Keeping Score of the All-Time Greats

[mjzee]

Broadway and jazz factions tend to dismiss each other, but in "The Jazz Standards" Ted Gioia at least tries to bring the two together, showing no bias as to whether a song was written by John Coltrane or Richard Rodgers. For every song by a jazz composer (Thelonious Monk, Benny Golson, Sonny Rollins) there is one by a Broadway or Hollywood songwriter (Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen). Duke Ellington is a rare of example of a composer who wrote for both the pop and jazz markets. In terms of the greatest number of contributions to the canon listed here, I imagine Ellington and Rodgers are neck and neck. (One thing the book could use is a composer index.)

In the past few decades, a bewildering amount of information about the classic works by all these songwriters and many more obscure ones has become available, especially online. But Mr. Gioia's is the first general-interest, wide-ranging and authoritative guide to the basic contemporary jazz canon. An ideal companion to the author's "History of Jazz" (1997)—one of the best overall books on that subject—this volume contains entries on more than 250 tunes that today's jazz musicians are likely to play, from Burt Bacharach's "Alfie" to Charlie Parker's "Yardbird Suite." Any young musician or singer would do well to learn every one.

Full review here:

WSJ

[Chuck Nessa]

Hmmm.

[JSngry]

I was getting all non-committal (about the review) until I read this

Of the 11 works he lists by Thelonious Monk, I'm surprised to see "I Mean You," which I don't think I've ever heard live...

GONNNNNGGGGGGGGG - Game over, NEXT!

[Rooster_Ties]

In the book, how's the coverage of jazz tunes written after about 1963 or so?

And although I don't expect much (if anything) after 1980, is there discussion of any jazz tunes written in the 70's?

[Bill Nelson]

The following premise of this published book, provided by mjzee, somehow fills me with inertia:

"For every song by a jazz composer there is one by a Broadway or Hollywood songwriter."

[JSngry]

Songs are like puppies and daffodils, They must be tenderly loved and lovedly nurtured, lest the fall apart from inertial indifference and general common uselessness..

[fasstrack]

I'll maybe take a look at the library. I've become a freak for any book dealing with song/songwriting, as those who know me might expect. I fantasize about writing a volume that picks up where Alec Wilder's seminal American Song leaves off chronologically, but go back and talk about Strayhorn, who he pretty much mentions in passing-also not shy away from pop wusic (rock esp. Wilder detested, and dismissed it with 'after 1950 the amateurs took over). I just finished Richard Rodgers' autobiog (Musical Stages) which often breaks down what goes on in Broadway collaborations, offers insight into Hart, Hammerstein, etc.-but sadly omits any insight into his own composition technique, and that's why I bought thd damn thing. Before that it was Harold Zissner's Easy to Remember-a very good overview of the golden era of B'dway and Hollywood tunesmiths. (The best of these is Max Wilk's They're Playing Our Song-interviews with the giants). Songwriters on Songwriting is also good, and inclusive of pop scribes.

[fasstrack]

Pt. 2: The House that George (Gershwin) Built is another of that ilk w/o interviews, and pretty good too. Jimmy Webb's Tunesmith is meandering and weird, but very good when he finally talks shop. Very good, but mostly out of print, is The Black Composer Speaks-great interviews with Oliver Nelson, Herbie Hancock, Coleridge Taylor-Perkinson. Inside the score has big band scores of prominent jazz writers of the 60s-80s, and interviews with Thad Jones and Bob Brookmeyer. Now I hear the biog of A.C. Jobim by his sister is out in English, and I can't wait to dive in. Pant pant...

[Larry Kart]

Of the making of books there is no end -- Ecclesiastes 12:12

Mr. Friedwald himself gave us a whole tome on "Stardust" alone. I'd like to tie him and Goia up in a sack, throw it off the Tallahatchee Bridge and see who or what climbs out.

[johnlitweiler]

Wilfrid Mellers has a good book about all the Beatles songs, to go with his Bach, Beethoven, Mucis in a New Found Land, and Bob Dylan, etc. books

[JSngry]

Mr. Friedwald himself gave us a whole tome on "Stardust" alone. I'd like to tie him and Goia up in a sack, throw it off the Tallahatchee Bridge and see who or what climbs out.

[GA Russell]

I seem to recall that Bobbie Gentry married a very rich guy.

[fasstrack]

Really, Larry? So much for 'dem guys (ROTFLMAO)