A Short History of Jazz

By Bob Marsalis, Wynton Yurochko and Wynton Yurochko Bob Marsalis

This textbook is intended for both beginning and advanced students of jazz. Bob Yurochko presents a chronological history of jazz, from early West African and New Orleans roots to the Jazz Age, to the Swing Era, to the Bebop Era, through the '50s, '60s, '70s, and '80s, to the contemporary scene. The comprehensive coverage of the contemporary jazz scene includes Latin influences, funk, rhythm and blues, new age fusion, and mainstream styles. The book synthesizes a vast amount of material into a concise history, allowing for more listening time in the classroom.
A Burnham Publishers book

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0830413316
• ISBN13: 9780830413317
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

What A helpful book

I came across this book while doing research for a literature class. My research was on Jazz from the Harlem Renaissance to modern time. The book gave great tips as to what type of Jazz Music to buy. Granted I am only a novice jazz listener, this book increased my knowledge of the subject. FYI, I got an A on the paper!

Very well written summation of jazz in America.

If you are remotely curious about jazz, this book will probably answer all of your questions. It traces the history of jazz from its roots ni the Southern slave culture, clear through to present day. It reviews countless CDs and videos so the reader can go hear exactly what is being discussed. I spent months with this book. Not because it was difficult to read, but because it opened up so many doors for me. Because it is laid out in a straight forward manner, I was able to use it as both pleasure reading and reference to accompany my trips to the music store. Without I would have been wandering aimlessly down aisles and aisles of CDs with no clue what to buy. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn a little bit more about the only true American art form.

Excellent book about jazz with listening guide.

This is an excellent summation of the hisotry of jazz in America. It is well written and easy to understand. I did not have any exposure to jazz previously but I have been curious ever since Miles Davis died. Anyway, this is better than just having a book on jazz around. In addition to reading it for pleasure, I was able to use it as a reference for my CD purchases. With it, I was able to hear the songs and albums of artists that were discussed in the book. This really allowed me to understand what the author was actually talking about. I really recommend this book to anyone that is curious about jazz and doesn't know where to start.