All Music Guide To Jazz

[Tom 1960]

Does anyone here know of any plans to release in the near future of a 5'th edition of the All Music Guide To Jazz? It's been 5 years since the 4'th edition was published(2002) and you'd think something would be in the pipeline. I've done some searches on the net and haven't come across any information. I love the series of books and would love an upgrade.

Edited March 21, 2007 by Tom 1960

[Shrdlu]

Isn't it all there on the website, Tom? (I've never seen the books.)

[And, in spite of caustic comments about that site by a certain pedantic discographer, I have found that site to be very helpful on hundreds of occasions. It's free, and they don't owe us the time of day, so we can't really come down on them hard for the errors. There are errors, but they are usually very obvious, and easy to work around if you know a bit about the subject. Well done, Allmusic!]

[Jeffro]

I seem to recall e-mailing the publisher six months or so ago and never getting a reply re: a 5th edition.

[zen archer]

I have the 3rd edition and it's starting to fall apart , i would love to see an upraded version .

and even though you can find this on line , i like leafing thru a book while listening.

[Bluesnik]

i like leafing thru a book while listening.

same here and there are times I prefer the feel of good ole paper to starting up the computer (which incidentally is not in the listening room).

though I admit the online version is more updated. I usually use it when away from home.

[Ken Dryden]

If a fifth edition ever appears, I hope the selected reviews are shorter. The fourth edition has far too many long reviews, which squeezed out a lot of titles from the third. If I take a copy into a voluminous record store like Euclid or Jazz Record Center, I want to have as many titles covered at my fingertips as possible.

There are several musicians strangely omitted like Bill Charlap, yet nobodies like Caelie Norby and modern artists who've only recorded 2-3 CDs as leaders since 1990 (ex: Marlon Jordan) still are listed. Another editing suggestion is to delete all of the best of listed compilations (something serious collectors rarely buy) and Prestige Twofer LPs, since the latter are made of individual albums that have frequently been reissued in their original form on CD.