Eddy Determeyer has been a freelance music journalist for more than three decades. In 1984 Determeyer wrote a seven-part series on Jimmie Lunceford for the Dutch magazine Jazz Nu. Determeyer has written thousands of articles on music for a variety of Dutch publications and is the author of several books. He currently produces the weekly Holiday for Hipsters radio show for Dutch station Concertzender.
During the height of the swing era, Jimmie Lunceford's band ranked at the top along with the outfits of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Benny Goodman. Lunceford, a dignified and well-educated African American, ran a disciplined unit that incorporated innovative choreography, sophisticated arrangements, and a signature rhythmic bounce, yet his contributions to jazz have often been neglected. Determeyer, a freelance music journalist, attempts to remedy the situation with this first in-depth treatment. Unfortunately, he is somewhat choppy in his presentation; the basic facts of the band's evolution are here, but readers do not leave with a particularly strong impression of its music or of Lunceford as a person. Gunther Schuller's brief account in The Swing Era offers a more useful musicological account. Still, this book is valuable, especially for the comments from surviving band members like arranger Gerald Wilson and for the thorough discography. Recommended for larger jazz collections and Lunceford fans. Mark Woodhouse, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
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