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Rating: 
Summary: about the author more than the music
Review: Ratliff just can't help inserting himself at every turn in this book. Here's an example: The chapter on "Bill Evans Trio: Saturday at the Village Vanguard" begins: "There's a single-minded, amiable rapture suffusing most of Bill Evans's music that just doesn't do it for me in the long run. It's not my mood; it's not one of the things that satisfies my thrill seeking." Well, gee, thanks for sharing sharing; but save it for your diary. If you enjoy watching an author shoot from the hip (Sarah Vaughan, he says, "in certain low-register moments ... approaches vulgarity" and is lacking in "good taste"), maybe you'll enjoy it. If you simply want to learn more about the peak recordings of jazz history, turn elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: about the author more than the music
Review: Ratliff just can't help inserting himself at every turn in this book. Here's an example: The chapter on "Bill Evans Trio: Saturday at the Village Vanguard" begins: "There's a single-minded, amiable rapture suffusing most of Bill Evans's music that just doesn't do it for me in the long run. It's not my mood; it's not one of the things that satisfies my thrill seeking." Well, gee, thanks for sharing sharing; but save it for your diary. If you enjoy watching an author shoot from the hip (Sarah Vaughan, he says, "in certain low-register moments ... approaches vulgarity" and is lacking in "good taste"), maybe you'll enjoy it. If you simply want to learn more about the peak recordings of jazz history, turn elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: A Clear, Helpful Introduction to Buying Jazz Today
Review: Ratliff's style is accessible, direct, and relevant to younger folks hoping to discover jazz recordings of merit. One of his themes is that jazz can both be good art and entertain at the same time, which is fantastic in my view because too many folks are intimidated by "America's classical music." Buy this book and you'll reference it a hundred times when hoping to expand your knowledge of the music, I guarantee.
Rating:
Summary: A Clear, Helpful Introduction to Buying Jazz Today
Review: Ratliff's style is accessible, direct, and relevant to younger folks hoping to discover jazz recordings of merit. One of his themes is that jazz can both be good art and entertain at the same time, which is fantastic in my view because too many folks are intimidated by "America's classical music." Buy this book and you'll reference it a hundred times when hoping to expand your knowledge of the music, I guarantee.
Rating: 
Summary: Unfair
Review: The reviews here have been too harsh to this book. This book is not meant by any strech to be a replacement for the Penguin Jazz on CD Guide, but as a list and analysis of 100 very good jazz CDs it isn't bad at all. The reviews are generally insightful and informative, and the book contains a fine balance of big band, be-bop, and post-bop, with all the colours in between. (His defense of Cecil Taylor is particularly refreshing.) I might quibble with the title, but no list of 100 CDs will satisfy every reader as including all the "essentials." The main list, combined with the additional 100 CDs listed in the appendix, would provide enough listening enjoyment for a lifetime.
Rating:
Summary: Not the Best Place to Start
Review: This book is NOT a list of the 100 "best" jazz recordings, but rather what the author considers the 100 "most important." That means he includes albums that he admits even he doesn't like, because they're good for you. [Like spinach]He also views jazz history through the lens of racism, which seems to influence a number of his choices and explanations. I would recommend buying the Penguin Guide instead. It's far more comprehensive and the ratings are more reliable. If it seems too intimidating, start with the albums that earn a Rosette--that will still be a better starting place than the list in this book.
Rating:
Summary: Not the Best Place to Start
Review: This book is NOT a list of the 100 "best" jazz recordings, but rather what the author considers the 100 "most important." That means he includes albums that he admits even he doesn't like, because they're good for you. [Like spinach] He also views jazz history through the lens of racism, which seems to influence a number of his choices and explanations. I would recommend buying the Penguin Guide instead. It's far more comprehensive and the ratings are more reliable. If it seems too intimidating, start with the albums that earn a Rosette--that will still be a better starting place than the list in this book.
Rating:
Summary: Not the Best Place to Start
Review: This book is NOT a list of the 100 "best" jazz recordings, but rather what the author considers the 100 "most important." That means he includes albums that he admits even he doesn't like, because they're good for you. [Like spinach] He also views jazz history through the lens of racism, which seems to influence a number of his choices and explanations. I would recommend buying the Penguin Guide instead. It's far more comprehensive and the ratings are more reliable. If it seems too intimidating, start with the albums that earn a Rosette--that will still be a better starting place than the list in this book.
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