The Big Band Almanac (Da Capo Paperback) (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

With more than 500 pictures, and extensive entries on more than 350 orchestras, this complete coverage of black and white bands—from the almost-forgotten Basie, Ellington, Miller, Shaw, and Dorsey—will prompt memories and establish important facts about a glorious era of jazz and popular music. Forewords by Les Brown and Harry James and an index with more than 6,000 names bracket a book that should be part of any music library.

About the Author

Leo Walker played trumpet in several Midwest territory bands of the '30s. For ten years he operated his own booking agency in Hollywood where he specialized in handling big bands. A former president of the Hollywood Press Club, he is the author of The Wonderful Era of the Great Dance Bands, and founder of the Big Band Academy of America.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; Revised edition (March 21, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306803453
• ISBN-13: 978-0306803451
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #802,018 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great guide to old-fashion swing music!, August 9, 2001

By	Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

The low-key, down home alternative to George Simon's often-lauded "Big Bands," this has a charming, almost DIY, quality to it. The graphic layout is pretty funky, but there are more and better photographs than in Simon's book. Also the writing is less jaded and more breathless, conveying the author's continued enthusiasm for his favorite artists of year gone by. Most significantly, Walker puts all the artists on an equal footing, listing them from A to Z, whereas Simon makes a big distinction between "major" artists, and lesser or non-swing musicians, shunting them to separate sections in the back of the book. Both books are informative, but I have more of a soft spot in my heart for this one -- I'd recommend it first!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big Band Almanac, April 18, 2009

By	Stephanie Waterman (Seattle, Washington USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Big Band Almanac, The (Hardcover)

I purchased an autograph book and it had a lot of Big Band people. I purchased the Big Band Almanac and it helped me identify most of the people and gave me information about what all they sang, played or conducted. I recommend this as a great Big Band Reference.

3.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Info But No Listings of Hits, August 22, 2009

By	Roy F. Johnson (Columbia, TN United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this hoping to get listings of hits by each artists, but I was disappointed.

The book does seem to contain a lot of info, and I've referred to it a few times as I've developed my music inventory.