Concise Guide to Jazz - Softcover

Gridley, Mark C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0131733311 ISBN 13: 9780131733312

Publisher: Pearson College Div, 2006

Synopsis

This abridged version of Jazz Styles was developed in response to requests for an introductory book offering the clarity and accuracy of Jazz Styles with 1/2 the size, 1/4 the number of names and tune titles, and 1/3 the number of musician profiles. Using a simple, yet lively writing style, and an abundance of illustrations, it is easily accessible to readers with no previous knowledge of music–or any technical sophistication. Written by an active jazz musician and eminent jazz historian, this brief yet substantive introduction to jazz examines how jazz originated, how it is made, what to listen for, the major style eras, and the individual styles of 40 historically significant jazz musicians. These styles include early jazz (Dixieland); swing; bebop; cool jazz; hard bop; avant-garde of the 1960s and 70s; and jazz-rock fusion. For music lovers who want to increase their enjoyment of jazz.

About this title

From the Back Cover

The author tells what jazz is, how it originated, and how it is made. He emphasizes effective strategies to get the most out of listening to jazz. Focusing on 46 of the most historically significant musicians, Gridley offers a basic, first-time orientation to jazz.

Special Features

• NEW TO THIS EDITION is a chapter entitled NOW which considers recent developments in contemporary jazz and discusses such players as: John Zorn, Kenny G, Dave Sanborn, Joe Henderson, and Wayne Shorter.
• EASY-TO-FOLLOW LISTENING GUIDES are keyed to 99 track numbers, chorus-by-chorus, on the 76-minute Classics CD (ISBN 0-13--142497-1): 21 historic recordings by Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and many more.
• The 72-minute Demonstration CD (ISBN 0-13-142496-3): 157 narrated illustrations of instruments and methods that jazz musicians use to make their music.
• The text is available at a discounted package price combined with the 2 accompanying CDs (ISBN 0-13-183979-9), or with just the Classics CD (ISBN 0-13-183980-2), or with just the Demonstration CD (ISBN 0-13-142519-6).
• Both CDs and a videocassette version of the Demonstration CD (Listening to jazz by Steve Gryb; ISBN 0-13-532$624) can be ordered by phoning $00-947-7700.
• 104 STUNNING PHOTOS of top musicians at work, with captions summarizing their contributions.
• ELEMENTS OF MUSIC APPENDIX offers an illustrated short course in the basics of music: rhythm, scales, blue notes, chord progressions, song forms, and tone color.
• ALBUM BUYING STRATEGIES APPENDIX gives handy pointers for quickly selecting and locating the best albums.

About the Author

Mark C. Gridley is an active jazz musician who lectures widely on jazz history.  He has done field research in Africa, the Carribbean, and all the jazz centers of the United States.  His books have been translated into five foreign languages.  His articles appear in the Grove Dictionaries of Music, Encyclopaedia Britannica, The Musical Quarterly, The Black Perspective in Music, the Instrumentalist, and Jazz Educators Journal.  Gridley's Jazz Styles book is America's most widely used introduction to jazz.  The Educational Press Association of America gave him its Distinguished Achievement Award.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pearson College Div
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0131733311
• ISBN 13: 9780131733312
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 5
• Number of pages: 296