The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz

Amazon.com Reviews

The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz series was Leonard Feather's franchise for decades, providing fans with large-format books that featured photos of jazzers and short bios detailing their background and recordings. When Feather passed away in 1994, though, his editorial partner Ira Gitler was left with the task of completing this new edition, then four years in development. It's much different from Feather's earlier volumes--The Encyclopedia of Jazz in the 60s, for example--opting for an all-text coverage and a standard-size hardcover, emphasizing perhaps the book's inarguable value as a reference. For historical purposes, the book is vastly important, giving extremely concise rundowns of musicians' lives--so concise, in fact, that most multisyllabic words are abbreviated. For contemporary players, though, especially Europeans, the volume is spotty. Trumpeter Joe Morris, who wrote "Punch & Judy" and played throughout the 1940s and '50s with Johnny Griffin, Elmo Hope, and others is certainly important. But what of the living Joe Morris, who's not a mainstream player but who nonetheless possesses amazing skills that reach at least as far as his predecessor? And while trumpet virtuoso Michael Philip Mossman is here, where is John Zorn? This isn't nitpicking on the mainstream so much as it is recognizing that books like Jazz: The Rough Guide have stepped up to address the skimpy coverage of living, thriving musicians.

Having said all that, it's vital to note Gitler and Feather's strengths: they've canvassed the past thoroughly, reaching to Italy to include reed dynamo Gianluigi Trovesi and pianist Giorgio Gaslini (but not trumpeter Pino Minafra or saxophonist Carlo Actis Dato). They've also caught key players from the early 20th century and from the peak bebop and hard bop eras, as well as the 1970s, when the avant-garde and fusion reigned in an oddly shaped jazz world. But these biographies were always Feather's and Gitler's strengths, making earlier by-decade editions of the Encyclopedia so important. --Andrew Bartlett

Book Description

Do you want to know when Duke Ellington was king of The Cotton Club? Have you ever wondered how old Miles Davis was when he got his first trumpet? From birth dates to gig dates and from recordings to television specials, Leonard Feather and Ira Gitler have left no stone unturned in their quest for accurate, detailed information on the careers of 3.300 jazz musicians from around the world. We learn that Duke Ellington worked his magic at The Cotton Club from 1927 to 1931, and that on Miles Davis's thirteenth birthday, his father gave him his first trumpet. Jazz is fast moving, and this edition clearly and concisely maps out an often dizzying web of professional associations. We find, for instance, that when Miles Davis was a St. Louis teenager he encountered Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie for the first time. This meeting proved fateful, and by 1945 a nineteen-year-old Davis had left Juilliard to play with Parker on 52nd Street. Knowledge of these professional alliances, along with the countless others chronicled in this book, are central to tracing the development of significant jazz movements, such as the "cool jazz" that became one of Miles Davis's hallmarks. Arranged alphabetically according to last name, each entry of this book chronologically lists the highlights of every jazz musician's career. Highly accessible and vigorously researched, The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz is, quite simply, the most comprehensive jazz encyclopedia available.

Customer Reviews:

Essential jazz reference book.......2005-03-25

Back in the mid-1960s, as a high schooler just discovering jazz, I found a copy of Feather's "Encyclopedia of Jazz (1960)"; it was a revelation and fostered my enthusiasm and knowledge of the music and musicians. I still have it. But this completely new book is just as good, if not better. It contains brief biographical entries on 3,300 musicians covering all eras, styles, and genres under the wide umbrella of jazz. The entries, though concise, are thorough and trace each musician's career and recorded output. It should be on every jazz fan's shelf. Highly recommended.

Jazz Reference.......2000-03-28

As a librarian, I can't begin to explain the value of this volume for use by students and other patrons wanting concise but informative biographical information on jazz musicians -- a very popular topic for school reports.

Book Description

A one-of-a-kind book encompassing a wide scope of jazz topics, for beginners and pros of any instrument. A three-pronged approach was envisioned with the creation of this comprehensive resource: as an encyclopedia for ready reference, as a thorough methodology for the student, and as a workbook for the classroom, complete with ample exercises and conceptual discussion. Includes the basics of intervals, jazz harmony, scales and modes, ii-V-I cadences. For harmony, it covers: harmonic analysis, piano voicings and voice leading; modulations and modal interchange, and reharmonization. For performance, it takes players through: jazz piano comping, jazz tune forms, arranging techniques, improvisation, traditional jazz fundamentals, practice techniques, and much more! Customer reviews on amazon.com for Jazzology average a glowing 5 stars! Here is a typical reader comment: "The book's approach is so intuitive, it almost leads you by the hand into the world of jazz. Certainly jazz is freedom of expression, but you have to know what you're doing and this book is the tool for that ... (it) should be standard in every high school with a jazz program and every college lab band."

Customer Reviews:

Pretty fresh look at the same ol' stuff........2007-07-18

This is a good look at a rehashing of what has been, for a long time. Some authors are better at portraying certain subjects in better context than others. These 2 gentleman seem above the average! I like it, very much.

The biggest value of this book though, is the fact that the great Jeff Bent was such a huge part in the authentication process.... I personally am working on several learning methods for publication. It would be an honor to have Mr. Bernt give a look at my ciriculum also. ( I probably mispelled that, thats why I need Jerf!!)

Anyway, good book. Nicely done!

Jazzology has got it covered.......2007-05-09

This book is one of the very best I have seen,
along with "hearing the changes" by Jerry Coker,
and Jazz and Popular Harmony by Daniel Ricigliano,
it has become a favorite.

A Jazz Theory Book Aimed at the Player.......2006-12-31

Although it is only one of many jazz theory books on my shelf, I find that this book sticks out for its breadth and applicability to performing and arranging in the jazz idiom. This is accomplished through the sections on piano playing for all jazz instrumentalists where the topics include both voicing and comping rhythms. The latter is usually left out from theory books. There is also a chapter devoted to solo styles where the student can read through analysis of solos with the musical example provided in the book. There is a chapter on arranging for various ensembles as well as a chapter that deals with "Early and Traditional Jazz" a much overlooked area in our jazz history studies. The book even ends with a chapter on practicing that deals not only with what one should practice, but why we practice particular aspects of the music.

Of course there are all of the requisite chapters on scale/chord theory and the ii-V-I progression that you will find in most books, but it is the added material that appleals to the player as much as the theorist. That is what makes this book a superior buy to many others.

Poised to become the standard Jazz Theory text of the 21st century.......2006-04-16

This excellent book is useful and relevant both as a reference work
and as a coursebook.

In addition to being the definitive compendium of music theory as it
relates to Jazz usage, it also contains exercises for the student
that can be used in the classroom as a supplementary teaching tool or
even as a full blown course of study in itself.

There are hundreds of musical examples to flesh out the prinicples
and topics covered in the text.

The material is well paced and in a logical order. The uncrowded look
of the page layouts aids considerably in making this vast amount of
technical material easily digestible for learners of any level.

This extremely deep book is certainly poised to become the standard
Jazz Theory text of the 21st century.

The perfect jazz book for theory OR practice.......2006-03-04

The book's approach is so intuitive, it almost leads you by the hand into the world of jazz. Certainly jazz is freedom of expression but you have to know what you're doing and this book is the tool for that. Combine it with some tunes and mix in some listening, and the world of jazz is open to you. This should be a standard in every high school with a jazz program and every college lab band.

The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz and Blues

Average customer rating:

Engaging and extremely useful
reader-friendly illustrated jazz history and reference

The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz and Blues
Howard Mandel
Manufacturer: Billboard Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia
The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz
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The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings: Eighth Edition (Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings)
The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music: From Rock, Pop, Jazz, Blues and Hip Hop to Classical, Country, Folk, World and More

ASIN: 0823082660

Customer Reviews:

Engaging and extremely useful.......2006-04-13

This well-illustrated book makes for an intriguing reference on some of the greatest American artists of the 20th century. Lots and lots of books and studies fail to join jazz and blues at all, and none do as clearly or as effortlessly as this much-needed and very worthwhile volume. It is both comprehensive and sensible.It covers a lot of ground. Though I wish it had more information on specific solos, which is where we really get a grasp of the depth of artistry here, this is the best book of its kind I have seen and I am grateful for it.

reader-friendly illustrated jazz history and reference.......2005-11-09

The innovative user-friendly touch of the Internet links is integrated into the sections of many of the artists (i. e., not put in an appendix or resources section at the back of the main text) by graphics with a web address. Another reader-friendly touch is a graphic noting the most representative recording by a particular musician. This is especially helpful considering the long careers, many recordings, and evolving styles of many of them. Most of the photographs show the artists in performance. Blues and Jazz are taken decade by decade from the early years through the nineteen twenties down to the eighties and the contemporary era, with a closing section on the instruments and equipment going with the two long-lasting and changeable types of music. Profiles of each artist cover biographical background, music career, and the artist's influences on or contributions to the field. For historical overview, comprehensive treatment of all the leading jazz and blues performers, and primary references cited, the "Illustrated Encyclopedia..." is an ideal introduction to these interrelated fields of music.

Average customer rating:

A Disappointment

Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia
Richard Cook
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings: Eighth Edition (Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings)
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The History of Jazz

ASIN: 0141026464

Book Description

Essential reading for all jazz fans

Far more than an A-Z guide to the artists and bands who have shaped jazz, this invaluable resource also tracks the history of jazz and its changing styles and terminology. Whether readers want to know why Louis Armstrong was called Satchmo, what bebop is, or the difference between Gil Evans and Bill Evans—this wonderfully accessible book has all the answers.
* Contains sixty pages of photos
* Includes more than 2,000 entries on jazz artists and bands
* Provides clear definitions of key terms such as swing and fusion

Customer Reviews:

A Disappointment.......2007-07-17

I saw an early production of this translation in New Haven decades ago. I loved it.
This recording doesn't compare. I'm a Brecht/Weill fanatic, and it was work listening to the entire CD. I had to go back to the Lenya release to remember what it should sound like.

The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music: From Rock, Pop, Jazz, Blues and Hip Hop to Classical, Country, Folk, World and More

Average customer rating:

The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music: From Rock, Pop, Jazz, Blues and Hip Hop to Classical, Country, Folk, World and More
Paul du Noyer
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock: Expanded and Updated Edition
The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Classical Music
Billboard's Top 1000 Hits of the Rock Era - 1955-2005
The Billboard Book of Number One Hits
Billboard's Hottest Hot 100 Hits, Updated and Expanded 3rd Edition

ASIN: 0823078698

Book Description

Music touches us all, from the dancing and rebellion of youth to the quiet contemplation of the older listener. Music provides the beat to the rhythm of our lives, introducing TV programs, selling advertisements, blasting out from market stalls or along the aisles of superstores.

The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music is the ultimate guide for anyone with a passing or a passionate interest in music. Authoritative, informative, accessible, and entertaining, the book conveys the spirit and substance of practically every type of music one might listen to, from rock, pop, jazz, folk, blues, hip-hop, reggae, and dance, to classical music, country, gospel, R&B, soul, soundtracks, musical theater, and world music.

Organized by genre, the book presents a concise introduction to each music form, listing its major exponents, offering a four-bar sample of its style, and provides information on major musicians, performers, composers, and songwriters - over 12,000 names in all - highlighting their main period of activity and cross-references to the relevant music style section.

Also included are three useful appendices. A short "Instruments" glossary covers all key instruments mentioned in the narrative, showing the reader which type of music each instrument is normally used in, with examples of its best or most rewarding use. "How to Read Music, the Basics" instructs the reader on how to read music, providing a simply understanding of the four bar examples of music offered with each major genre. The appendices contain a comprehensive bibliography as well.

Bringing the world of music to life are 800 colorful illustrations of musicians, instruments, album covers, music engravings, and more.

Whether passionate or casual listener, anyone interested in music will find The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music a must-have for both enjoyable reading as well as for reference.

Book Description

The Miller Companion to Jazz in Canada is the readable, authoritative reference to Canadian jazz, a monumental undertaking and a wonderful book, covering the history, denizens, personalities and important venues in jazz since its beginnings in Canada, in the wonderful, readable style Mark Miller is known for. Containing over 50 photographs, this book is a must-have for all jazz aficionados.

The Encyclopedia of Jazz in the Seventies

Average customer rating:

The Encyclopedia of Jazz in the Seventies
Leonard and Ira Gitler Feather
Manufacturer: Horizon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GQUAM6

Free Jazz and Free Improvisation [Two Volumes]: An Encyclopedia

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Free Jazz and Free Improvisation [Two Volumes]: An Encyclopedia
Todd S. Jenkins
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0313298815

Book Description

The free jazz revolution that began in the mid-1950s represented an artistic and sociopolitical response to the economic, racial, and musical climate of jazz and the nation. In parallel with the American civil rights movement, free jazz exemplified an escape from the restrictive rules of musical performance with an emphasis on individual expression and musical democracy. A handful of major individual artists opened the gateway to intense personalization of performances through astonishing new techniques, and inner-city collectives were formed to support artistic experimentation and community education. Reviled by most critics and jazz fans in its nascence, and still highly misunderstood today, free jazz eventually had a profound influence on subsequent developments in jazz and rock, forever changing the musical landscape. Todd S. Jenkins' handy encyclopedia of free music reflects upon the personalities, styles, organizations, philosophy and politics of a musical form to which too little prior attention has been devoted. Directing readers to outstanding recorded performances, it serves as an essential introduction to this difficult but rewarding music, offering a scholarly historical and cultural overview that provides a critical assessment of one of the most misunderstood periods in American music. Filling many gaps left in previously published literature on the subject, Jenkins's work is a necessary addition to the shelves of music libraries and the collections of jazz aficionados alike.

Average customer rating:

Up-To-Date discography
superfluous, smarmy, and inept
superfluous, smarmy, and ineptly written

The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz

Manufacturer: Virgin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1852271833

Book Description

A new edition of the jazz reference book that gives you the breadth of coverage you’ve always wanted, right up to date and speaks with the authority of the best research team in the business, and one that understands the appeal and importance of jazz in all its guises. Over 3,500 entries, 1.2 million words, this new edition of the Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz contains essential facts and fair minded opinions of the artists who have been instrumental in creating the long, rich history of jazz. All the detailed information in this single volume is from The Encyclopedia Of Popular Music, which is universally acclaimed as the world’s leading source of reference on all forms of popular music. Authoritative, accessible and enthusiastic. Updated and greatly enlarged with over 1000 extra entries, and over 200,000 extra words. Enlarged album chronology. Newly added ‘Essential jazz Albums’.

- The most exhaustive encyclopedia of jazz music ever compiled
- Contains detailed histories and assessments of every major figure and many lesser-known artists in the genre
- Every major jazz album ever releaseed is evaluated and give a star rating

Customer Reviews:

Up-To-Date discography.......1999-11-05

May not be quite as encyclopedic as Grove but great stories that make jazz performers come to life. The up-to-date discography with ratings make collecting a lot easier.

superfluous, smarmy, and inept.......1999-08-17

GROVE'S DICTIONARY OF JAZZ is thorough, authoritative, and eminently readable: there is no reason for this "encyclopedia of jazz" to exist. Yet exist it does, and it is hardly an encyclopedia of jazz. It has biographical and record-title entries only. Its information is sketchy and inaccurate. Its prose is glib, clumsy, and amateurish. Its diction is indiscriminately inconsistent. Prefer the GROVE'S DICTIONARY OF JAZZ.

Also recommended: PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by Jeff Burns.

superfluous, smarmy, and ineptly written.......1999-08-17

The GROVE'S DICTIONARY OF JAZZ is thorough, authoritative, and eminently readable: there is no reason for this "encyclopedia of jazz" to exist. Yet exist it does, and it is hardly an encyclopedia of jazz. It has biographical and recording-title entries only. Its information is sketchy and inaccurate. Its prose is glib, clumsy, and amateurish. Its diction is indiscriminately inconsistent. Prefer the GROVE'S DICTIONARY OF JAZZ.

Book Description

The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz constitutes the most definitive volume on the music, history, performers, and venues of jazz. It contains the broadest coverage of the subject of jazz to appear in one work and seeks to give detailed attention to all periods and styles from many countries, making it the largest dictionary of jazz ever published. Besides traditional jazz topics, there are extensive entries on blues, brass bands, soul music, ragtime, and rock music, as well as profiles on musicians such as Eubie Blake, Bessie Smith, Ray Charles, and Jeff Beck. Among the numerous categories covered in the volume are: BL Performers from Louis Armstrong to Joe Zawinul, as well as performing groups from the early New Orleans Excelsior Brass Band to the contemporary World Saxophone Quartet BL Jazz terms and topics including pieces on arrangement, form, harmony, and improvisation, as well as articles on jazz in film and jazz singing BL Styles are described from Chicago Jazz, Dixieland, and Boogie Woogie through Cool Jazz, Free Jazz, and Third Stream. Also included are Blues, Ragtime, and Latin music BL Festivals, clubs, and record labels that have had a seminal place in jazz history, such as the Newport and Montreux festivals, and the clubs Birdland and The Five Spot. Clubs are listed internationally by city, including their histories and the musicians who performed there BL Instruments like the saxophone and double bass are covered in detail as well as exotic instruments and special playing techniques such as brass mute effects

Customer Reviews:

The Best Jazz Reference Guide Out There!.......2002-05-22

If you love Jazz, you MUST GET THIS BOOK! Completely awesome!

Needs an update.......2002-04-01

This is a valuable jazz reference source, and a good companion book to the Penguin guide to jazz. It is particularly useful for looking up the biographies of artists that you're interested in. Less useful are the lists of jazz club venues - likely to be quite out of date by now.

What I liked especially about the dictionary, is its comprehensiveness. Artists from all continents are covered - although musicians from far-flung places (as in not-in-the-USA)are more likely to be missing. On the negative side, you'll find that the book is now out of date when it comes to contemporary musicians.

I have for example compiled a list of all artists born in African, Australia and New Zealand from the book. While a number of well-known musicians are missing, the youngest person on my list was born in 1947 - 55 years ago - not good for a book that was reviewed in 1994. One would suspect that the contemporary jazz renaissance of the 1990s is totally absent.

So in summary, this is a well-written, well edited, good reference source, but badly in need of an update. I would also enjoy more personal details about artists in the next edition.

The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz.......2001-03-08

This encylcopedia was a huge and expensive dissapointment. If you are not a jazz freak with 1 million cd-s, you wan't find this peace all that very usefull. I mean, the article about chet baker is only twice as long as the article on chave baker, cheese baker and other non relevant bakers. This is advanced guide for real experts. On the top of it, all articles are dull written, not even close to a readable and interesting biographies of people but only as a list of information, many of which is not very usefull. Some hints about nightclubs are good, but that could

Avoide it.....

wonderful.......1999-04-03

This is a book every jazz musician and jazz fan should own. There is amusing trivia: How many people know that drum brushes were originally marketed as fly swatters? There are transcriptions of arrangements as well as of improvised solos. And of course there are biographical essays. The book is serious and scholarly and deep yet easily readable and entertaining.

Also recommended: PENTATONIC SCALES FOR THE JAZZ-ROCK KEYBOARDIST by Jeff Burns

Somehting for every jazzfan........1998-12-29

This is just a thorough piece of work. With music examples, pictures, selected discographies, bios, and how their music influenced the world of jazz. It also features great articles about nightclubs and libraries. This is a huge book, and very cheap also, so this is something every jazz fan should have.

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