Jazz Makers: Vanguards of Sound

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Jazz Makers: Vanguards of Sound (Oxford Profiles) by Alyn Shipton

From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up-This chronologically arranged collection of more than 50 biographical sketches ranges from the pioneers to contemporary players and includes such notables as Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan, and Wynton Marsalis. An introduction to each era discusses the evolution of the styles that various individuals represent. Each profile focuses mainly on the subject's musical training, influences, and contributions rather than on personal background or family, and includes black-and-white photographs, a sidebar of pertinent facts, a discography, further reading, and Web sites. An excellent one-source overview of the important jazz contributors.
Janet Woodward, Garfield High School, Seattle, WA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"As a basic reference tool, this should be useful, given Shipton's thorough scholarship and careful writing and his own experience as a musician." -- Mississippi Rag
"Thoughtful, concisely written portraits summarize the lives and accomplishments of performers and composers. Well captioned black-and-white photos and many appendices accompany this useful book." -- The Horn Book Guide


Product Description
Jazz Makers gathers together short biographies of more than 50 of jazz's greatest stars, from its early beginnings to the present. The stories of these innovative instrumentalists, bandleaders, and composers reveal the fascinating history of jazz in six parts:
* The Pioneers, including Scott Joplin, Louis Armstrong, and Bessie Smith
* Swing Bands and Soloists, with Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday
* The Piano Giants, featuring Fats Waller, Art Tatum, and Mary Lou Williams
* Birth of Bebop, including Dizzy Gillepsie, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis
* Cool Jazz, Hard Bop, and Fusion, with John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Stan Getz
* A Century of Jazz, featuring Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, and other contemporary greats.

About the Author
Alyn Shipton is at London Times.