Description
Book SynopsisWhy Jazz? is a Q&A handbook for novice listeners, a concise history of jazz's major figures and trends, and a plain-English guide to many musical techniques. As in his jazz reviews for NPR's Fresh Air, Whitehead packs a lot of information into compact, accessible prose.
Trade Reviewa lovely short introduction to the subject * Times Literary Supplement *
Jazz and cinema, the two definitive art forms of the 20th Century, have led an often troubled co-existence. Play the Way You Feel traces the frequent missteps and occasional triumphs of jazz in film with the deep knowledge, superior taste, and acerbic wit we have come to expect from Kevin Whitehead. An essential book for all jazz fans, and a necessary corrective for anyone whose knowledge of the music is based on what they have learned at the movies. * Bob Blumenthal, author of Jazz: An Introduction to the History and Legends Behind America's Music *
A revelation! From the bad to the beautiful, Kevin Whitehead brilliantly illuminates each frame to show us why jazz in the movies matters in all its incarnations. He masterfully guides us through this rich and complicated story, making connections that reveal deeper meanings and aha moments that change our view of jazz, film and ourselves. * Dominique Eade, Jazz Vocalist and Teacher, New England Conservatory *
With remarkable precision and polish, he traces the lineaments of each genre, discerns the significance of key figures, explains the anatomy of sound, and sketches the important venues-making this a useful reference for a puzzled or curious audience. * Books and Culture *
An admirably concise primer in Q&A format that covers lots of11round without being preachy. * Financial Times *
Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION; ENDNOTES; GLOSSARY; SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING; DISCOGRAPHICAL NOTES
