About this item
Highlights
- A beautifully illustrated edition of Studs Terkel's timeless portraits of America's jazz legends, for readers of all ages Studs Terkel's first book, Giants of Jazz, is the master interviewer's unique tribute to America's jazz greats, The thirteen profiles in this "luminous" (Jazzwise) collection weave together stories of the individual jazz musicians' lives with the history of the jazz era, and the music's evolution from the speakeasies of New York to the concert halls of the world's greatest cities.
- 226 Pages
- Music, Genres & Styles
Description
Book Synopsis
A beautifully illustrated edition of Studs Terkel's timeless portraits of America's jazz legends, for readers of all agesStuds Terkel's first book, Giants of Jazz, is the master interviewer's unique tribute to America's jazz greats,
The thirteen profiles in this "luminous" (Jazzwise) collection weave together stories of the individual jazz musicians' lives with the history of the jazz era, and the music's evolution from the speakeasies of New York to the concert halls of the world's greatest cities. Terkel-a lifelong fan and friend of many of these legends--uses firsthand interviews with artists such as Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, and Charlie Parker to tell the human stories behind the giants who shaped this uniquely American music form. Some of the many fascinating details Terkel relates include Joe Oliver's favorite meal, Fats Waller's 1932 rendezvous in Paris with eminent organist Marcel Dupréeacute;, Dizzy Gillespie's childhood trip to a pawnshop to buy his first horn, and the origin of Billie Holiday's nickname.
Review Quotes
"A brilliant, easy read . . . as a jazz primer it would be impossible to surpass." --MOJO "Marvelous and moving. . . . This book is like a great jazz solo, but instead of using a sax and notes, Terkel uses a pen and words." --Chicago Tribune "An ideal introduction [to jazz] for the young reader." --The Texas Observer "Who better to fashion these thirteen profiles of jazz greats than Studs Terkel?" --The Dallas Morning News