No comments about Abyssinie Swing: A Pictorial History of Modern Ethiopian Music.

No comments about Swing!.

No comments about Jump, Jive 'N' Swing Guitar.

4 comments about New Dutch Swing.

1. I read the book while standing on my head. Felt sick afterward



2. Kevin Whitehead's New Dutch Swing is a tour de force of jazz scene writing, readily accessible to the cognescenti and the casual alike. Having immersed himself in the Amsterdam jazz community for several years, Whitehead transports us across the pond and deposits us in smoky Dutch clubs where some of the world's most creative music swirls around our heads. His depictions of the characters are especially good, and after a page or two the performers come alive as people, not just as musicians. Drawing on his extensive knowledge as a (sometimes controversial) jazz critic, Whitehead puts the vibrant Dutch improv scene into global perspective. Excellent reading; highly recommended.



3. This book was clearly a labor of love for the author. "New Dutch Swing," paints a detailed picture of a "Music Scene," using history, interviews, biography, culture, and geography to enlighten and excite the reader. I began this book feeling as though I knew very little. Upon completion, I feel like an authority. How much more successful can a book be? No chiaroscuro here!



4. This encyclopedic work about jazz in Holland will appeal to a wider readership than the title would ever suggest. Written with a novelist's eye for fine detail, and an appreciative ear for the rich nuances of jazz, Whitehead's book is a classic that belongs in every music-lover's library. One of the striking aspects of the book is the way Whitehead allows the musicians to speak for themselves - which is illuminating, and gives the book an accessibility for anyone interested in the creative process of music. Excellent book.

No comments about How to Learn Guitar Chords, Progressions, and Songwriting Tips ! Harmony Theory for Guitarists.

No comments about Swing City: Newark Nightlife, 1925-50.

2 comments about The Herb Ellis Jazz Guitar Method : Swing Blues.

1. This is a book for beginners who are intrested in Jazz guitar solo and comping on blues by Herb Ellis Method. It introduce it's Shape System which is simply how to play scale and chord arpeggio by shape.

   The materials are few in this book. It mentioned only 1.how to paly Maj and 7 chords/scale/Arpeggio. 2.1 baisc progression and changes. 3. examples - 3 blues(solo) songs.

   Though m/dim/m7b5/... could be derived from the same concept, this book only introduce how to play chord/scale/arpeggio 'by shape' over Maj and Seven.

   For beginner this is a guide for chord/scale system. For people who already knew chord/scale system this book is nothing new, except the 3 improvised solo. "Joe Pass on Guitar" has more stuff in similar topics. Recommend only for beginners and people who are intrested in Herb Ellis's style.




2. If you're into learning Ellis' uptown beboppy swing style, you should investigate this book. The "how to" part is pretty brief, going over a few of the CAGED shapes, scales and arpeggios as they apply to dominant and 9th chords, plus a look at chromatics. But it's what Ellis does with this that makes the book a great resource. He lays out three long multi-chorus blues solos with various tempos and feels, and it's pretty much the sort of playing you'd hear on one of his records. They're all transcribed and annoted in places with the shapes particular lines were built on. Ellis is a master of taste, timing and melodic bluesy lines, and this book showcases all of that. Check it out.

No comments about Bob Wills - King of Western Swing.

No comments about Swing City: Newark Nightlife, 1925-1950.

5 comments about Swing It!: The Andrews Sisters Story.

1. My dad's a veteran of WWII. He bought a biography of The Andrews Sisters, and when I saw "Swing It" on the coffee table, I decided to start reading it. I then decided to order one for a friend of mine who's into swing music, and when he saw the negative reviews posted here, I was dismayed. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, which told me lots about this trio that I never knew, from their personal friendship with Lou Costello, to their abundant sacrifices for the war effort of the 1940s, to the reason they were so famous for squabbling. I also never realized that they recorded and performed through 1966 (who would've thought that The Andfrews Sisters recorded things like "Puff! The Magic Dragon" and "I Left My Hearty in San Francisco")? I thoroughly enjoyed the biography, and the pictures were great. And in regard to the bad reviews, I wasn't surprised to find that the e-mail address of the reader who wrote the "Yawn" review was "Nutloaf." That about says it.



2. I read "Swing It" upon recommendation and found it to be both entertaining and informative. As I read through the pages, the Andrews sisters, a band I was vaguely familiar with, came alive to me thanks in great part to Sforza's intricate research and finesse. For the casual reader, I recommend this book as a companion to the music and work of the Andrews sisters. For the educator, I stress the importance of this book and its treasure trove of information as a tool for teaching music, culuture, and history for Sforza not only entertains and informs, but, also, "fleshes out" these interesting women and their contribution to the American tapestry. Work well done, Mr. SForza !!



3. Sforza and U. of Ky. press are to commended on issuing the first biography of the Andrews Sisters. While this book may not answer every question, particularly about the private lives of the sisters, it does establish a publication basis for future efforts. In and of itself, the book documents the public careers of this seminal trio of popular song. Sforza lays out in convincing terms the threesome's place in history by comparing them to other vocal groups who have come and gone over the years. He rightly points to the variety of music sung by the Andrews gals from their early swing efforts of the 1930's to their harmonizing of broadway music in the 1970's, and everything in between--South American music, hymns, polkas, Hawiian, Christmas--their rousing version of Jingle Bells with Bing Crosby can still be heard in supermarkets across the land 50 years after it was recorded! And, this perennial trio was a hit in every medium of their day--records, films, theaters, nightclubs, radio and television. They packed a wallop and were loved by millions of fans in America and abroad. The book brings all this home to the reader. It should be of interest both to audiences who remember the Boogie Woogie girls, and to younger fans who still enjoy their music and want to know more about their unparalleled career. For more serious collectors the book provides a filmography, a discography, and information about their on air performances on radio and TV, their gold records, most played jukebox hits and more. Also, the book features lots of photographs, some rare. Hence, the volume is appropriate for the casual reader, because it is an easy and interesting read, but it is also a must for collectors, discographers, musicologists, and libraries for its valuable information. Appreciation is due Sforza for bringing this book to life; a book that is long overdue.

   Bob Boyer




4. I was estatic to finally find a book based around the career of the Andrew Sisters. If you're looking for information on who the sisters were as people, Sforza only hints on the subject. This book is largely a chronicle of their career and Sforza does an amazing job of tracking their discography. The book is not truly a biography as it does not delve into events in their personal lives. It leaves many things to the readers' imagination.
   
   It would have been wonderful if the remaining sisters could have buried the hatchet one last time and collaborated on a biography. It would have been truly wonderful to have a book that commemorated not only their work, but the amazing lives they led.



5. It's surprising to read some of the negative comments posted here but, as it is a free country and to each his own, I'll let it go at that.
   
   My own feeling is that Mr. Sforza wrote a good, informative history that tells the reader not only about the Andrews Sisters but you get an encapsulated look at America during World War II.
   
   If you are like me, then you know the sisters only from old Abbott and Costello movies or by the homage that Bette Midler paid them. That's a great introduction but in SWING IT, Mr. Sforza takes it a step further and gives you a short and sweet story about the women. Although it is clear to see that he likes not only Patty, Maxine and LaVerne as performers, as people too, he never lets his personal feelings get in the way. In a non-critical but highly informative way, the reader learns just how talented the Andrews Sisters were just as you walk away from the book with a clear understanding of what it was like to be living during those times.
   
   His research is quite thorough but the book is neither talky or dragging. Facts are pleasantly given with no preaching or sermon.
   
   If anyone wants to discover what a true American icon was like, pick up this book