Mel Bay's Interviews with the Jazz Greats ... and more! [Paperback] Review

I had a ball reading this. My favorite interview was with my favorite guitarist, Johnny Smith. Interviews provide a great perspective on the working lives of so many great players, where the breaks came, guitarists they admire, etc. Interviews are fairly free-form, and all are relatively short, but they convey a lot about the personalities behind many legendary names, and remind you of the fact that beyond maintaining their artistry and musicianship - monumental achievements to be sure - they also had to work hard at the business side of their careers. To me, this doesn't take away from their greatness, it just adds another dimension to their story. They were realists, not eccentric musical genuisses who "couldn't be bothered" by the realities of earning a living and practicing their art at the same time.

Due to copywrite law and other business considerations, I suppose it would be impossible to create a 2 disk CD set which would contain a few representative recordings of each guitarist, but what a treat that would have been. In my case, I have recordings of six of the greats interviewed, and it was fun to play their music while reading their interviews.

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Product Description:
Here is a collection of insightful interviews with many of the most prominent figures in today's guitar world. Presents 25 articles selected from Charles Chapman's extensive work as a music journalist, including legends such as Johnny Smith, Tim May, Martin Taylor, John Abercrombie, George Benson, John Scofield, and Howard Alden. An interview with renowed luthier Robert Benedetto is included as an added bonus. This book illustrates the passion these guitarists have for their art, the respect they have for music and one other, and their desire to pass their art and sentiments on to others.

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