Recommend Me a Latin Jazz History Book

[Teasing the Korean]

Is there a definitive book or two on the history of Latin jazz? Something that gets pretty indepth. It does not have to be overly academic though I'm not opposed to that. Musical analases with notation are fine too. Preferably something that can be obtained fairly easily.

[David Ayers]

A Latin jazz history book?

Miles Davis Gloriosus.

(this one could be quite hard to keep up)

Edited March 8, 2007 by David Ayers

[Teasing the Korean]

Is there a rotten tomato smilie?

[David Ayers]

Is there a rotten tomato smilie?

There ought to be.

[Big Beat Steve]

There ought to be.

There IS!

LATIN JAZZ - The Perfect Combination/La Combinación Perfecta

by Raúl Fernandez

Chronicle Books San Francisco 2002

ISBN 0-8118-3608-8

Disfruten! (i.e. Enjoy! )

[Teasing the Korean]

Any idea how it compares to the books by John Storm Roberts, Max Salazar, or the other book by

Raul Fernandez?

[Big Beat Steve]

I don't know the ones you named so I cannot tell ...

All I know is that I really like this one because of its emphasis on the 40s to 60s which is also my main interest in jazz, and IMHO it very nicely presents the early years (pre-WWII), the "Machito" era (when bebop embraced latin music) as well as the subsequent eras up to the present but it is not one of those "history" books that quickly glance over the whole past in one meagre chapter, devoting three quarters of the book to current headline acts for sheer mass sales. And the pictures are quite impressive and make the music come alive.

[Teasing the Korean]

Thanks for the info! Sounds like it's what I'm looking for, based on your description.

[mikeweil]

John Storm Roberts' books are more a historically arranged selection of incidents and anecdotes, and are more from the perspective of a US-American. But you will find lots of interesting details along the way.

The newest "Latin Jazz: The first of the Fusions. 1880's to today" Schirmer Books 1999 (ISBN 0-02-864681-9) is the best of his three.

[Teasing the Korean]

John Storm Roberts' books are more a historically arranged selection of incidents and anecdotes, and are more from the perspective of a US-American. But you will find lots of interesting details along the way.

The newest "Latin Jazz: The first of the Fusions. 1880's to today" Schirmer Books 1999 (ISBN 0-02-864681-9) is the best of his three.

Thanks. Are you familiar with Salazar or Fernandez?

[AllenLowe]

I read Roberts's book on Latin jazz (a long time ago) and it was full of errors - I could not cite them now, unfortunately, but he does not know his jazz history -

Edited March 9, 2007 by AllenLowe

[mikeweil]

John Storm Roberts' books are more a historically arranged selection of incidents and anecdotes, and are more from the perspective of a US-American. But you will find lots of interesting details along the way.

The newest "Latin Jazz: The first of the Fusions. 1880's to today" Schirmer Books 1999 (ISBN 0-02-864681-9) is the best of his three.

Thanks. Are you familiar with Salazar or Fernandez?

Not yet - they are on my ever growing want and buy and read list.

Allen: I would call Roberts' writing inaccurate, too, but he has improved over the course of his three books .....

[neveronfriday]

I have: Latin Jazz: The Perfect Combination/La Combinacion Perfecta (Paperback) by Raul Fernandez. I have to admit that I haven't read it yet. It's more the coffee table style book (not size-wise, but content-wise/layout-wise), profusely illustrated. The kind of thing you can browse through quickly. I picked it up for a Euro one or two years ago. Looks nice, but I can't comment on the validity of its content ... at all.

Edited March 12, 2007 by neveronfriday