New Orleans Jazz: A Revised History: The Development of American Music from the Origin to the Big Bands [Hardcover]

R Collins (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 293 pages
• Publisher: Vantage Press; 1st edition (April 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0533114276
• ISBN-13: 978-0533114276
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #515,987 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Darlin', watch what you say 'bout N'awlins' jazz!", August 9, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (New Orleans) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Orleans Jazz: A Revised History: The Development of American Music from the Origin to the Big Bands (Hardcover)

R. Collins jerks a jazz history fan out of a comfy chair. The author dismisses traditional myths about the beginning of jazz. Forget African slave origins. Go to Creoles. Forget drums. Go to tin bands and string bands melting with brass bands. Forget slopiness and easy. Go to Professors, musicianers, readers, spellers and fakers. Reread Ramsay and Smith's seminal Jazzmen. Buy Collins' book for that loveable but opinionated jazz friend or relative you love to taunt.

Gasp, sigh or scream over his portrayal of 19th and 20th century New Orleans. While he documents a lot of his sources, be ready to accept or challenge those he doesn't.

45 illustrations include old jazz photos of musicians, New Orleans' historic dance halls, Storyville District, a Race Record Cover, jazz business cards and other interesting sites. The book's 293 pages are indexed. More fun to look up a favorite musician, place or subject. Interesting, quick read that is certain to provoke your favorite jazz fan. What a fun book to give

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very controversial book about jazz history, October 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: New Orleans Jazz: A Revised History: The Development of American Music from the Origin to the Big Bands (Hardcover)

I started reading this book and my first reaction was - "What the hell"! As I read more into the book I could follow the author's logic and found myself agreeing with many of the things he said. While we all knew that a lot of the things said in "Jazzmen" was a load of *#@#$@**&^*! we did not have a lot to back it up with. R Collins has done the research that we could not/did not have the ability to do. He has not cast aspersions on the original musicans or authors of books on this music. He acknowledges the use of the original researches and the knowledge he has gained from them. He also shows how he has built on this previous research, and with modern tecniques has been able to go further. For a serious observer of New Orleans Jazz this book is a must even if only because it shows the history of the music in a different light.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enhanced with more than 50 maps, documents and photographs, May 22, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Orleans Jazz: A Revised History: The Development of American Music from the Origin to the Big Bands (Hardcover)

In New Orleans Jazz: A Revised History, Collins surveys the development of a uniquely American music from its southern origins in the founding of New Orleans in 1718 down to the era of the Big Bands. This remarkable music history is enhanced with more than 50 maps, documents and photographs. Informative, meticulously researched, articulate and engaging, New Orleans Jazz: A Revised History is very highly recommended reading for all students of jazz history, and an invaluable addition to any academic or community library American music history collection.