Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Resource
Review: This is a must-have reference book that is of great use to the jazz aficionado. It does have one glaring flaw, though -- not enough coverage of bossa nova and jazz influenced by Brazilian music (think of the hundreds of jazz interpretations of Jobim's compositions). For that I would recommend "The Brazilian Sound," which includes 1,000 titles in its discography.
Rating:
Summary: A Jazz guide for those wanting opinions and humour !
Review: This is simply the best on the market ! I've bought each of the four editions as they come out and they sit by my couch, constantly referred to. If you want bland approval of all and sundry, this is not for you. If you want to be intrigued, sent off in strange directions, amused by a frequently bizarre sense of humour then you'll love this volume. As well as being good on British and European jazz (though where's Tina May ?)Cook and Morton go further into the fringes of jazz than most. Get All Music for a comprehensive listing of what's been around, deleted or not. Get the Penguin for fascinating, eye-opening, often infuriating commentry !
Rating:
Summary: The same old excellent work
Review: Eccellent and essential reference for all jazz appraisers. Accurate and clear the descriptions. I would like to recommend to the authors to list separately the few entries awarded with the crown; it could be a good guide for "desert island" jazz records.
Rating: 
Summary: Well-written, but not the best reference for US readers
Review: The Penguin Guide is a well-written, informative survey of the field. It's the only jazz review omnibus I return to for pleasure, rather than for reference.While this tome is more opinionated than competing reviews, it's good to have a consistent frame of reference. You learn what the authors like and dislike, and can apply that to your own preferences. The essays that accompany the ratings avoid the redundancies found in the All Music Guide, and do a better job of placing the recording in the context of an artist's career. Because the authors are English, however, much of the discographical data isn't very useful for American consumers. Also, the representation of American labels can be understated. For example, there's a lot more Blue Note CDs in print in the U.S. than in Europe, leaving some notable gaps in an artist's output. Fans of other American labels and artists might find similar holes in the discography. The flip side of its European focus is that you get reviews of artists and releases usually ignored by American reviewers. And the English/European jazz canon is different than the American version, making the Penguin Guide something more than the Revised Standard Version of the received wisdom you'd find in an American omnibus. I wish the Penguin Guide would follow the example of the All Music Guide and simply review the important albums, deleted or not. Eventually those Bobby Hutcherson titles (to choose some personal favorites) will return to print, and when they do, you won't be able to consult the Penguin Guide, unless you wait for the biannual update.
Rating:
Summary: Superb reference, magnificently updated.
Review: Already out in the UK I bought this as soon as I saw it in the shop. You really can't go wrong with this. Every edition contains more excellent reviews. I checked for all the new reissues/releases as soon as I got it home and as in all the previous editions it's authoritative and essential. It is frustrating that new stuff displaces discs no longer available and that it is instantly out of date but an essential purchase nontheless.
Rating: 
Summary: This is the one to get!
Review: This is the one I return to over and over. It is definitely the most comprehensive I have found. Discographies are complete, chronologies are well laid out, and most importantly, the reviews rarely fail to give good insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the discs. It's not a "buying guide" (thank goodness). But if, like me, you wonder where to begin checking out an artist with whom you're not familiar, this is the place. Especially helpful are the comments on the (skyrocketing) number of compilations. "Smooth" and " Light" artists who genuinely merit consideration are given their due, although some unquestionably legitimate artists (e.g., "West Coast") seem to have been slighted just a bit. Finally, yes, updates need to be online or published more frequently.
Rating:
Summary: The Best!
Review: You can do no better than The Penguin Guide to Jazz. I have the first three editions, and am eagerly awaiting the release of the fourth!
Rating:
Summary: amazing!!
Review: I'm a pianist,and this book told me how to get a good idea to improvisation. This book include every important REAL musician(artist),ex:A.V.Schlippenbach, John Zorn,...blue note,FMP,nonesuch....to great Charlie Parker!! Of course,somebody maybe prefer to know some pop,blues,worldmusic,soundtrack...& 20-th(modern) music on this book,but I think this book want to show the REAL "improvise-music" to the world! Anyway,you should keep your money but this.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely a must for all jazz fans
Review: It is THE best jazz guide on the market but the up-dates take too long and it is not absolutely necessary to print the revised complete guide in intervalls of approx. 2 years again and again. Supplements published half-yearly would be much more usefull.
Rating: 
Summary: Thanks - we appreciate the kind words !
Review: Thanks to the kind reviewers ! In answer to one point - the book isn't about CDs currently in print in the UK - it's meant to be a worldwide picture, since (as users of this site surely know !) shopping for CDs isn't a single-territory matter any longer. We try and list what's currently available (and feasible to buy - not always the same thing, since some labels can be very hard to find !) worldwide. The only exception is Japan, which has a large number of discs that regretfully are not so easy for us to find and review. Watch for our HUGE fourth edition - out in a few weeks and bigger than ever with 1000s of new discs reviewed !
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