The Jazz Tradition

When it was first published in 1970, this lively and fascinating book was greeted with almost universal acclaim. The American Record Guide called it “the best one-volume of jazz we have,” and the Jazz Journal praised it as “a brilliant study of the whole of jazz.” Perhaps the greatest tribute was paid by Louis Armstrong himself who raved: “it held Ol’ Satch spellbound.” Now thoroughly revised and expanded, the new edition of The Jazz Tradition offers readers a unique history of jazz, as seen through its greatest practitioners. An original blend of history and criticism, this book explores the work of nearly two dozen leading musicians and ensembles that have shaped the course of jazz, from King Oliver’s Creole Jazz band to the present day. Couched in the same readable, non-technical language that made earlier editions so popular, The Jazz Tradition adds new chapters on some of the more recent giants of jazz, performers like pianist Bill Evans, versatile horn player and saxophonist Eric Dolphy, and the World Saxophone Quartet, and considerably expands the chapter devoted to Count Basie. In addition, a foreword by Richard Crawford introduces the new edition, and the discographies on each performer have been fully brought up to date. Written by an author The Washington Post lauded as “the most knowledgeable, open-minded, and perceptive American jazz critic today,” The Jazz Tradition belongs in the library of all lovers of this distinctly American sound.