With more than 1,500 brief, alphabetically arranged, and cross-referenced entries, this book coverseverything from slave songs to brass bands to contemporary jazz. Also featured are the influences of Afro-Caribbean rhythms, European classical music, and the Mississippi blues. Entries are devoted to influential performers and bandleaders, noteworthy venues, seminal recordings, popular record labels, and various jazz styles—bebop, swing, etc. The volume begins with a chronology starting in 1881, is followed by an introductory essay, and ends with an extensive bibliography. Recommended for most library collections.
[T]his is a solid,.. . worthy reference book, with basic information of a wide variety of topics. It is up to date. The bibliography is substantial.
This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Jazz expands, updates, and revises the first. The dictionary proper comprises brief entries—typically one or two paragraphs but sometimes just a sentence (e.g., "DROP: A glissando downward from the end of a note.")—about musicians, bands and ensembles, places, record labels, instruments, musical terminology, and genres. Cross references are indicated in boldface. In addition to the dictionary entries, a 23-page chronology notes significant historical figures and events from 1881 to 2019. The book also includes a section of acronyms and abbreviations and a brief introduction to the history of jazz. The 54-page bibliography cites sources (websites among them) on jazz photography, jazz and culture, and jazz beyond borders. Davis (Univ. of Colorado, Boulder) is effective in synthesizing meanings, history, biography, and other relevant material and keeping the narrative brief but useful.. . The value of the dictionary lies in the perspective Davis brings to the subject and his ability to speak to performers, historians, and aficionados and to those whose relationship with jazz is more peripheral. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; graduate students; professionals; general readers.
This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Jazz expands, updates, and revises the first. The dictionary proper comprises brief entries—typically one or two paragraphs but sometimes just a sentence (e.g., "DROP: A glissando downward from the end of a note.")—about musicians, bands and ensembles, places, record labels, instruments, musical terminology, and genres. Cross references are indicated in boldface. In addition to the dictionary entries, a 23-page chronology notes significant historical figures and events from 1881 to 2019. The book also includes a section of acronyms and abbreviations and a brief introduction to the history of jazz. The 54-page bibliography cites sources (websites among them) on jazz photography, jazz and culture, and jazz beyond borders. Davis (Univ. of Colorado, Boulder) is effective in synthesizing meanings, history, biography, and other relevant material and keeping the narrative brief but useful.. . The value of the dictionary lies in the perspective Davis brings to the subject and his ability to speak to performers, historians, and aficionados and to those whose relationship with jazz is more peripheral. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; graduate students; professionals; general readers.
[T]his is a solid,. . . worthy reference book, with basic information of a wide variety of topics. It is up to date. The bibliography is substantial.
"American Reference Books Annual"
This book would be better suited to a circulating rather than a reference collection.
American Reference Books Annual (ARBA)
[T]his is a solid,. . . worthy reference book, with basic information of a wide variety of topics. It is up to date. The bibliography is substantial.
With more than 1,500 brief, alphabetically arranged, and cross-referenced entries, this book covers everything from slave songs to brass bands to contemporary jazz. Also featured are the influences of Afro-Caribbean rhythms, European classical music, and the Mississippi blues. Entries are devoted to influential performers and bandleaders, noteworthy venues, seminal recordings, popular record labels, and various jazz styles—bebop, swing, etc. The volume begins with a chronology starting in 1881, is followed by an introductory essay, and ends with an extensive bibliography. Recommended for most library collections.
In compiling this useful research tool, Davis (Univ. of Colorado, Boulder) draws on a deep knowledge of jazz. The 1,500-plus entries include important musicians, terms, places, and events. While terms such as "Blues" and "Bebop" are afforded short entries, "Jazz" does not appear in the dictionary proper. Instead, Davis provides a brief but informative introductory essay outlining the origins and history of jazz. Typical entries are short, highlighting careers of various figures, discussing the importance of places and events, and offering general descriptions of concepts. Longer entries, such as "Armstrong, Louis," can run several paragraphs, detailing performances, contributions, and influence. Content spans the gamut of jazz from its early influences in blues and popular entertainment to its contemporary manifestations. The work commences with a chronology starting with jazz's vaudeville roots in 1881 and ending with milestones through 2011. Davis caps off the dictionary with a short bibliographic essay and a useful bibliography arranged by subgenres and artists, including general works. Cross-referencing is done via boldface type and see also indications. The author draws on a rich background as trumpeter, conductor, and university teacher. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates, practitioners, and general readers.
