In this encyclopedic work, Nicholson (Billie Holiday) chronicles the development of jazz-rock from the early interactions of jazz and rock in the 1960sAa time when jazz seemed to many to be at a dead endAto the present day. He emphasizes that the influences have been mutual: rock did much to revitalize jazz, but rock musicians have also learned from the jazz masters. He discusses a multitude of artists, including major figures such as Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa; shows how big band leaders such as Count Basie, Stan Kenton and Woody Herman combined jazz and rock; and talks about the conflict between commercialism and innovation, pointing out that when recording companies capitalize on the money-making potential of music, they often water it down to blandness. With so much ground to cover, Nicholson can't go into depth here, but as a comprehensive overview, his book succeeds. An impressive "Jazz-Rock Fusion Discography" by Jon Newey complements the text. It lists the names and album titles of hundreds of artists whose works have been significant in the evolution of the jazz-rock fusion. Photos.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
For many fans, the combination of jazz and rock has, since the 1960s, given new excitement to both musical genres. Many critics say that, in attempting to give jazz crossover appeal, this "fusion" has instead produced a dull sonic morass. Nicholson, discerning biographer of Billie Holiday (1995) and Ella Fitzgerald (1994), cuts through the debate with the first comprehensive study of the music. Although he focuses on the most famous trailblazers (e.g., Miles Davis, Weather Report), he also provides sufficient information on many largely forgotten instrumentalists and groups (e.g., Mike Nock, The Awakening). Clearly a jazz-rock enthusiast, he often makes ardent claims, such as that the Wayne Shorter-Joe Zawinul collaborations are "one of the most diverse and impressive bodies of work in jazz outside of Ellington." He knows his musical history and terms thoroughly, though, and explains everything clearly enough to appeal to listeners and to confront detractors, and he uses his extensive research of the music press to perceptively trace the changing general views of jazz-rock. Aaron Cohen
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