Gary Giddins
Description
Jazz writer Gary Giddins has a following that includes not only jazz enthusiasts but also pop music fans of every stripe. Writing in a lyrical and cel
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ebratory style, he transports us into the world of musicians drawn together by the elusive harmony of the blue note. In 30 dazzling pieces Giddins probes the core of greatness in American music, making connections between jazz and pop, serious and commercial music. He illuminates how performers originally perceived as radical (Bing Crosby, Count Basie, Elvis Presley) became conservative institutions, how Charlie Parker created a masterpiece from the strain on an inane ditty, and how Duke Ellington brought his Cotton Club Revue to church. Winner, National Book Critics Circle Award.
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