Written by one of jazz journalism's best and most knowledgeable critics this book explores the full swing spectrum from its origins in the 1920s through its current retro resurgence. Features intriguing capsule biographies of 400 of the best musicians from classic artists like Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman to retro swingers such as the Brian Setzer Orchestra and Lavay Smith and the Red Hot Skillet Lickers with each artist's most notable CDs reviewed and rated plus info on film appearances books and hard-to-find recordings. Includes insightful essays that explore this music's cultural impact fun photos and swing memorabilia.
Swing by Scott Yanow launches a new series of music guides called Third Ear -- The Essential Listening Companion. These guides are designed to offer fresh perspectives on the breadth and depth of rich music genres, as well as new discoveries of great recordings. Each illustrated guide is written by a leading journalist in the field. Other forthcoming Third Ear guides include Alternative Rock and Celtic Music, as well as Yanow's Bebop and Afro-Cuban Jazz.
Yanow's work for the All Music Guide to Jazz has been warmly praised:
"Should be on every jazz enthusiasts bookshelf. Most of the discs are selected, rated, and reviewed by the remarkable, indefatigable Scott Yanow." -- San Francisco Examiner
"An indispensable resource for any jazz record collector." -- Los Angeles Times
"An enormous amount of useful information is provided." -- JazzTimes
"This is quite an amazing book." -- L.A. Jazz Scene
