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All Music Guide to Jazz
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 The cover of the fourth edition of the All Music Guide to Jazz. |
|
| Author | Vladimir Bogdanov Chris Woodstra Stephen Thomas Erlewine |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | All Music Guide |
| Subject(s) | Jazz |
| Genre(s) | Non-fiction Encyclopedic Reference |
| Publisher | Backbeat Books |
| Released | November 27, 2002 (4th) |
| Media type | Paperback |
| Pages | 1,400 |
| ISBN | 0-87930-717-X |
All Music Guide to Jazz: The Definitive Guide to Jazz is a non-fiction book that is an encyclopedic referencing of jazz music compiled under the direction of All Media Guide.
Contents |
The book's fourth edition was released on November 27, 2002 and was edited by Vladimir Bogdanov (head of All Music Guide book series), Chris Woodstra and Stephen Thomas Erlewine.
The books back cover touts that the book contains ratings for close to 20,000 albums and 1,700 musician biographies. Artists are listed alphabetically and include some of the following: birth and death dates, classification (vocals, guitar, drums, ect.), a biography, a discography. The discography listings include a five star rating, the music label it was released on, and the date as well as possibly reviews of certain albums. These reviews are done by "respected critics" from Jazz Times and Coda.[1]
There are also thirty essays on different styles along with "top lists" and extensive charts on the evolution/lineage of the jazz.
It is often considered "the quintessential jazz encyclopedia"[2] and "a must-have reference for anyone interested in the world of recorded jazz past and present."[1] Previous to thie version when albums weren't reviewed on five star scale, there was some confusion, but "in the long run what the editors have to say is more important than any rating scale."[3]. Also, previous versions have also relied heavily on few reviews to comment on many albums, which "tends to weaken" the book.[3]
The added features are welcomed, since they give readers a "close-up view of the artists" within the jazz culture.[1] The essays in particular are "exceptionally well researched and written".[2]