Swingers and Crooners: The Art of Jazz Singing (School & Library Binding)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up. This collective biography chronicles the careers of jazz legends such as Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan as well as more contemporary stars such as Harry Connick, Jr. Gourse groups the singers into historical periods as well as by the general influences on their styles, such as those who were inspired by Louis Armstrong, or the bebop sound. Unfortunately, a lot of repetition and parallel time lines end up confusing rather than clarifying matters. A middle insert section called "The Jazz Singing Tree" amounts to little more than a rehash of the other chapters. The same material is churned up over and over throughout the main body of the text as well. When examining the source notes, readers find that a good many of the quotations come from the author's previous books. The presentation ends abruptly, listing 10 artists who were important but couldn't be included in more detail. This final whimper leaves readers up in the air regarding the significance of jazz singing. Swingers does provide biographical information on some fairly obscure people, and for that reason may be of use. There are a few excellent-quality archival photos, such as that of a young Bing Crosby.?Tim Wadham, Dallas Public Library, TX
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Product Description

Describes the lives of notable jazz singers, traces their influence on one another, and investigates the impact of different innovators on the development of jazz music. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• School & Library Binding
• Publisher: Tandem Library (October 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613293568
• ISBN-13: 978-0613293563
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,531,977 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)