Latin Jazz: The Perfect Combination/La Combinacion Perfecta (Text) [Paperback] Review

This book was produced as a companion to a traveling exhibition by the Smithsonian Institute about
American music. It is bilingual, with English and Spanish text on opposing pages. This is appropriate for the subject matter, which is the fusing of two branches of the African diaspora and their respective European influences. American Jazz absorbed the harmonic complexity of European music, but lost some of the rhythmic complexity of African music. Latin music retained the rhythmic complexity, but was more harmonically simple, albeit influenced by the rich Spanish folk tradition and it's Moorish influence. The blending of these 2 branches enriched both genres, and strengthened their respective weaknesses. It is a good overview of the history of Latin Jazz, and all of the major musicians are spotlighted. I wish that there was an accompanying CD with the book to hear a sample of the many artists profiled within. I guess I'll have to spend more money on Amazon to purchase some of these records!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Latin Jazz: The Perfect Combination/La Combinacion Perfecta (Text) [Paperback]

Product Description:
Latin jazz-the perfect combination of Latin rhythms and hot jazz phrasing-energizes audiences like no other music.. As part of the Smithsonian Institution's series of major exhibitions on jazz music, Latin Jazz traces the music's roots and routes, from the Caribbean to New Orleans and the clubs of New York City to its booming international popularity today. More than 100 rare photos from the '20s, '30s, '40s, and '50s show musicians and audiences in full swing, along with dozens of album covers and posters from the heyday. Stories told by the greats who were there, such as Mario Bauzá and Cal Tjader, convey all the zest for life that has made the music so exciting, and contributions by renowned musicians Andy González and Al McKibbon attest to its legacy. With all text in both English and Spanish, Latin Jazz is a spectacular and fitting tribute to this exciting musical fusion.

Buy cheap Latin Jazz: The Perfect Combination/La Combinacion Perfecta (Text) [Paperback] now