Lost Chords: White Musicians and Their Contribution to Jazz, 1915-1945

Rating:
Summary: An essential, necessary corrective to most jazz histories.
Review: This is an essential guide to many neglected artists in the formative years of american music. Sudhalter's essays on Miff Mole, and Bunny Berigan, just to name two, add much to correct common misinformation. The book contains many musical illustrations and copious footnotes which are as informative and entertaining as the text iitself. This book is in no way derogatory to black jazzmen, but it's about time the likes of The Five Pennies, The Boswell Sisters, and Berigan's small band jazz be given its proper place. I wish only Sudhalter had devoted some space to the woefully neglected vocalist, Annette Hanshaw, and the Isham Jones Band (but as Joe E Brown once said: "nobody's perfect.")Will the mainstream media and jazz critics react favorably to this groundbreaking book-- I doubt it. The truth these days, is so often and sadly, politically incorrect.

Rating:
Summary: Just the facts
Review: While a brilliant documentary, Burns' "Jazz" also reinforced the notion that jazz is exclusively an African-American artform. Fortunately, "Lost Chords" does much to blow away that misperception. While never belittling or downplaying the role of those African-American giants in jazz, this book does an outstanding job of profiling all of the individuals and bands who received short shrift from Burns: Steve Brown, who pretty much invented jazz bass playing; the Jean Goldkette Orchestra; Miff Mole; Frank Trumbauer; and may more. And he does so in a way that is both interesting to the casual fan (with anecdotes and such) and the hardened muso (excerpts of scores abound). A scholarly tome, this is a worthy addition for any jazz fan's library. I look forward to Volume II.

Rating:
Summary: Just the facts
Review: While a brilliant documentary, Burns' "Jazz" also reinforced the notion that jazz is exclusively an African-American artform. Fortunately, "Lost Chords" does much to blow away that misperception. While never belittling or downplaying the role of those African-American giants in jazz, this book does an outstanding job of profiling all of the individuals and bands who received short shrift from Burns: Steve Brown, who pretty much invented jazz bass playing; the Jean Goldkette Orchestra; Miff Mole; Frank Trumbauer; and may more. And he does so in a way that is both interesting to the casual fan (with anecdotes and such) and the hardened muso (excerpts of scores abound). A scholarly tome, this is a worthy addition for any jazz fan's library. I look forward to Volume II.