Jazz Performers: An Annotated Bibliography of Biographical Materials by Gary Carner; JazzSinging: America's Great Voices from Bessie Smith to Bebop and beyond by Will FriedwaldReview by: Michael CogswellNotes, Second Series, Vol. 47, No. 4 (Jun., 1991), pp. 1161-1163Published by: Music Library AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/941652 .

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Book Reviews Book Reviews

for Thespis is understandable, since most of the music is lost; but why Trial By Jury and The Sorcerer? Perhaps this information is unavailable or unclear.

Concluding the book are a chapter on the Pierpont Morgan Library's amazing Gilbert and Sullivan Collection; a three- page chronology of Gilbert, Sullivan, and D'Oyly Carte, from 1836 (marriage of Gilbert's parents) to 1913 (death of Helen Lenoir D'Oyly Carte), containing vital dates and dates of first performances of all of Gilbert's and Sullivan's works; and lastly, "Suggestions for reading and listening." I noted very few errors.

The Lamplighters' Story, 1977-1987 is a sequel to The Lamplighters: 25 Years of Gilbert and Sullivan in San Francisco. By Alison Lewis, et al. (San Francisco: Opera West Foundation, 1977). Like that book, this is a well-organized history tracing the com- pany's development over the years to 1987. It takes the company through crises and glory days, with many quotations from re- views (both favorable and not), descriptions

for Thespis is understandable, since most of the music is lost; but why Trial By Jury and The Sorcerer? Perhaps this information is unavailable or unclear.

Concluding the book are a chapter on the Pierpont Morgan Library's amazing Gilbert and Sullivan Collection; a three- page chronology of Gilbert, Sullivan, and D'Oyly Carte, from 1836 (marriage of Gilbert's parents) to 1913 (death of Helen Lenoir D'Oyly Carte), containing vital dates and dates of first performances of all of Gilbert's and Sullivan's works; and lastly, "Suggestions for reading and listening." I noted very few errors.

The Lamplighters' Story, 1977-1987 is a sequel to The Lamplighters: 25 Years of Gilbert and Sullivan in San Francisco. By Alison Lewis, et al. (San Francisco: Opera West Foundation, 1977). Like that book, this is a well-organized history tracing the com- pany's development over the years to 1987. It takes the company through crises and glory days, with many quotations from re- views (both favorable and not), descriptions

of performers and performances, and com- ments from company members, including the "drones" (technical staff). It is well il- lustrated with black-and-white drawings, publicity stills, backstage photos, cartoons, and a colorful cartoon cover. Included is a chronology of productions, a list of de- signers, directors and principals, and a ros- ter of all Lamplighters for the years covered.

To one who has seen most of these pro- ductions, the book is a very pleasant and diverting companion. It is a kind of history that is rare from Gilbert and Sullivan per- forming groups. I know of no other, except that of the Savoy Company of Philadelphia, which has published its annals at least twice. The book would be useful to amateur groups because of its illustrations of cos- tumes and sets and as a means to learn how a very successful G&S company operates.

CONSTANCE RUTH THOMPSON

University of California at Berkeley

of performers and performances, and com- ments from company members, including the "drones" (technical staff). It is well il- lustrated with black-and-white drawings, publicity stills, backstage photos, cartoons, and a colorful cartoon cover. Included is a chronology of productions, a list of de- signers, directors and principals, and a ros- ter of all Lamplighters for the years covered.

To one who has seen most of these pro- ductions, the book is a very pleasant and diverting companion. It is a kind of history that is rare from Gilbert and Sullivan per- forming groups. I know of no other, except that of the Savoy Company of Philadelphia, which has published its annals at least twice. The book would be useful to amateur groups because of its illustrations of cos- tumes and sets and as a means to learn how a very successful G&S company operates.

CONSTANCE RUTH THOMPSON

University of California at Berkeley

JAZZ AND POPULAR MUSIC JAZZ AND POPULAR MUSIC

Jazz Performers: An Annotated Bib- liography of Biographical Materials. Compiled by Gary Carner. Foreword by John Chilton. (Music Reference Collection, 26.) New York: Green- wood Press, 1990. [xviii, 364 p. ISBN 0-313-26250-0. $45.00.]

Jazz Singing: America's Great Voices from Bessie Smith to Bebop and Be- yond. By Will Friedwald. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1990. [xvi, 477 p. ISBN 0-684-18522-9. $29.95.]

Gary Carner's Jazz Performers is a well- intentioned but problematic attempt to in- dex biographical information on jazz artists. Carner, without explanation, re- stricts his coverage to monographs and scholarly journals. A seasoned researcher will be able to use Carner's book to discover overlooked resources, but the university student working on a term paper, or the jazz fan who wishes to learn more about his favorite performer, will have a more fruit- ful search by consulting the Music Index, the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, John Chilton's Who's Who of Jazz (4th ed. London: Mac-

Jazz Performers: An Annotated Bib- liography of Biographical Materials. Compiled by Gary Carner. Foreword by John Chilton. (Music Reference Collection, 26.) New York: Green- wood Press, 1990. [xviii, 364 p. ISBN 0-313-26250-0. $45.00.]

Jazz Singing: America's Great Voices from Bessie Smith to Bebop and Be- yond. By Will Friedwald. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1990. [xvi, 477 p. ISBN 0-684-18522-9. $29.95.]

Gary Carner's Jazz Performers is a well- intentioned but problematic attempt to in- dex biographical information on jazz artists. Carner, without explanation, re- stricts his coverage to monographs and scholarly journals. A seasoned researcher will be able to use Carner's book to discover overlooked resources, but the university student working on a term paper, or the jazz fan who wishes to learn more about his favorite performer, will have a more fruit- ful search by consulting the Music Index, the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, John Chilton's Who's Who of Jazz (4th ed. London: Mac-

millan, 1985), or one of Leonard Feather's biographical dictionaries.

The chief problem with Carner's work is his selection of sources. Hundreds of ci- tations refer to musical analyses, record re- views, concert reviews, and other materials that contain little, if any, biographical in- formation. Carner offers no justification in his Introduction for the inclusion of these materials.

Many significant sources are omitted. The following is a sampling from countless examples. James Lincoln Collier's chil- dren's book, The Great Jazz Artists (New York: Four Winds, 1977), is cited for in- formation on Ornette Coleman, but Col- lier's history, The Making of Jazz (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1978), which devotes most of one chapter to Coleman, is not. Absent from the listing for Fletcher Hen- derson is Nat Shapiro and Nat Hentoffs classic collection of oral history interviews, Hear Me Talkin' to Ya (New York: Rinehart, 1955). General histories of modest contri- bution are cited throughout the book, but missing is Frank Tirro's Jazz: A History (New York: Norton, 1977). Leslie Gourse's Louis' Children (New York: Morrow, 1984)

millan, 1985), or one of Leonard Feather's biographical dictionaries.

The chief problem with Carner's work is his selection of sources. Hundreds of ci- tations refer to musical analyses, record re- views, concert reviews, and other materials that contain little, if any, biographical in- formation. Carner offers no justification in his Introduction for the inclusion of these materials.

Many significant sources are omitted. The following is a sampling from countless examples. James Lincoln Collier's chil- dren's book, The Great Jazz Artists (New York: Four Winds, 1977), is cited for in- formation on Ornette Coleman, but Col- lier's history, The Making of Jazz (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1978), which devotes most of one chapter to Coleman, is not. Absent from the listing for Fletcher Hen- derson is Nat Shapiro and Nat Hentoffs classic collection of oral history interviews, Hear Me Talkin' to Ya (New York: Rinehart, 1955). General histories of modest contri- bution are cited throughout the book, but missing is Frank Tirro's Jazz: A History (New York: Norton, 1977). Leslie Gourse's Louis' Children (New York: Morrow, 1984)

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NOTES, June 1991

and Whitney Balliett's American Singers (New York: Oxford University Press, 1979; rev. ed. 1988) appear in the listings for various vocalists, but omitted are Bruce Crowther and Mike Pinfold's The Jazz Sing- ers (New York: Blandford Press, 1986), Kitty Grimes'sJazz Voices (New York: Quar- tet, 1983), and Wilfred Mellers's Angels of the Night (New York: B. Blackwell, 1986).

Most of the annotations consist of only one or two words (e.g., "Career overview," "Appreciation," "Biographical profile"), and all of the annotations are strictly non- judgmental. This approach lightens Carner's task-which is indisputably a for- midable one-but can create problems for the book's user. Shouldn't the unsuspecting reader be warned that Don George's sy- cophantic biography of Duke Ellington (Sweet Man [New York: Putnam, 1981]) was condemned by prominent scholars and critics? Shouldn't the researcher on Charlie Parker be informed that Chan Parker's iconographic To Bird with Love (Poitiers, France: WIZLOV, 1981) presents hun- dreds of previously unpublished photo- graphs of Parker, his possessions, his contemporaries, and his surroundings?

The "Supplementary Bibliography" (pp. 281-350) is arranged into five categories: Collection Books, General Works, Histories and Textbooks, Illustrated Books, and Ref- erence Works. It contains complete cita- tions for materials that are briefly cited in the body of the book, and also cites hun- dreds of works not previously listed in the book.

The subject index (pp. 362-64), appar- ently compiled by keyword search software rather than by a professional indexer, is a disaster. The unwieldy subject heading "Saxophone in jazz" yields only two entries, Ira Gitler's Jazz Masters of the Forties (New York: Macmillan, 1966) and an obscure Austrian monograph, Das Saxophon im Jazz (by Joe Viera [Vienna, 1977]). The subject heading "Jazz in Poland" cites three cred- ible entries, but omits the entries under Zbigniew Namyslowski, Tomasz Stanko, and other standard-bearers of Polish jazz.

Carner could have produced a splendid reference tool had he compiled a more se- lective bibliography drawn from a greater variety of materials. Together with the bet- ter sources cited in this work, he could have included liner notes (e.g., the award- winning notes that accompany Mosaic re-

cordings), journal articles (such as the lengthy, unedited interviews in Coda mag- azine), oral history interviews (e.g., those held at the Institute of Jazz Studies), and jazz videos (which are becoming increas- ingly available for sale or rent).

Will Friedwald's Jazz Singing is a capti- vating examination of the history of jazz singing from the 1920s until the present. Friedwald, a New York-based journalist who has been engaged in a life-long love affair with jazz, writes with encyclopedic knowledge, irreverent wit, and contagious enthusiasm.

The book's scope is defined by Fried- wald's personal likes and dislikes. Fried- wald gives generous attention to the immortals (including Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, and Frank Sinatra), but also discusses in detail many singers of lesser gifts (such as Annette Han- shaw, Al Bowlly, Harlan Lattimore, Lee Wiley). Singers who do not meet Fried- wald's artistic standards-for example, Di- anne Schurr is dismissed on page xi as an "awful singer"-receive little or no atten- tion.

Especially rewarding are Friedwald's in- sights into the symbiotic relationship be- tween jazz artists and the recording industry. He is keenly aware that re- cordings-the primary documents of every jazz musician's oeuvre-are often created as marketable commodities rather than as of- ferings to the muses.

The following passage (p. 203) from the chapter on Nat King Cole is a typical sam- ple of Friedwald's wit and wisdom. Note the abundance of data, the focus on mar- keting strategy, and the upbeat literary style marked by a fondness for alliteration.

Cole's penchant for exotic rhythms, along with his vaguely oriental appear- ance (those arched eyebrows combined with that jet black skin would have se- cured him a regular role on "Star Trek" had he lived a few years longer), led to Capitol's filling his sessions with all sorts of exotica. The trend climaxed with the hit "Nature Boy" (1948), a minimally melodied piece of phony philosophy (you can almost hear Eddie Lawrence asking, "Is that what's bothering you, Bunky?") swiped from an old Second Avenue Yid- dish theatre song by a so-called swami. It

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Book Reviews Book Reviews

also included "Haji Baba," "Land of Make Believe," "Land of Love," "The Ruby and the Pearl," "Return to Para- dise," "Song of Delilah," and dozens more that exploited the ethereal, alien quality of his voice-all around the same time that Capitol's new rival, MGM, as- signed Cole's rival, Billy Eckstine, loads of similar "enchanted land" opuses.

The descriptive discography (pp. 433- 58) is especially well done. The reader who wishes to explore further should have little trouble locating appropriate recordings.

Friedwald's book will satisfy the discern- ing academic as well as entertain the jazz buff. The winning combination of exhaus- tive research, love of subject, and witty prose style make this book a welcome ad- dition to the literature.

MICHAEL COGSWELL University of North Texas

Jazz Arranging and Performance Practice: A Guide for Small Ensem- bles. By Paul E. Rinzler. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1989. [vii, 171

p. ISBN 0-9108-2257-1. $22.50.]

Jazz Pedagogy: A Comprehensive Method of Jazz Education for Teacher and Student. By David Baker. Van Nuys, Calif.: Alfred Publishing, 1989. [196 p. $24.95.]

Paul Rinzler's Jazz Arranging and Perfor- mance Practice uses an unusual approach to arranging for the small jazz ensemble. In- stead of a workbook format with "fill-in- the-blanks" exercises, a major portion is devoted to musical ideas that have been used and recorded by many major jazz art- ists. In this "idea" section of the book, each chapter covers a topic in depth and gives a list of recorded examples in which the reader can find these ideas employed. The arranger will find the ideas immediately useable as they are or as stepping stones to new, original ideas. This book is not nec- essarily aimed at the beginner: the ar- ranger should be well-grounded in the basics of music theory and have at least some knowledge of the styles of jazz to take advantage of what it offers.

In his chapter on jazz harmony, Rinzler includes a section on chord substitution

also included "Haji Baba," "Land of Make Believe," "Land of Love," "The Ruby and the Pearl," "Return to Para- dise," "Song of Delilah," and dozens more that exploited the ethereal, alien quality of his voice-all around the same time that Capitol's new rival, MGM, as- signed Cole's rival, Billy Eckstine, loads of similar "enchanted land" opuses.

The descriptive discography (pp. 433- 58) is especially well done. The reader who wishes to explore further should have little trouble locating appropriate recordings.

Friedwald's book will satisfy the discern- ing academic as well as entertain the jazz buff. The winning combination of exhaus- tive research, love of subject, and witty prose style make this book a welcome ad- dition to the literature.

MICHAEL COGSWELL University of North Texas

Jazz Arranging and Performance Practice: A Guide for Small Ensem- bles. By Paul E. Rinzler. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1989. [vii, 171

p. ISBN 0-9108-2257-1. $22.50.]

Jazz Pedagogy: A Comprehensive Method of Jazz Education for Teacher and Student. By David Baker. Van Nuys, Calif.: Alfred Publishing, 1989. [196 p. $24.95.]

Paul Rinzler's Jazz Arranging and Perfor- mance Practice uses an unusual approach to arranging for the small jazz ensemble. In- stead of a workbook format with "fill-in- the-blanks" exercises, a major portion is devoted to musical ideas that have been used and recorded by many major jazz art- ists. In this "idea" section of the book, each chapter covers a topic in depth and gives a list of recorded examples in which the reader can find these ideas employed. The arranger will find the ideas immediately useable as they are or as stepping stones to new, original ideas. This book is not nec- essarily aimed at the beginner: the ar- ranger should be well-grounded in the basics of music theory and have at least some knowledge of the styles of jazz to take advantage of what it offers.

In his chapter on jazz harmony, Rinzler includes a section on chord substitution

and a much-needed discussion on how to reharmonize melodies from lead sheets.

The final part of the book contains an excellent set of appendixes that give fur- ther specific information about how to write jazz arrangements. For the non-jazz musician, Rinzler includes a glossary of terms.

Although the publisher's use of a library- type binding may work well for library shelves, a loose-leaf or spiral binding would have been better for playing examples at the piano because the pages would lie flat. Larger type and large musical examples would also be helpful. Otherwise, this is an excellent addition to the literature on jazz instruction.

David Baker's well-organized Jazz Peda- gogy outlines the philosophy and experi- ences of one of America's premier jazz educators. Many of his ideas are innovative and are accompanied by useful "how-to" examples. This is the first book I know of that completely covers the methodology of jazz teaching, dealing not only with meth- ods but also with what should be taught. Baker offers solutions to some of the more pressing and recurrent problems for the jazz educator, ranging from contests and festivals to auditioning and evaluative pro- cedures in our music schools.

For jazz educators wishing to initiate a jazz degree program at their schools, the book delineates guidelines, syllabi, lesson plans, sample tests, and bibliographies, as well as the philosophy, content, and justi- fication of the courses. The author has also included sample recital programs. The sec- tion on special techniques for training the jazz band is unique in that Baker outlines a plan to teach improvisation in the re- hearsal, rather than depending on the all- too-usual memorization and mastery of three or four jazz charts for the next con- cert.

Jazz Pedagogy can act as an invaluable source of information for both the new and the established jazz education program. The only adverse comment I might make is that a book of this importance should have been professionally typeset rather than reproduced from typescript. That aside, this is an excellent and much-needed book.

and a much-needed discussion on how to reharmonize melodies from lead sheets.

The final part of the book contains an excellent set of appendixes that give fur- ther specific information about how to write jazz arrangements. For the non-jazz musician, Rinzler includes a glossary of terms.

Although the publisher's use of a library- type binding may work well for library shelves, a loose-leaf or spiral binding would have been better for playing examples at the piano because the pages would lie flat. Larger type and large musical examples would also be helpful. Otherwise, this is an excellent addition to the literature on jazz instruction.

David Baker's well-organized Jazz Peda- gogy outlines the philosophy and experi- ences of one of America's premier jazz educators. Many of his ideas are innovative and are accompanied by useful "how-to" examples. This is the first book I know of that completely covers the methodology of jazz teaching, dealing not only with meth- ods but also with what should be taught. Baker offers solutions to some of the more pressing and recurrent problems for the jazz educator, ranging from contests and festivals to auditioning and evaluative pro- cedures in our music schools.

For jazz educators wishing to initiate a jazz degree program at their schools, the book delineates guidelines, syllabi, lesson plans, sample tests, and bibliographies, as well as the philosophy, content, and justi- fication of the courses. The author has also included sample recital programs. The sec- tion on special techniques for training the jazz band is unique in that Baker outlines a plan to teach improvisation in the re- hearsal, rather than depending on the all- too-usual memorization and mastery of three or four jazz charts for the next con- cert.

Jazz Pedagogy can act as an invaluable source of information for both the new and the established jazz education program. The only adverse comment I might make is that a book of this importance should have been professionally typeset rather than reproduced from typescript. That aside, this is an excellent and much-needed book.

GENE LEWIS University of Texas, El Paso

GENE LEWIS University of Texas, El Paso

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