Rating: 
Summary: A Must Read For Musicians
Review: As a 17 year old high school student, I knew next to nothing about jazz before reading this book. John Szwed did an amazing job introducing such a vast musical genre in a simplistic and thought provoking manor. The history, key players, and different "types" of jazz are all discussed in this book. I honestly could not put it down. A must read for any musician.
Rating:
Summary: A Very introduction in2 the making of Jazz.
Review: I actually read this book from the beginning since I fell in love in it, as to me I'm a singer, rapper, artist and musician. This book tells it all from ragtime started, how swing & big bands got all over across the country, when Miles, Dizzy, Bird, Coltrane, Duke, Count, Satchmo, Billie, Ella, Sarah, Clifford, etc. came out 2day's hottest pioneers of jazz, and how jazz-rap or jazz hip-hop was made. I can't even put it down 'cuz it's good tho. This is recommend who want to know the whole history behind it. Even tho u like jazz, blues, bebop, rap, hip-hop or both. A must.
Rating:
Summary: The Artistry of Jazz
Review: I am a jazz musician and I have just read Jazz 101. Is a great book of the history and the musicians of Jazz. It explains the major types of jazz and the roots of jazz. It also includes short biographies of the significant jazz musicians who contributed to the styles of jazz. Its a great guide to the listening of jazz.
Rating:
Summary: Jazz Artistry
Review: I am a jazz musician and I have just read Jazz 101. It is a great book of jazz history and jazz musicians. It explains the major types of jazz and the roots of jazz. It also includes biographies of the significant jazz musicians who have contributed to the jazz styles. This book is a great guide to listening to jazz.
Rating:
Summary: Jazz Artistry
Review: I am a jazz musician and I have just read Jazz 101. It is a great book of jazz history and jazz musicians. It explains the major types of jazz and the roots of jazz. It also includes biographies of the significant jazz musicians who have contributed to the jazz styles. This book is a great guide to listening to jazz.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Intro to Excellent Music
Review: If you saw the Ken Burns series on Jazz and wanted to learn more, this book is a great place to start. While it does not pretend to be exhaustive, it covers the history of Jazz from the beginning to the present, without neglecting contemporary artists in the way that Burns' series did. The book also discusses musical issues in a way that the non-muscian can easily understand. This won't be the last book that you will want to read about Jazz, but it should be the first.
Rating: 
Summary: A very good introduction to Jazz.
Review: If you saw the Ken Burns series on Jazz and wanted to learn more, this book is a great place to start. While it does not pretend to be exhaustive, it covers the history of Jazz from the beginning to the present, without neglecting contemporary artists in the way that Burns' series did. The book also discusses musical issues in a way that the non-muscian can easily understand. This won't be the last book that you will want to read about Jazz, but it should be the first.
Rating:
Summary: An extremely readable account
Review: It's been a very long time since I've read a work of nonfiction as readable and lucid as this. Particularly interesting are the discussions of the African origins of the form and its relationship to Western European music. It doesn't take a lot of energy to read this book, but the rewards make it appear so.
Rating:
Summary: An extremely readable account
Review: It's been a very long time since I've read a work of nonfiction as readable and lucid as this. Particularly interesting are the discussions of the African origins of the form and its relationship to Western European music. It doesn't take a lot of energy to read this book, but the rewards make it appear so.
Rating:
Summary: Best book for the novice
Review: Professor Szwed's book is aptly titled and provides a fairly comprehensive history of jazz from it's beginnings to the present. He clearly states that no book covering such a diverse genre can escape being incomplete when it comes to recognizing individual artists, nor escape the inevitable opinions and prejudices of diverging thought on direction and contribution. To this end he suceeds handily.The novice who is interested in jazz, and not yet opinionated enough to have adopted one of the contentious theories of "what jazz is", will find much information on the origins and stylistic forms of jazz music, jazz art and ultimately, jazz life. However, the more seasoned jazz fan might just as easily find himself in mental arguement with the author almost from the git go. This is regretable since it leads to rejection of much of the foundation material important in having a true understanding of the music. To those of us who believe jazz is devinely connected to the blues, much of Szwed's commentary could be viewed as heresy. But, to others who feel jazz includes almost all forms of improvisation the author's keen insite on sociological and twentieth century demographics play particularly well. He goes so far as to dip his toe in the muddy waters of Kenny G's authenticity, though slyly demurs from opining on just what this cretin is actually blowing from his horn (there, I told you jazz opinion can be contentious!). My only criticism of this work is Szwed's listening examples which are carefully detailed and highlighted throughout the book. While they specifically meet the example criteria he is aiming for, many more accessable (read enjoyable) substitutes exist. All in all, an excellent intro and the best $10 item in the jazz supermarket.
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