this paragraph needs.

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Curious organization for an introductory guide

Jazz (Npr Curious Listener's Guide)
Loren Schoenberg , and Wynton Marsalis
Manufacturer: Perigee Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Classical Music (NPR Curious Listener's Guide To...)

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The NPR Guide to Building a Classical CD Collection : The 350 Essential Works

ASIN: 039952794X
Release Date: 2002-08-06

Book Description

* A concise history of jazz * The noteworthy composers and musicians, from Jelly Roll Morton and Thelonious Monk to Miles Davis and Charles Mingus * Major performers from Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald to Nat King Cole and Duke Ellington * Classic songs and compositions * The most influential recordings of all time * A complete guide to jazz terminology and lingo * valuable resources for the Curious Listener

Plus: The 50 Influential Jazz CDs

Customer Reviews:

Curious organization for an introductory guide.......2005-10-14

This guide to jazz would probably be helpful to someone new to the subject, but might be even better for someone who already has a bit of familiarity with jazz history. I say this because, although the book is not an encyclopedia of jazz, individual chapters are internally organized alphabetically, rather than chronologically. This produces some potentially confusing results for the newcomer. For instance, in the chapter on styles or genres of jazz, it means that Bebop is discussed before New Orleans jazz. Even Dixieland revival is discussed before New Orleans jazz. And they are all discussed before Swing. How lucky for the reader then that, in the chapter on jazz greats, so many early pioneers just happen to have surnames beginning with letters early in the alphabet (Armstrong, Bechet, Beiderbecke...). Imagine the potential confusion if Charlie Parker had been named Charlie Barker! Still, as a long-time jazz fan, I learned something useful in every chapter.

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