...before I go any further, it should be said that Cook and Morton's jazz guide is absolutely essential, a wonderfully witty book that is both a tremendous reference and an unbelievably fun tome to just open at random pages and start reading. I was terribly sad to learn that, between the eighth and ninth editions, Richard Cook passed away. Morton's affectionate obituary -- done as a PGTJ review -- is quite touching and amusing.
If you are new to the Penguin Guide, this is a great an edition to start with as any. The core information remains valid and reasonably up to date, and the prose -- knowledgeable, candid, humorous, and snippy -- is as engaging and delightful as ever. Longtime Penguin Guide connoisseurs, however, may be confused by some of the revisions and decisions that went into this edition. Before I begin knitpicking (and I'm only halfway through it), please let me say that all of what is below is marginal and in now way a reflection on the overall quality of the book. Buy it...
Now for the small stuff.
While a lot of mistakes have been ironed out of the last edition (mostly copy-editing-type errors), there are still annoying inconsistencies, especially with accidentally crediting, say, a piano player with bass in the personnel listings. Also, there is a lot of weird inconsistent spacing in the columns. A small complaint, perhaps, but Cook and Morton work with limited space, and any mis-handled space is wasted space that could be filled with more of their great writing. In general, the copy-editing continues to disappoint me.
Also, check out Bobby Previte's bio entry -- it seems to actually be a review from a different section of the book. C'mon, Penguin editors!
More confusing, however, is what the authors have decided to reinstate and remove. Morton makes it clear in his forward that they have had delete entries of somewhat marginal figures whose discographies have not grown of late. Understood...and yet:
- Michael Mantler, yanked from the last edition, is back in, although he has not released anything new (actually, he's put out a best-of that was not included in his entry).
- Terje Rypdal, who HAS released new music since the last edition and remains a major figure in European improvised music, is now mysteriously out.
- In an situation that repeats itself many times in the book, entries for artists like Rod McGaha and Steve Masakowski are re-inserted, having been deleted from the previous edition, despite having no new releases. This is just seventh-edition text repeated for no good reason. Meanwhile, Jeff Coffin has released two new albums, but his entry has been deleted.
Cook and Morton seemed to have missed some key new releases, too, such as the PSI reissue of Evan Parkers "Topography of the Lungs." On the upside, Blossom Dearie finally gets an entry.
This book is a big ol' organic thing, and such maddening inconsistencies are really petty in the grand scheme. Don't listen to me -- buy the book and listen to Cook and Morton.
