Jazz. The Essential Companion

London England: Grafton Books, 1987. This is the most up-to-date and most comprehensive one-volume reference book on jazz. It is a mine of essential information, with over 1,600 entries covering the whole spectrum of jazz from its origins in ragtime to Loose Tubes, and from Buddy Bolden (b. 1877) to Courtney Pine (b. 1964). Internationally the entries range from Toshiko Akiyoshi to Eberhard Weber. There are important essays on all the major jazz figures, including Armstrong, Ellington, Charlie Parker, Miles Davies and John Coltrane, as well as detailed evaluations of more recent innovators such as Ornette Coleman and Joe Zawinul. Lesser-known early players are covered in depth while due prominence is also given to the rising stars of today. The biographical entries provide the facts of the musicians' life and work together with an invaluable critical assessment of their music, followed by reference to their main recordings. There are lucid definitions of jazz terms such as behop, cool, dirty, funk, jazz-rock-fashion, rhythm-and-blues, as well as essays on historical subjects such as New Orleans and Dixieland and on geographical areas - Australian jazz, Japanese jazz, Russian jazz. The three authors - all jazz musicians themselves - write with authority and affection about a subject they know both intimately and profoundly. Their book is an indispensable companion for all jazz lovers. Illustrated.. First Edition. Cloth. Very Good/Fine/Very Good/fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Hardback.