Jazz 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Jazz

John Szwed

Hachette Books, Aug 23, 2000 - Music - 354 pages

A vital tool in understanding and appreciating jazz -- introducing the key figures, theory, and the controversies that shaped it development -- that explores how it became North America's most popular music in less than fifty years.
Often called America's only original art form, jazz is also one of our least understood. This fascinating entry into the world of jazz for the beginner, novice, casual enthusiast, or anyone who thinks jazz stopped developing in the 1950s, a misconception widely held today, debunks fallacies and analyzes the myths, history, and developments of this enthralling art form.
John F. Szwed, anthropologist, critic, and musical scholar, takes readers on a tour of the varied and nonlinear history of jazz, exploring how it developed from an ethnic music to popular music to part of the avant garde in less than fifty years. But he also offers insightful commentary on how jazz changed the way the world would look at music.
This complete overview includes:

• The major types of jazz and the significant jazz musicians of the 20th century
• The roots of jazz, including its European and African influences
• Extensive sidebars with recommended listening, plus exhaustive appendices on jazz singers, record guides, and more

Jazz 101 makes jazz, with all its intricacies of artistry and vast array of forms, accessible to readers in fluid, entertaining prose.

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - bobmarsh - LibraryThing

Informative but not an easy read, Szwed nevertheless gives us lots of information to follow up on and it is a good primer for anyone new to jazz.

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - TadAD - LibraryThing

John Szwed’s introductory book is described (both explicitly and implicitly by the title) as an entrée to the world of jazz for the beginner. While the book is written at exactly the right level of ...

About the author

John F. Szwed is currently a professor of anthropology, African and African-American studies, music, and American studies at Yale University. He has written seven books on music and African-American culture and numerous articles and reviews on related subjects. His honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Rockefeller Foundation Humanities Fellowship. He lives in Connecticut.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Jazz 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Jazz
• Author: John Szwed
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Hachette Books, 2000
• ISBN: 0786884967, 9780786884964
• Length: 354 pages
• Subjects: Music / General; Music / Genres & Styles / Jazz; Music / History & Criticism; Music / Instruction & Study / Appreciation; Music / Reference