Timekeepers (Art of Jazz) [Library Binding]

Leslie Gourse (Author)

Book Description

Series: Art of Jazz | Publication Date: September 1999

Discusses the role of drumming in jazz and surveys some of the greatest jazz drummers in history, from Warren Baby Dodds and Arthur Zutty Singleton to Tony Williams and Elvin Jones.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Grade 6 Up-Two attractive, concise, and well-researched volumes that are suitable for both recreational reading and research. The well-written texts share the pages with vintage black-and-white photographs. Readers will appreciate the fast pace of the narratives and will find them hard to put down. Gourse introduces individual artists and weaves information about their contributions to the development and evolution of jazz. Her approach is chronological and the presentation is logical and interesting. The author clearly explains musical terms, and, with aplomb, introduces her audience to a musical jargon that at the pen of another author could be technical and otherwise incomprehensible. Both volumes contain extensive source notes and compilations of suggested listening, further reading, jazz magazines, and popular Internet sites. A detailed index is appended. Fine additions to music collections.
Linda Zoppa, South Bronx High School, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Library Binding: 144 pages
• Publisher: Franklin Watts (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 053111564X
• ISBN-13: 978-0531115640
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,110,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Simplifying is one thing, wrong is another, October 29, 2005

By 

Alexander B. Smith "trudotz" (Kansas City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Timekeepers: The Great Jazz Drummers (Art of Jazz) (Paperback)

It's fine and good to write simple books for kids, but there's a difference between simple and wrong. For example, African drumming was not banned in some slaves states, it was banned throughout the South except for in New Orleans' Congo Square. The second line doesn't accent "the rhythm in such a way that it sounded as if the players were playing in 2/4 time". And voodoo rituals were not one of the "most popular events" in New Orleans "attended by both whites and Africans". And this is the first half of the first chapter! Why is this writer getting published? This is an irresponsible book; a child would actually be dumber after having read it.