Latin Jazz: The Perfect Combination/La Combinacion Perfecta (Text) [Paperback]

Raul Fernandez (Author), Robert Farris Thompson (Preface), Al McKibbon (Afterword), Andy Gonzalez (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: Text | Publication Date: November 2002

Latin jazz-the perfect combination of Latin rhythms and hot jazz phrasing-energizes audiences like no other music.. As part of the Smithsonian Institutions series of major exhibitions on jazz music, Latin Jazz traces the musics roots and routes, from the Caribbean to New Orleans and the clubs of New York City to its booming international popularity today. More than 100 rare photos from the 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s show musicians and audiences in full swing, along with dozens of album covers and posters from the heyday. Stories told by the greats who were there, such as Mario Bauzá and Cal Tjader, convey all the zest for life that has made the music so exciting, and contributions by renowned musicians Andy González and Al McKibbon attest to its legacy. With all text in both English and Spanish, Latin Jazz is a spectacular and fitting tribute to this exciting musical fusion.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Spanish

About the Author

Raul Fernandez is a professor of social sciences at the University of California at Irvine and an expert on U.S.-Latin American cultural relations. He lives in Orange, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (November 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811836088
• ISBN-13: 978-0811836081
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,247,655 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview of genre, April 7, 2009

By 

Lawrence S. White "a seeker of truth and beauty" (Englewood, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Latin Jazz: The Perfect Combination = LA Combinacion Perfecta (Text) (Paperback)

This book was produced as a companion to a traveling exhibition by the Smithsonian Institute about
American music. It is bilingual, with English and Spanish text on opposing pages. This is appropriate for the subject matter, which is the fusing of two branches of the African diaspora and their respective European influences. American Jazz absorbed the harmonic complexity of European music, but lost some of the rhythmic complexity of African music. Latin music retained the rhythmic complexity, but was more harmonically simple, albeit influenced by the rich Spanish folk tradition and it's Moorish influence. The blending of these 2 branches enriched both genres, and strengthened their respective weaknesses. It is a good overview of the history of Latin Jazz, and all of the major musicians are spotlighted. I wish that there was an accompanying CD with the book to hear a sample of the many artists profiled within. I guess I'll have to spend more money on Amazon to purchase some of these records!

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Overview of Latin Jazz, May 29, 2011

By 

Michael J. Rocha (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Latin Jazz: The Perfect Combination = LA Combinacion Perfecta (Text) (Paperback)

This book explores the beginning of the combination of latin music and jazz by looking as far back as the 1800s and early 1900s when ragtime was morphing into jazz and latin musicians were meeting jazz musicians in Cuba, New Orleans and eventually the great melting pot of NYC. The book takes you on a fun journey up to the early 2000s. Not comprehensive but well done and easy to read. Especially enjoyable with the companion CD. Highly recommended.