Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development

"Early Jazz" is one of the seminal books on American jazz. Written by the renowned composer, conductor, and musical scholar Gunther Schuller, it is the first of the three volumes on the history and musical contribution of jazz, taking us from its beginnings as a distinct musical style at the turn of the century to its first great florewing in the 1930s. Schuller explores the music of the great jazz soloist of the twenties -Jelly Roll Morton, Bix Beiderbecke, Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, and others- and the big bands and arrangers -Fletcher Henderson, Bennie Moten, and especially Duke Ellington- placing their music in the context of the other musical cultures of the twentieth century and offering analyses of many great jazz recordings. "Early Jazz" provides a musical tour of the early American jazz world. A classic study, it is both a splendid introduction for students and an insightful guide for scholars, musicians, and jazz fans.

"Here at last is the definitive work...clear, thorough, objective, sophisticated, original. A remarkable book by any standard, it is unparalleled in the literature of jazz." (New York Times Book Review)

"An almost unprecedented approach for a writer on jazz, he has described and analysed the music itself." (The Times)

"An excellent work ... Without doubt, the book is masterly in its approach and would serve as both an ideal introduction to the young student of jazz and to the established fan who wants to delve more deeply into the music origins." (The Star)

"Schuller has a rare gift for conveying his wonderment and love of his subject matter without ever compromising academic discipline...for all his painstaking precise academic exactitudes, he is never dry or overly technical... It would be hard to imagine this book ever being superceded. As far as I can see, it is definitive." (Music and Musicians)

"It remains one of the most significant contributions to jazz scholarship to this day." (Music Teacher)

CONTENIDO:

Preface

1. The origins
-Rhythm
-Form
-Harmony
-Melody
-Timbre
-Improvisation

2. The beginnings

3. The first great soloist

4. The first great composer

5. Virtuoso performers of the Twenties
-Bix Beiderbecke
-Clarinetists
-Brass players
-Harlem pianists
-Bessie Smith

6. The Big Bands
-New York
-The Southwest

7. The Ellington style: its origins and early development

Appendix: Interview with George Morrison
Glossary
A selected discography
Index