Mark Burford – Mahalia Jackson and the Black Gospel Field (Oxford University Press, 496pp., £22.99. Book review by Chris Parker) Although this is the fourth published study of “the world’s greatest gospel […]
Cisco Bradley – Universal Tonality: The Life and Music of William Parker (Duke University Press. 416pp. Book Review by Tony Dudley-Evans) The free jazz and improvised music scenes in Europe, including UK, […]
Henry Martin – Charlie Parker, Composer (Oxford University Press Hardback 338pp. Book review by Andy Hamilton) The founder of bebop was born 100 years ago this year – an anniversary that for […]
Ricky Riccardi – Heart Full Of Rhythm – The Big Band Years Of Louis Armstrong (Oxford University Press. Book review by Denny Ilett) Since the mid-1940s, when jazz criticism became ‘a thing’, […]
Jeff Gold – Sittin’ In – Jazz Clubs of the 1940s and 1950s includes interviews with Quincy Jones, Sonny Rollins, Robin Givhan, Jason Moran and Dan Morgenstern (Harper Design. 256 pages. Book Review […]
Sammy Stein with Debbie Burke – Gender Disparity in UK Jazz- A Discussion (Amazon KDP, 212pp, 2020. Book review by Ros Rigby) The issue of gender balance in jazz has been a regular topic […]
This is Bop: Jon Hendricks and the Art of Vocal Jazz. Peter Jones (Equinox, 263pp., Book Review By Chris Parker) Musician/writer Ben Sidran calls jazz singer/lyricist Jon Hendricks a ‘generous spirit [who] radiated […]
Keith Jarrett: A Biography. Wolfgang Sandner (author)/ Chris Jarrett (translator) (Equinox Books. 230pp. Book Review by John Bungey) With the great American pianist announcing that his performing career is almost certainly over, […]
Andrew Willox and Eileen Mann – I Think We Have a Find: A Biography of Roy Willox (Self-published, 2020. Review by Simon Spillett) Biographies of musicians – of any style – have […]
David Hajdu – Adrianne Geffel (W.W. Norton, 207pp., £19.95. Book Review by Chris Parker) The truly witty satirical novel is a rara avis, possibly because satire is most effective when carried out […]
Komeda: A Private Life in Jazz – Magdalena Grzebałkowska (Equinox, 466pp. Book review by Chris Parker) The life of Polish pianist/composer Krzysztof Komeda is marked, above all else, by paradoxes. He is […]
Alyn Shipton – The Art of Jazz: A Visual History (Imagine! Publishing. 256 pp. Book review by Leonard Weinreich) In this sumptuous book, jazz historian, broadcaster and double-bassist Alyn Shipton celebrates the […]
Will Friedwald – Straighten Up and Fly Right: The Life and Music of Nat King Cole (Oxford University Press Hbk 633pp. Book review by Andy Hamilton) This very authoritative title is the […]
Tish Oney – Peggy Lee: A Century of Song (Rowman & Littlefield. 250pp. Book review by Peter Jones) This is not intended to be a biography of Peggy Lee – we have three of […]
Petter Frost Fadnes – Jazz on the Line: Improvisation in Practice (Routledge. 254 pp. Book Review by Tony Dudley-Evans) Jazz research is becoming increasingly vibrant in Europe, and from here in Birmingham […]
