JAM: December 2003/January 2004 Issue: Storyville

The Jazz Canon

Da capo [Italian (ca. 1724): da, from + capo, head]; from the beginning; used as a direction in music to repeat a passage

Musically speaking, a canon is a contrapuntal composition in multiple parts. In the world of literature, it's an authoritative list of books. A single book publisher links the two, standing prominently at the crossroads of both literature and music. By any definition, Da Capo Press is the leading source for America's jazz canon. With more than one hundred titles in print, Da Capo is akin to the Everyman's or Modern Library of jazz.

Everyman's Library began in 1905 when a London publisher started producing affordable, handsome editions of great literature. Meanwhile, the Modern Library introduced generations of United States readers to European works while keeping classics by American writers continuously in print. A relative newcomer, Da Capo, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was founded in 1975 and has been part of the Perseus Books Group the last few years.

Why jazz? According to Perseus publisher John Radziewicz, "The jazz market might not be as broad as the market for rock-and-roll superstars, yet what it may lack in breadth, it gains in depth and passion. Frankly," he adds, "jazz is not the easiest area in which to publish books, or to produce music for that matter. Still, the Da Capo tradition always inspires new books and an interest in extending the legacy. As current inheritor of the legacy," he emphasizes, "it's very important to me in my role as publisher."

Original compositions issued in recent years reflect an impressive range of voices and perspectives. Titles range from a documentary retrospective to a contemporary sketch to an insider's memoir. While bringing new work to life, Da Capo also maintains an extensive backlist of reliable standards. Venerable titles are frequently enhanced by fresh design and new commentary. Forthcoming from Da Capo for Spring 2004 is a compilation book titled American Music Is... The effort is inspired by the mid-1970s Jazz Is..., a collection of short biographies and explorations from Nat Hentoff. It's also a tangible expression of the broad impact jazz can have, not just on music at large but in literary and publishing circles as well.

One take on Da Capo titles, old and new, worthy of note for JAM readers appears below. Selections are made based on personal assessment of universal appeal or particular Kansas City connections. Reasonable minds may differ. For further reference, the complete jazz library may be viewed online at http://www.dacapopress.com.

Perseus Books, drawing its name from the son of Zeus and Danaë in Greek mythology, has ambitious plans for its entire publishing group. Through Da Capo and sibling imprints, it possesses core strength in general history, military history, additional musical genres, and several other areas of nonfiction and literary fiction. Within such a diverse and growing enterprise, whither the music? "Jazz is a key part of the foundation on which Da Capo was built," Radziewicz says. "And jazz will continue to play a key role in the future we're trying to build." That's good news for an audience of depth and passion.

Selected Jazz Highlights from Da Capo Press:

Bird Lives! The High Life and Hard Times of Charlie (Yardbird) Parker
Ross Russell
1973, first Da Capo Press edition 1996, $15.95 paperback, 406 pages
* Lead sheet: Bird biography by the music store owner, record company founder, and concert producer.
* Listen for: Treatment of Parker's hometown formative influences in chapters on the "Heavenly City" and "Kansas City Mystique," among others.
* Out chorus: Parker friend and JAM contributor Don Rose adroitly calls Russell's tale "fascinating but not always accurate." Russell also wrote the valuable (but out-of-print) Jazz Style in Kansas City and the Southwest.

The Da Capo Jazz and Blues Lover's Guide to the U.S.
Christiane Bird, editor
3rd edition, 2001, $17.50 paperback, 486 pages
* Lead sheet: The definitive compilation of sources, notes on neighborhoods, landmarks and legends, clubs for jazz and blues, other venues and special events, radio, record store, and related information for 26 leading American sites.
* Listen for: Expert contributions from Mike Metheny on the Kansas City scene.
* Out chorus: A reference gem and excellent travel equipment.

Good Morning Blues: The Autobiography of Count Basie
Co-written with Albert Murray
New edition 2002, $17.50 paperback, 399 pages
* Lead sheet: In the role of as-told-to collaborator, Murray functioned as literary accompanist and orchestrator. The resulting words bring Basie to life, at once sounding like his own true voice and his play at the keyboard.
* Listen for: "Moten Swing Territory," geographically, musically, and metaphorically, circa 1929 to 1936, at the heart of this Kansas City-fueled narrative.
* Out chorus: Keying off the belief that autobiographies don't have endings per se, Basie's tag line was, "to be continued, until we meet again. Meanwhile, keep on listening and tapping your feet." Basie blessed the text, though his ending came before the book appeared in print in 1985.

Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life
Wynton Marsalis and Carl Vigeland
2001, $15.00 paperback, 256 pages
* Lead sheet: The portrait of an extraordinary musician's life on the road with the now defunct septet preceding formation of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.
* Listen for: After a gig in downtown Kansas City, Wynton sticks around to visit with folks and gives a boy who brought his horn backstage a trumpet lesson.
* Out chorus: Observations from Vigeland alternate with meditations from Marsalis to create a rhythmic set of expressions about experience, rather than journalistic reportage.

Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece
Ashley Kahn
2000, $15.00 paperback, 224 pages
* Lead sheet: A former Rolling Stone editor and journalist examines the epic 1959 sessions when Miles Davis and his talented cohorts captured jazz lightning in a vinyl bottle.
* Listen for: Insight into the improvisational process provided through previously unseen images, information, and interviews.
* Out chorus: This artistic and celebratory tribute is a treasure for those who appreciate the desert-island album that still sells a quarter million copies each year.

Myself Among Others: A Life in Music
George Wein with Nate Chinen
2003, $27.50 hardcover, 546 pages
* Lead sheet: A memoir from the leading jazz impresario and Newport Jazz Festival founder. First-hand accounts cover many of the major 20th century jazz events, personalities and venues in comprehensive fashion.
* Listen for: The stories behind Wein's Storyville club in Boston, interludes about Duke, Monk and Miles, and a memorable session with President Jimmy Carter.
* Out chorus: Don Rose's review appears in the August/September 2003 issue of JAM.

Stomping the Blues
Albert Murray
25th anniversary edition 2001, $16.00 paperback, 266 pages
* Lead sheet: Winner of the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award, a timeless lyrical feast of words and photographs. It remains the preeminent aesthetic and philosophical statement of jazz as artistic action in response to the human condition.
* Listen for: Inimitable picture captions. Two sparkling examples: Don't miss the piercing comic reference to "third line" musicians in the historic Great Day in Harlem photograph. Another hot riff -- on the nature of adversity, ritual, and sportsmanship -- accompanies a photo of Louis Armstrong with his New Orleans "secret 9" baseball team.
* Out chorus: As Duke Ellington said, "Murray is an authority on Soul from the days of old. He doesn't have to look it up; he already knows. If you want to know, look him up."

The World of Count Basie
Stanley Dance
1980, $14.95 paperback, 399 pages
* Lead sheet: Interviews with 34 musicians associated with Basie's bands, both the Old and New Testament incarnations. The resulting oral history portrays the world in which Basie worked and the people who inhabited it.
* Listen for: Voices and vignettes from Kansas City's rich jazz heritage. We hear old Basie, Eddie Barefield, Eddie Durham, Gus Johnson, Jay McShann, Gene Ramey, Jimmy Rushing, Buddy Tate, Frank Wess, and Lester "Prez" Young.
* Out chorus: A fitting counterpoint to Basie's own Good Morning Blues

-- Tom Fredrick






	Search our site:		The Jazz Canon Da capo [Italian (ca. 1724): da, from + capo, head]; from the beginning; used as a direction in music to repeat a passage Musically speaking, a canon is a contrapuntal composition in multiple parts. In the world of literature, it's an authoritative list of books. A single book publisher links the two, standing prominently at the crossroads of both literature and music. By any definition, Da Capo Press is the leading source for America's jazz canon. With more than one hundred titles in print, Da Capo is akin to the Everyman's or Modern Library of jazz. Everyman's Library began in 1905 when a London publisher started producing affordable, handsome editions of great literature. Meanwhile, the Modern Library introduced generations of United States readers to European works while keeping classics by American writers continuously in print. A relative newcomer, Da Capo, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was founded in 1975 and has been part of the Perseus Books Group the last few years. Why jazz? According to Perseus publisher John Radziewicz, "The jazz market might not be as broad as the market for rock-and-roll superstars, yet what it may lack in breadth, it gains in depth and passion. Frankly," he adds, "jazz is not the easiest area in which to publish books, or to produce music for that matter. Still, the Da Capo tradition always inspires new books and an interest in extending the legacy. As current inheritor of the legacy," he emphasizes, "it's very important to me in my role as publisher." Original compositions issued in recent years reflect an impressive range of voices and perspectives. Titles range from a documentary retrospective to a contemporary sketch to an insider's memoir. While bringing new work to life, Da Capo also maintains an extensive backlist of reliable standards. Venerable titles are frequently enhanced by fresh design and new commentary. Forthcoming from Da Capo for Spring 2004 is a compilation book titled American Music Is... The effort is inspired by the mid-1970s Jazz Is..., a collection of short biographies and explorations from Nat Hentoff. It's also a tangible expression of the broad impact jazz can have, not just on music at large but in literary and publishing circles as well. One take on Da Capo titles, old and new, worthy of note for JAM readers appears below. Selections are made based on personal assessment of universal appeal or particular Kansas City connections. Reasonable minds may differ. For further reference, the complete jazz library may be viewed online at http://www.dacapopress.com. Perseus Books, drawing its name from the son of Zeus and Danaë in Greek mythology, has ambitious plans for its entire publishing group. Through Da Capo and sibling imprints, it possesses core strength in general history, military history, additional musical genres, and several other areas of nonfiction and literary fiction. Within such a diverse and growing enterprise, whither the music? "Jazz is a key part of the foundation on which Da Capo was built," Radziewicz says. "And jazz will continue to play a key role in the future we're trying to build." That's good news for an audience of depth and passion. Selected Jazz Highlights from Da Capo Press: Bird Lives! The High Life and Hard Times of Charlie (Yardbird) Parker Ross Russell 1973, first Da Capo Press edition 1996, $15.95 paperback, 406 pages * Lead sheet: Bird biography by the music store owner, record company founder, and concert producer. * Listen for: Treatment of Parker's hometown formative influences in chapters on the "Heavenly City" and "Kansas City Mystique," among others. * Out chorus: Parker friend and JAM contributor Don Rose adroitly calls Russell's tale "fascinating but not always accurate." Russell also wrote the valuable (but out-of-print) Jazz Style in Kansas City and the Southwest. The Da Capo Jazz and Blues Lover's Guide to the U.S. Christiane Bird, editor 3rd edition, 2001, $17.50 paperback, 486 pages * Lead sheet: The definitive compilation of sources, notes on neighborhoods, landmarks and legends, clubs for jazz and blues, other venues and special events, radio, record store, and related information for 26 leading American sites. * Listen for: Expert contributions from Mike Metheny on the Kansas City scene. * Out chorus: A reference gem and excellent travel equipment. Good Morning Blues: The Autobiography of Count Basie Co-written with Albert Murray New edition 2002, $17.50 paperback, 399 pages * Lead sheet: In the role of as-told-to collaborator, Murray functioned as literary accompanist and orchestrator. The resulting words bring Basie to life, at once sounding like his own true voice and his play at the keyboard. * Listen for: "Moten Swing Territory," geographically, musically, and metaphorically, circa 1929 to 1936, at the heart of this Kansas City-fueled narrative. * Out chorus: Keying off the belief that autobiographies don't have endings per se, Basie's tag line was, "to be continued, until we meet again. Meanwhile, keep on listening and tapping your feet." Basie blessed the text, though his ending came before the book appeared in print in 1985. Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life Wynton Marsalis and Carl Vigeland 2001, $15.00 paperback, 256 pages * Lead sheet: The portrait of an extraordinary musician's life on the road with the now defunct septet preceding formation of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. * Listen for: After a gig in downtown Kansas City, Wynton sticks around to visit with folks and gives a boy who brought his horn backstage a trumpet lesson. * Out chorus: Observations from Vigeland alternate with meditations from Marsalis to create a rhythmic set of expressions about experience, rather than journalistic reportage. Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece Ashley Kahn 2000, $15.00 paperback, 224 pages * Lead sheet: A former Rolling Stone editor and journalist examines the epic 1959 sessions when Miles Davis and his talented cohorts captured jazz lightning in a vinyl bottle. * Listen for: Insight into the improvisational process provided through previously unseen images, information, and interviews. * Out chorus: This artistic and celebratory tribute is a treasure for those who appreciate the desert-island album that still sells a quarter million copies each year. Myself Among Others: A Life in Music George Wein with Nate Chinen 2003, $27.50 hardcover, 546 pages * Lead sheet: A memoir from the leading jazz impresario and Newport Jazz Festival founder. First-hand accounts cover many of the major 20th century jazz events, personalities and venues in comprehensive fashion. * Listen for: The stories behind Wein's Storyville club in Boston, interludes about Duke, Monk and Miles, and a memorable session with President Jimmy Carter. * Out chorus: Don Rose's review appears in the August/September 2003 issue of JAM. Stomping the Blues Albert Murray 25th anniversary edition 2001, $16.00 paperback, 266 pages * Lead sheet: Winner of the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award, a timeless lyrical feast of words and photographs. It remains the preeminent aesthetic and philosophical statement of jazz as artistic action in response to the human condition. * Listen for: Inimitable picture captions. Two sparkling examples: Don't miss the piercing comic reference to "third line" musicians in the historic Great Day in Harlem photograph. Another hot riff -- on the nature of adversity, ritual, and sportsmanship -- accompanies a photo of Louis Armstrong with his New Orleans "secret 9" baseball team. * Out chorus: As Duke Ellington said, "Murray is an authority on Soul from the days of old. He doesn't have to look it up; he already knows. If you want to know, look him up." The World of Count Basie Stanley Dance 1980, $14.95 paperback, 399 pages * Lead sheet: Interviews with 34 musicians associated with Basie's bands, both the Old and New Testament incarnations. The resulting oral history portrays the world in which Basie worked and the people who inhabited it. * Listen for: Voices and vignettes from Kansas City's rich jazz heritage. We hear old Basie, Eddie Barefield, Eddie Durham, Gus Johnson, Jay McShann, Gene Ramey, Jimmy Rushing, Buddy Tate, Frank Wess, and Lester "Prez" Young. * Out chorus: A fitting counterpoint to Basie's own Good Morning Blues -- Tom Fredrick RETURN TO DECEMBER 2003/JANUARY 2004 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2003. All rights reserved.