It is rare and beautiful that someone can play with such sadness -- and with such musical humor.
– Abendzeitung München
The recently published, never-before translated book by "Coco" Schumann traces his journey from Berlin's pre-war nightlife to a band in Auschwitz and back to Berlin -- and doesn’t miss a beat. [...] Look for this unusual book.
– Rochel Sylvetsky, Israel National News
From his early enthusiasm for American jazz in Berlin cabarets to his membership of Terezin's celebrated Ghetto Swingers and surviving Auschwitz through his music, to post-war appearances with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, jazz remains a constant in a remarkable life story. [...] Illustrated by a fascinating range of photographs.
– Ron Simpson, The Jazz Rag (Manchester)
For posterity, [Schumann] left behind a lifetime of music and memories, along with his remarkable autobiography, The Ghetto Swinger. [...] Within its 192 pages – which includes 55 photos and illustrations – Schumann covers most of his life, from his birth in 1924 until about 1990, with wit, intelligence and deep feeling.
– JAZZIZ Magazine
Considered the first ever jazz electric guitarist in Germany, [Coco Schumann] played swing for years but was versatile enough to perform in much more commercial settings during the lean periods. He kept his memories of the prison camps mostly to himself for four decades. The Ghetto Swinger has Coco Schumann telling his story honestly, colorfully and with occasional humor. It is a fascinating [book] that is well worth discovering.
– Scott Yanow, L.A. Jazz Scene
Unusually interesting amidst the plethora of self-serving musician autobiographies. Schumann has a better story to tell … survival under the hardest conditions, the value of well-placed friends and the vagaries of fortune as well as the impulse to create. The Ghetto Swinger is a rare glimpse into the persistence of nightlife in Berlin (once a wide-open city) under the Nazis. At Theresienstadt, the ostensibly model concentration camp, Schumann entertained the SS guards with his music like his life depended on it―and it did!
– David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express
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