Jazz Masters Of The .XXs

[Alon Marcus]

I already found and read two of that series.

Jazz Masters Of The .20s by Richard Hadlock and Jazz Masters Of The .40s by the great Ira Gitler.

Both books are very good, informative and interesting. The series was edited by no other but Martin Williams.

What do you think about the specific books and writers?

What do you think about the concept of the series?

Who read the books about other eras and can tell a little bit about 'em?

By the way, Jazz Masters Of The .30s was written by Ellington's trumpeter Rex Stewart.

Edited January 8, 2005 by ztrauq22

[JSngry]

The series used to be called "Jazz Masters Of The .XXs", and is indeed most excellent.

"JAzz Masters Of The 50s" by Joe Goldberg was somehow in the public library of little Gladewater, Tx when I first started getting into jazz, and I checked and rechecked it out (and read and reread it) continuously for at least 2.5 years before my folks finally got me a copy of my own. I still think it's a very good book.

[brownie]

By the way, Jazz in the 30's was written by Ellington's trumpeter Rex Stewart.

I have not read all in the series but the Rex Stewart has to be THE Best!

An excellent book!

[Alon Marcus]

The series used to be called "Jazz Masters Of The .XXs", and is indeed most excellent.

"JAzz Masters Of The 50s" by Joe Goldberg was somehow in the public library of little Gladewater, Tx when I first started getting into jazz, and I checked and rechecked it out (and read and reread it) continuously for at least 2.5 years before my folks finally got me a copy of my own. I still think it's a very good book.

You are right of course. I'll try to edit my mistake.

[Alon Marcus]

By the way, Jazz in the 30's was written by Ellington's trumpeter Rex Stewart.

I have not read all in the series but the Rex Stewart has to be THE Best!

An excellent book!

What's in the book Brownie?

[AllenLowe]

Alll excellent; Hadlocks Jazz Masters of the Twenties probably the best. The 1930s - Rex Stewart - fascinating first-person perspective. 40's - Gitler - essential, though a lot of the best work in that book is straight transcriptions of interviews (Dick Katz, in particular, should probably have been named co-author). 50s - very good as well.

[brownie]

The book reprinted a series of articles - mostly reminiscences - by Rex Stewart. Most of the articles were published first in Down Beat magazine in the '60s.

Stewart wrote about some of the great musicians he met and played with: Coleman Hawkins, Jimmy Harrison, Fletcher Henderson, Sidney Catlett, Art Tatum, etc... There also was a full series of pieces on the Ellington musicians. The chapter on Tricky Sam Nanton was a revelation!

[MartyJazz]

There are at least two more books in this series, possibly three, that were originally published in hardcover edition by MacMillan & Co. I have a hardcover (remaindered at a library sale!) of JAZZ MASTERS OF NEW ORLEANS by Martin Williams, who also served as editor of the entire series. I have seen, but do not own, JAZZ MASTERS IN TRANSITION 1957-69, a book whose authorship I have forgotten. In addition, one of the books in the series mentions that a JAZZ MASTERS OF THE SWING ERA is "currently in progress" however I don't believe that one ever was completed or issued.

Edited January 9, 2005 by MartyJazz

[J.A.W.]

As far as I know this is the complete Jazz Masters series:

Martin Williams - Jazz Masters of New Orleans

Richard Hadlock - Jazz Masters of the 20s

Rex Stewart - Jazz Masters of the 30s

Ira Gitler - Jazz Masters of the 40s (updated and expanded edition: The Masters of Bebop, unfortunately with a new foreword by Stanley Crouch)

Joe Goldberg - Jazz Masters of the 50s

Martin Williams - Jazz Masters in Transition, 1957-69

[alankin]

Next in series: "Jazz Master of the Lincoln Center."

[AllenLowe]

interesting title, particulary as Julius Hemphill once attacked Marsalis as "tilling the master's fields."

[Alon Marcus]

I remember reading in Hadlock's book that the Mellrose Bros. published books with Armstrong's 50 solos and another one with 125 breaks he played.

Does anybody has more info about these books? I assume they are OOP for a long time but probably influenced many jazzmen at some time.

[Brad]

I have only the Jazz Masters of the 40s but it's an essential part of a bop library. A good companion piece is Gitler's From Swing to Bop. An indispensible book in my view.