September 7, 2012

Carole

Carole Horne, our General Manager, recommends the best jazz book in a long time.

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"This is the best jazz book in a long time. Many jazz books are promoted as good for the beginning listener and the aficionado; they almost never are. Ted Gioia, one of my favorite music writers, has done it. Choosing over 250 songs, both from the American songbook (Gershwin, Cole Porter, et al) and from jazz composers (Ellington, Coltrane, Monk), he writes a fascinating short essay about each, and lists a dozen or so recommended jazz versions. I’d say that the recommendations alone are worth the price, but then I couldn’t say that about the index, which cross-references every song, every artist, and every composer. And on top of all this, there’s the fun of coming up with which songs you’d argue should have been included. It’s a book that can lead you on an amazing jazz discovery tour." — Carole H.