A revival of a classic oral biography of four nearly overlooked jazz giants

Score

Focusing on how these figures became jazz musicians, this volume discusses the two most prominent US jazz musicians: the influential bop drummer Art Blakely and the famous jazz pianist and personality Dr Billy Taylor.

About a century after its beginnings, traditional jazz remains the definitive music of New Orleans and an international hallmark of the city. The enduring sound and boundless energy of this American art form have produced a long list of jazz legends. From Lionel Ferbos -- the city's oldest working jazz musician -- to Grammy winner Irvin Mayfield, the musical heritage of traditional jazz lives on through each player's passion. In Traditional New Orleans Jazz, veteran jazz journalist Thomas Jacobsen discusses that legacy with Ferbos, Mayfield, and a who's who of the present-day scene's "trad jazz" players. Through intimate conversations with jazz veterans and up-and-coming talent, Jacobsen elicits honest, witty, and sometimes comedic discussions that reveal a strong mutual devotion to do one thing -- compose and play music inspired by the Crescent City's earliest jazz musicians. Traditional New Orleans Jazz presents local perspectives on what has become an international language with interviews from Lucien Barbarin, Evan Christopher, Duke Heitger, Leroy Jones, Dr. Michael White, and many more. Jacobsen also notes the stewardship of traditional jazz means more than making music. Its longevity relies on teaching and innovation, furthering the inextricable ties between the music and the men who make it. Traditional New Orleans jazz is a culture of its own, and the players in this remarkable volume are its native speakers.

Based on interviews with family and friends, this account of the jazz great's life reveals the influence of Miles Davis' life on his work as well as the musician's persistent desire to re-invent himself.

In some forty interviews with saxophonists, pianists, singers, composers, and string, brass, and rhythm players, Stokes illuminates the lives of the artists and the sheer pleasure of the sounds they create. Stokes paints a vivid portrait of jazz musicians ... that range across the globe. Introductions to vaudeville stars, blues musicians, and women instrumentalists. Covers a broad spectrum, including conversations with legendary veterans, like Jackie McLean and Louie Bellson, to such rising stars as Diana Krall, Cyrus Chestnut, Ingrid Jensen, and violinist Regina Carter.-Derived from book cover.