Customer Reviews

First Book Of Jazz

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Langston Hughes, one of our greatest writers and poets, was also a jazz fan. In this slim book , he traces the development of jazz, hitting all the basic elements: African polyrhythmic drumming transported to Congo Square in New Orleans, work songs and slave songs, homemade instruments, spirituals, the blues, ragtime, minstrel shows, improvisation, the spread of jazz to New York and Chicago and the regional bands, the influence of Louis Armstrong.

Sound familiar? It's the first eight hours or so of the Ken Burns' documentary "Jazz," only much briefer and written for youngsters ranging from around ages 4 to 9 or so. Although he ignores all the contributions of early women jazz artists (singers are paid scant attention here), his tone is proudly inclusive ("Of course, people were making music in other parts of our country in early times, too--not just in New Orleans. In New England, settlers were singing their hymns. In Virginia and Kentucky, the newcomers were singing their ballads. In the Far West, the Indians were playing on their drums, African slaves in Georgia, the Carolinas, and other parts of the South, who did not always have drums on which to play, were making up songs to chop cotton to, load the river boats, or build the levees.") and emphasizes the joy of performance and improvisation ("That is how the music called jazz began--with people playing for fun.").

The straightforward narrative, although lacking the "poetic" imagery one might expect, is clear and joyful. This is a excellent introduction for young readers. It is obviously not intended as an jazz encyclopedia, and jazz fans will have to ignore a few of its inherent limitations: The above-mentioned oversight of singers and of women (other than one list of pianists that includes Marion McPartland), the over-generalized portrayal of early jazz musicians as untrained, and limited descriptions of Ellingtonto Jazz, swing, and bebop. (Although, for a book written in 1955 by a non-musician, Hughes mentions Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Max Roach, Charlie Parker, and Lester Young). The book includes fun drawings by Cliff Roberts, a brief discography (apparently updated to include Coltrane, Mingus, and Ornette Coleman--but no Miles), a three-page definiton of terms, Hughes' list of his 100 favorite jazz recordings, and a list of "famous jazz musicians" by instrument.

I read this book transrated in Japanese. I could enjoy the rhythm and phrases even in Japanese. I would like to read it in English now.