How to Listen to Jazz

Ted Gioia

ISBN 10: 0465093493 / ISBN 13: 9780465093496

Published by Basic Books, 2017

About this Item

In How to Listen to Jazz, award-winning music scholar Ted Gioia presents a lively, accessible introduction to the art of listening to jazz. Covering everything from the music's structure and history to the basic building blocks of improvisation, Gioia shows exactly what to listen for in a jazz performance. How does a casual listener learn to understand and appreciate the nuances between the unapologetic and innovative sounds of Louis Armstrong, the complexity of Coleman Hawkin's saxophone, and the exotic and alluring compositions of Duke Ellington? How does Thelonius Monk fit in alongside Benny Goodman and John Coltrane? He shares listening strategies that will help readers understand and appreciate the great American art form for the rest of their lives, and provides a history of the major movements in jazz right up to the present day. He concludes with a guide to 150 elite musicians who are setting the tone for 21st century jazz. Both an appreciation and an introduction to jazz by a foremost expert, How to Listen to Jazz is a must-read for anyone who's ever wanted to understand America's greatest contribution to the world of music.

Seller Inventory # 00109421983

Bibliographic Details

• Title: How to Listen to Jazz
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication Date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0465093493
• ISBN 13: 9780465093496
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

An Economist Best Book of the Year 

An acclaimed music scholar presents an accessible introduction to the art of listening to jazz. 

“Mr. Gioia could not have done a better job. Through him, jazz might even find new devotees.” ―Economist 

In How to Listen to Jazz, award-winning music scholar Ted Gioia presents a lively introduction to one of America's premier art forms. He tells us what to listen for in a performance and includes a guide to today’s leading jazz musicians. From Louis Armstrong’s innovative sounds to the jazz-rock fusion of Miles Davis, Gioia covers the music's history and reveals the building blocks of improvisation. 

A true love letter to jazz by a foremost expert, How to Listen to Jazz is a must-read for anyone who's ever wanted to understand and better appreciate America's greatest contribution to music. 

“How to Listen to Jazz fills an important and obvious gap by offering a sensible and jargon-free introduction to what Gioia calls ‘the most joyous sound invented during the entire course of twentieth-century music.’” ―Washington Post
 

About the Author

Ted Gioia is a music historian and the author of twelve books, including Music. His three previous books on the social history of music―Work Songs, Healing Songs, and Love Songs―have each been honored with the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award.