Customer Reviews

The Rolling Stone Jazz and Blues Album Guide

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's about time RS updated this 1985 volume. It's great to read reviews of all the old masters and the young lions. The reviews are fair and well written. The text even steers you to deleted items that sometimes are better then the albums in print.

Many hidden treasures are found here. Up to date thru 4/99. Wish RS allowed buyers to download updates from the net.

Why can't Downbeat put out a book like this?

I found the previous Jazz Guide a valuable resource that was way ahead of its time. This update expands the scope of the original to include blues and roots music while making a convincing case for blues and jazz as the cornerstone of American popular music.

This book is a disappointment...I could not believe how many newer titles were missing. For example, was the author asleep during 1998? Although the publishing date is 1999, many albums released in 1998 were notably absent. It sometimes looks like an entire artist's section was lifted from the R. S. Album Guide of 1992 and inserted without revision or an update. While some gospel artists are included others are missing. It's sad that Rolling Stone can get away with presenting such an incomplete product. Although this book is a fair addition to a Rock N Roll library, there are much better guides available for your money (e.g., the AMG guides).

This guide is no better than John Swenson's "Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide" from 1985. That guide failed to include "Birth of the Cool", "Round 'bout Midnight" and "Sketches of Spain" by Miles Davis, "Time Further Out" by Dave Brubeck, and omitted the entire Buddy Rich discography. Yikes! It also gave different ratings to indentical collaborations which appeared twice in the guide. Rolling Stone guides are usually life-savers. I have had wonderful luck using their rock music guides. Why can't Rolling Stone get it together with jazz?

At a signing on 6/4/99, I asked John Swenson why there was no entry for Joe McPhee. He lamely answered "Is any of his stuff in print?", "Uh, yes," I said, "on HatArt, HatHut." "Oh, those are imports..." I guess if you want a vanilla introduction to jazz, this is a good place to start. To really learn about the subject, and to explore the more creative personalities, you'll have to look elsewhere... Though they get two stars for a lovely endorsement of Anthony Braxton's Charlie Parker Project 1993.

Didn't bother checking their take on Jazz given the dismal effort on Blues. While I love Stevie Ray, I didn't realize that his output was such a cut above Albert and Freddie King's. Turns out "Live at the Apollo" ain't very special. Gee, maybe Elmore James is mediocre too.....I may be biased in having heaved so shortly after opening. Ought to be on perforated paper. These guys really should stick to hair-do rock and cologne.

This book is a noble but flawed effort. The omissions are inexcusable. No Furry Lewis? No Jimmy Rogers? While the task of compiling such a guide is monumental, this book would have benefitted from better editing.

I came across this book at my local bookstore one day. Next to it on the shelf was a much older Rough Guide to Jazz that was about half the thickness of the RS J&B Album Guide. To my surprise, the Rough Guide had a section on saxophonist/clarinetist Bob Wilbur and the R.S. Guide had nothing about him at all! Thus, if you are at all interested in early jazz, give this one a miss.