About the Author

Geoffrey C. Ward is the author of eleven books, including A First-Class Temperament, which won the 1989 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 1990 Francis Parkman Prize of the Society of American Historians. He has written or co-written many documentary films, including The Civil War, Baseball, The West, Thomas Jefferson, Not for Ourselves Alone, and Jazz. He lives in New York City.

Ken Burns, founder of Florentine Films, is a director, producer, and writer who has been making documentaries for more than twenty years. His landmark film The Civil War was the highest-rated series in the history of American public television, and his work has won numerous prizes, including the Emmy and Peabody Awards. He lives in Walpole, New Hampshire.

With essays by Dan Morgenstern, Gerald Early, Gary Giddins, and Stanley Crouch. And featuring interviews with Wynton Marsalis and Albert Murray.

Reviews

A companion volume to the new Burns and Ward documentaryDa 19-hour, 10-episode series set to air on PBS in January, 2001Dthis lavishly illustrated history describes the evolution of jazz during the 20th century, focusing on the careers of a key players like Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Benny Goodman. In his introduction to the massive volume, Burns writes that his decision to make Jazz was inspired by a comment made by Gerald Early, a writer he interviewed for the authors' last documentary, Baseball. "Two thousand years from now," Early said, "there will only be three things that Americans will be known for: The Constitution, baseball and jazz music." Burns admits he knew next to nothing about jazz before deciding to create "the most comprehensive treatment of jazz ever committed to film," and there lies the work's Achilles' heel. Burns has his conclusionDthat jazz is a metaphor for the United StatesDfirmly in hand before he begins to know his subject. This smugness translates into a rather tepid, conservative view of jazz. Not every subject or musician can be touched upon in one book; however, it does seem strange that such a sweepingly titled volume does not touch upon the musical roots of jazz, e.g. Africa's talking drums, or mention the Lockbourne Airforce Base, where many noted black jazz musicians received training. The entire 40-year period from 1960 forward is relegated to a single chapter, a rather pronounced statement about how the authors feel about more recent achievements. More than 500 illustrations and photos. (Nov. 6) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Adult/High School-A companion to Ken Burns's television series, this will be a welcome addition. Hundreds of photographs, a few of the more recent in color, but mostly in black and white, will draw teens into this wonderful introduction to an American art form. The images alone are worth the price. Many have never been published before. However, the detailed text is a resource for both the history of jazz and the people who developed it. Arranged chronologically, the work shows how music reflects the culture and events of its time. The reciprocal is also true; the events of the 20th century from boom, depression, and war are shown in the music of the period. Given the ethnic roots of jazz, this history also includes the roles of racist economic hardships. Although the emphasis is on the beginning years from the Creoles of color in New Orleans through Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, and Sarah Vaughan, to name only a few, the current status is not forgotten; a photo of Wynton Marsalis concludes the book. The biographical details of first-person memories will be of interest to report writers. An outstanding resource.-Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

As a stand-alone volume, this fluidly written and visually satisfying book is highly recommended for all public libraries and for all academic libraries looking for an excellent general history of the musical genre. As a companion to Burns's 19-hour PBS television series of the same name, set to air in January 2001, it is an essential purchase. The authors, who previously collaborated on Baseball and The Civil War (also companions to Burns's films), have assembled a comprehensive history with a focus on the musicians and the sociology of jazz. Those looking for a highly technical, theoretical study of the music will have to look elsewhere, as this book, containing no notated musical examples and using little technical musical language, is clearly intended for the general public and for fans of jazz. However, this guide is so well written, well researched, and probing of the complex relationship between jazz and American society that even professional musicians and musicologists will find something of interest. The short articles by Wynton Marsalis, Dan Morgenstern, Gerald Early, Stanley Crouch, and Gary Giddins, which are woven into the text, provide a more specific focus on a number of jazz's aspects. While this reviewer suspects that a fair number of patrons will turn to public libraries for the documentary and purchase the book themselves, the acquisition of Jazz will undoubtedly and deservedly boost circulation statistics.DJames E. Perone, Mount Union Coll., Alliance, OH Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.