For its initiates, jazz is instinctive and engaging - the way that popular music should be. This book takes you from the African-American roots of jazz all the way to today's global mix of musicians and styles. It looks at the shape, style, and instruments of jazz, at key personalities and recordings in the jazz canon and more.
The creator of the unforgettable “Girl from Ipanema” tenor sax tone, this son of Ukranian immigrants took his unique sound through five decades of swing, cool, bossa and beyond. From Getz's teenage gigs with Dorsey, Goodman and Stan Kenton, fame with Woody Herman, years as a masterful bandleader, and struggles with drugs and the law, this biography tells the bittersweet story of one of our most beloved jazz musicians. This is the first book to focus on Getz's musical legacy, exploring the lightness of touch, lyricism and warm glow that marked his sound. It also gives insight into his skills as a consummate improviser, capable of playing with a musical, tonal and emotional range matched by few other musicians.“We'd all sound like that if we could.”– John Coltrane on Stan Getz
Book With over 100 color photos and insightful essays written by world-class jazz authorities, this book illustrates the saxophone's role in jazz from its earliest 1920s roots through today. It describes how the sound of jazz has been shaped in the hands of Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Branford Marsalis, Sonny Rollins, and many other legendary saxophonists in varying styles. It also includes a comprehensive guide to the finest recordings featuring jazz saxophone.