For those who can’t tell the difference between Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk, don’t understand why Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” is a big deal or just have no idea how to survive at a live set, Jazz for Dummies, Second Edition by music journalist Dirk Sutro is a much-needed investment.
Although the original Jazz for Dummies came out in 1998, this new version includes expanded sections on jazz’s structure, its roots in New Orleans and current influence internationally. In addition, Sutro has included a list of the best cities for jazz and tips on how to join a jazz band and find tickets to festivals.
Divided into six parts and composed of 18 chapters and three appendices, Sutro walks the reader through a history of the music’s development, a breakdown of jazz theory and the signature sounds of the genre. He then lists jazz icons by movement, such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Benny Goodman of big band swing, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie of bebop and John Coltrane and Miles Davis of avant garde and fusion. Lastly, in the section “The Beat Goes On: Jazz Appreciation 101,” Sutro also discusses jazz in pop culture and even gives advice on how to throw a jazz dinner party.
Available from Wiley Publishing, Jazz for Dummies, Second Edition clocks in at 366 pages and retails for $19.99.
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