The Essential Jazz Records, Vol. 1: Ragtime to Swing (A Da Capo Paperback) [Paperback]

Max Harrison (Author), Charles Fox (Author), Eric Thacker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1988

"This is a very good book which will certainly become one of the essential works of reference for the jazz enthusiast. It covers the ragtime to swing period by way of 250 LPs, each of which is afforded full discographical information on dates, titles, and personnels. . . . The quality of the writing is extemely high, as indeed one has a right to expect from authors of this calibre. . . . Harrison, Fox, and Thacker have produced some beautifully composed essays on artistes such as Billie Holliday, Roy Eldridge, Duke Ellington, etc. . . . It is a book which needs to be dipped into frequently, a volume to keep close to one's record collection. . . . It will increase immeasurably anyone's knowledge of, and appreciation for, jazz." The Gramophone

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The three highly qualified authors have included 250 of what they consider to be the finest recordings, arranged in chronological order and by musical style. Each entry provides full discographical information, analytical and musical criticism, the history of the recording, as well as recording date and location, and European and American catalog numbers. ...far superior in accuracy, depth of analysis, and authority.... Highly recommended for public and academic libraries at all levels. (And for individual fans!).”–Choice

“This is a very good book which will certainly become one of the essential works of reference for the jazz enthusiast. It covers the ragtime to swing period by way of 250 LPs, each of which is afforded full discographical information on dates, titles, and personnels. ... The quality of the writing is extemely high, as indeed one has a right to expect from authors of this calibre. ... Harrison, Fox, and Thacker have produced some beautifully composed essays on artistes such as Billie Holliday, Roy Eldridge, Duke Ellington, etc.... It is a book which needs to be dipped into frequently, a volume to keep close to one's record collection.... It will increase immeasurably anyone's knowledge of, and appreciation for, jazz.”–The Gramophone --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Max Harrison is a musicologist who reviewed for The Times and The Gramophone from 1967-90, has written widely on jazz, and contributed to the 1980 edition of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and other reference works. Charles Fox (deceased) was a broadcaster and reviewer. He was the host of "Jazz Today," a weekly British radio program. Eric Thacker (deceased) was a clergyman, with a long-standing interest in jazz. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 594 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Pr (August 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306803267
• ISBN-13: 978-0306803260
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,544,258 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great, but not current, guide to recorded jazz, March 25, 2000

By 

Eric Hines (Traverse City, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Jazz Records, Vol. 1: Ragtime to Swing (Hardcover)

The first volume of the Essential Jazz Records (I'm not sure if the second volume ever appeared) is a very strong guide to early jazz on a number of accounts. Perhaps the most important reason for its succes is the fact that the three authors are sufficiently alike in their predilections for the book to be cohesive, but are sufficiently particular in their passions for their to be a wide net as they attempt to gather in "the essential jazz recordings." There are enough recordings here to support the title, and they are spread over a wide enough stylistic range (from African music, to field recordings of African American performers, to blues to the earliest jazz through swing to Charlie Parker's earliest recordings) so that no one will find any gaping holes. These three reviewers together probably present a better feel for the breadth and beauty of early jazz than any of the dozens of guides I have read. Anyone possessing all of these records would certainly feel satisfied they had captured the essence of early jazz. Another fine thing about this collection of reviews is the keen insights they offer into the recodings themselves. I have often found myself returning to recordings on my shelf and listening to them with new ears in response to something written in this book. I do not always share the views of these British jazz experts, but they do certainly inspire reevaluation. The fault that many will find with the book is that the particular recordings listed here are all long-since-disappeared LPs. Many of the major label recordings have reappeared in pretty much the same form on CD, but some have not. Nevertheless, almost all the music here is available somewhere. By using this book as a guide to the music one should be looking for, and another guide to help decide which reissue might have the best remastering, etc., the explorer of early jazz won't go wrong.