Jazz Profiles: The Spirit of the Nineties - Hardcover

Despite a shaky premise that most of the 40 musicians they profile lack recognition, jazz historian Carter and jazz photographer Bernstein present a fine introduction to the work and ideas of the "young lions" of jazz. Most of these musicians have decided to forgo post-1960s jazz developments, instead mining the treasures of the bop/hard-bop masters. Each profile includes a short biography, photo notes, a wonderful black-and-white photograph, recent interview excerpts, and a select discography. Several themes emerge from the interviews, including the artists' thoughts on the upswing in jazz's popularity and on balancing performing, composing, and recording, thus providing an overall sense of where these musicians find themselves within the culture of jazz. Inconsistent indexing and uncut interviews shouldn't detract from the interest this book will generate for readers just beginning to explore jazz.AWilliam G. Kenz, Moorhead State Univ., MN
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