The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Popular Standards [Paperback]

Max Morath (Author), Michael Feinstein (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: NPR Curious Listener's Guide To... | Publication Date: February 5, 2002

* Every major singer from Frank Sinatra to Christina Aguilera * Every major composer from Irving Berlin to Stephen Sondheim * Every major song from a century of favorites * Every major musician and lyricist * Every major styling from blues, jazz, and country to folk, big band, and rock and roll * The most recorded songs of all time * A guide to understanding the "standard" lingo * The evolution of popular music from Tin Pan Alley to contemporary musical theater, and more

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

With the imprimatur of National Public Radio, these entries constitute an auspicious beginning to a new series that will total four titles (those on jazz and classical music will be released in fall 2002). Berger (Verdi with a Vengeance, Wagner Without Fear) and ragtime pianist Morath obviously have great affection for and knowledge of their subjects. Directed to lay readers, their witty and informative handbooks include introductory frameworks; historical development and contexts; short biographical treatment of major figures such as composers, performers, and conductors; a "deconstruction" section interpreting the genre; a glossary; details on the major songs or operas; discographies (30 suggested CDs in Opera and 75 in Popular Standards); and selected resources for further study, including web sites. The opinionated remarks (Morath writes that Louis Armstrong is "the twentieth century's dominant figure in American music") and recording choices are sure to provoke comments among aficionados. Facts are generally reliable, explanations are assured, and the sidebars are especially interesting. The Morath volume nicely complements William Zinsser's recent Easy To Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs (LJ 2/1/01), while Berger's provides a contrast to opinions offered in books like Michael Walsh's Who's Afraid of Opera? (S. & S., 1994). With their affordability and upbeat tone, both guides are enthusiastically recommended for public libraries. (Indexes not seen.) Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Max Morath, a highly acclaimed ragtime musician, is the author of The Road to Ragtime, and contributor to Jazz: A Reader's Companion. Heard on NPR's "Performance Today" and having appeared on a number of public television specials, Morath has recorded for the Vanguard and Solo labels and continues to tour widely.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Perigee Trade (February 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399527443
• ISBN-13: 978-0399527449
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,078,157 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Musical Curiosity Satisfied!, March 8, 2002

By 

Peter Weiglin (San Mateo, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Popular Standards (Paperback)

There is no one better qualified to write about this tuneful subject than Max Morath, whose musical interests obviously range far beyond the ragtime that made him famous. The subject matter is the "Standard" songs that have defied the laws of popular music gravity. Instead of fading from view in a few weeks, these songs have remained in the public mind long after other tunes have been forgotten. Mr. Morath describes the songs, the composers, and the historical setting surrounding the music that has impacted the lives and loves of more than one generation, an influence that lives on yet today. A thorough treatment of a delightful topic.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine introductory overview and defense, May 29, 2002

By 

Samuel Chell (Kenosha,, WI United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Popular Standards (Paperback)

The fact that this brief and accessible but highly intelligent survey and defense of American Popular Song comes from an unlikely source (most of us think of Max Morath as a ragtime performer and spokesperson) probably increases its value. Morath lays it on line--American popular standards constitute a body of classic, timeless musical literature composed between 1920 and 1960, songs that outshine anything that has been written since or will be in the foreseeable future.

The author defends his position persuasively, drawing a distinction between those performers who interpreted a shared musical literature vs. today's performers who compose and produce their own material. He also explains how the theatrical contexts of songs from the so-called "Golden Era" led to material of uncommon craft, lyricism, depth and dramatic urgency. Finally, the author makes it clear that the longevity of the songs owes as much to the performers as to the composers or original contexts. From Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald to Duke Ellington and Miles Davis, Morath touches on virtually all the bases essential to understanding the art of American Popular Song and the lasting appeal of the "standards."

Morath's book is a "fast read" and not especially useful as a reference work for anyone who knows the field. The most informative, fascinating, and revealing account about American popular songs and their composers is still Gerald Mast's "Can't Help Singin'," a largely unheralded work that easily outpaces the field.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book To Sing About, May 19, 2011

By 

A Reader in Washington (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Popular Standards (Paperback)

Max Morath has been performing and interpreting American popular music since the 1950s, and his knowledge of the genre is encyclopedic. His entry in the NPR Curious Listener's Guide Series is an eminently readable work that stands up beautifully both as something to read cover-to-cover or as a shelf reference. I'm reasonably familiar with these songs and their composers and performers, but there was plenty of material in the book that was news to me, greatly increased my appreciation for the field, and tied up a bunch of loose ends in my knowledge.