The Sound That Jazz Makes [Paperback]

Carole Boston Weatherford (Author), Eric Velasquez (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2001 | Age Level: 7 and up

A symphony of sound and color, The Sound That Jazz Makes is an eloquently rendered celebration of a remarkable heritage. Author Carole Boston Weatherford's lyrical stanzas combine with the power of luminous oil paintings by Coretta Scott King New Talent winner, Eric Velasquez (The Piano Man) to trace the development of jazz. From African forests to wooden slave ships to Harlem nightclubs, the tragic and joyous legacy of the African-American experience gives jazz its passion and spirit.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Molding her rhymed text to the rhythms and cadences of "This Is the House That Jack Built," Weatherford (Juneteenth Jamboree) distills an entire course in music history, tracing the roots of jazz back to its origins in Africa and up to its current incarnation in rap and hip hop. Each spread focuses on a different period and a different musical form, e.g., "This is the field where slaves turned the soil,/ and chanted of freedom while they toiled/ to pass the message, through secret codes,/ of stealing away on pitch-dark roads." Ragtime, blues, Dixieland, gospel, swing and be-bop all receive mention on the way to the triumphant conclusion: "Jazz is a downbeat born in our nation,/ chords of struggle and jubilation,/ bursting forth from hearts set free/ in notes that echo history." Even though Weatherford's language is vibrant, the familiar "House That Jack Built" strains may cause problems: their musicality has little to do with the music at hand, and enforces a simplicity at odds with the references here ("cakewalkers," "Delta bluesman," etc.). Velasquez's portraits emphasize the dignity and pride of his subjects, whether he is suggesting the rage and misery of captives or re-creating photos of "Duke" and "Lady." But the effect is uneven: the paintings are sometimes moving, sometimes stagy. An ambitious project, not quite realized. All ages. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-This book traces the evolution of jazz in a poem of four-line stanzas that begins with an African drum beat and ends with a rapper who still hears "-the age-old, far-off beat/of Africa drumming on every street." Each stanza accompanies a full-spread oil painting outlined with a crayon line and bordered in white. On many pages, one figure-an African kalimba player, a Delta bluesman, etc.-is featured in front of the painting, breaking the frame and extending into the white space below. The animated African animals and dancers depicted in warm golds and browns contrast sharply with the still figures and somber tones of the scenes on slave ships and in plantation fields. These, too, contrast with the bright colors and movement of the cakewalkers, gospel singers, and swing and bebop musicians with their arms or instruments lifted joyously upward. The final illustration of a young African-American trumpet player with his family against a background that incorporates many elements from the previous paintings is a satisfying synthesis of both the visual and written elements of the book: "JAZZ is a downbeat born in our nation,/chords of struggle and jubilation,/bursting forth from hearts set free/in notes that echo history./This is the sound that jazz makes!" Although some of the rhymes don't scan as well as others, this is still an especially attractive, satisfying pictorial introduction to and celebration of this unique American musical form.
Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers (January 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802776744
• ISBN-13: 978-0802776747
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #860,732 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent for music class!, August 21, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sound That Jazz Makes (Hardcover)

This book is excellent and captures children's imaginations. I used this book to enhance my Jazz History/Improvisation unit and the students couldn't stop asking me question about it. They all wanted to know if it was in the library. It provides a short, rhythmic, simplistic story of the journey of jazz from Africa to today. A definite MUST HAVE!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All That Jazz....., February 15, 2002

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sound That Jazz Makes (Hardcover)

"This is Africa where rhythm abounds/and music springs from nature sounds,/played on a drum carved from a tree/that grew in a forest of ebony." From the African jungle and slave ships, to Harlem, New Orleans, and even today's rappers, Carole Boston Weatherford introduces the sound that jazz makes. Her lyrical and engaging rhyming text is full of energy, motion, and passion, and beautifully complemented by award winning illustrator, Eric Velzsquez's vibrant and expressive oil paintings. Together they've authored a powerful and evocative feast for the ears and eyes that traces the roots and development of this unique and totally American musical art form. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, "JAZZ is a downbeat born in our nation,/chords of struggle and jubilation,/bursting forth from hearts set free/in notes that echo history./This is the sound that jazz makes!"

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW, July 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sound That Jazz Makes (Hardcover)

This book's words string together like a song without themusic. The pictures on the pages make you engrossed in the pages, andit feels like you could reach out and grab these images. This is one book you should most definitely read.