The jazz standards A guide to the repertoire

Review by Choice Review

This second edition of Gioia's book comes ten years after the first (CH, Jan'13, 50-2408). Though the earlier edition is still a useful tool, the revision adds numerous works not in the original. As before, the titles are a mix of Great American Songbook favorites and works whose origins lie solidly within the jazz idiom. Gioia brings his deep knowledge of jazz to bear when comparing how a wide variety of artists approached a given tune and does not shy away from voicing his opinions about the good, the bad, and the ugly. The writing is taut and erudite without being pedantic. Each article follows the same pattern: a little history followed by a brief discussion of some performances (especially contrasting recordings), ending with a list of recommended performances. The lack of discographic references is the book's most significant flaw. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. --Jim Farrington, Eastman School of Music

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.

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Review by Booklist Review

Written by a noted jazz critic and author of two previous New York Times Notable Books, this volume offers detailed analyses of more than 250 fundamental and historic pieces. Even those unversed in jazz history will be familiar with many of these compositions: When the Saints Go Marching In, Girl from Ipanema, Sweet Georgia Brown, and Take the A Train. The names of the composers should be equally familiar: Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and Herbie Hancock, to name a few. Entries are arranged alphabetically by song title. Each entry includes background information about how the song was written, recorded, and released as well as its current place in the jazz canon, according to jazz historians and critics. Gioia is adept at using the vernacular of the jazz critic in his writing, but instead of straight reporting, the entries come across as an appealing combination of the scholarly and personal. He makes it clear when he is expressing purely his opinion, which may or may not be in agreement with that of the majority of jazz critics. Anecdotes and colorful behind-the-scenes vignettes almost make this source read more like a narrative history than a reference work. Since such seminal songs as these have multiple recorded versions available to listeners, there are also more than 2,000 recommendations here to guide users in choosing which specific ones to listen to generally about 8-10 suggested versions per song entry. This excellent and entertaining resource would be a fine addition to any library's music collection. It serves as an informative guide to the standard jazz repertoire and would be useful for both novices and aficionados of jazz history. Its best place, however, may not necessarily be on the reference shelves but, rather, out for circulation.--Tosko, Michael Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Jazz pianist and historian Gioia (Delta Blues) surveys 250 influential 20th-century compositions, including Broadway show tunes, movie songs, and original pieces by Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and other composers. Each two-page entry serves up a chatty, fact-filled review of the tune's birth pangs-Louis B. Mayer almost cut "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz!-and a breezy analysis of its musicological mojo. ("Someone to Watch over Me," the author avers, draws its wistful warmth from the all-black-keys pentatonic scale.) But Gioia is interested less in a melody's first incarnation than in its afterlife as a template for jamming, riffing, and free-form stylistic variation, epitomized by John Coltrane's saxy reinvention of "My Favorite Things." He therefore includes critical appreciations of each standard's best and most emblematic arrangements, along with a list of recordings. Gioia writes with an endearing blend of erudition and opinionating-"Come Rain or Come Shine" 's spare tune "isn't a melody, it's a musical starvation diet"-that makes the book both a delightful browse and a handy reference and roadmap for jazzophiles. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by Library Journal Review

Jazz historian and pianist Gioia (The History of Jazz) here focuses on the most recognizable and iconic compositions known to and performed by jazz musicians. He details more than 250 pieces-some written by jazz musicians, some part of Broadway musicals, and some pop songs of their day, but all among the must-know repertory of the gigging jazz musician. Gioia presents a brief historical sketch of each composition, including information on its writer(s), significant recordings, and its popularity over the years as jazz styles have evolved. Although there is simply not enough room for the author to provide exhaustive notes on all of the prominent recordings of these jazz standards, he manages to mention a fair number of recordings and provide several salient details about each. The brief discography for each piece is helpful, but more detailed release information would have been nice. Gioia's writing style is friendly and easygoing, suggesting the way in which one jazz performer might rap with another about the tunes. VERDICT This book should be in the library of every gigging jazz musician and every serious jazz fan; to the extent that these 250-plus pieces remain in the repertory, it will be relevant for years to come.-James E. Perone, Univ. of Mount Union, Alliance, OH (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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