This conversation is hosted by JJA Board Member and Chair of our Book Committee, Bob Blumenthal. Bob, along with JJA members Fiona Ross, Todd Jenkins and Katch Cartwright, share some of their book recommendations for you to consider for those on your 2025 holiday nice list. Maybe a few of the naughty people deserve some of these, too.
The JJA’s book committee votes on Book Award nominees everyJanuary and February. The recommendations herein do not reflect any prejudgments by the committee nor should this episode be taken as any preview of what's to come with the awards.
Here is your shopping list of books and music discussed in this episode:
Books Discussed in Detail
- Writing Jazz: Conversations with Critics and Biographers by Sasha Feinstein
- Guide to Jazz in Japan by Michael Pronko
- Focus on Women in Jazz by Guy le Querrec
- The Story of Jazz by Marshall Stearns
- Jazz: Its Evolution and Essence by André Hodeir
- The Life and Writings of Ralph J. Gleason: Dispatches from the Front by Don Armstrong
- Going Back to T-Town: The Ernie Fields Territory Big Band by Carmen Fields
- Master of the Drums: Gene Krupa and the Music He Gave the World by Elizabeth J. Rosenthal
- Cross Rhythms: An Introspective into the Life and Musicality of Joe Chambers by Joe Chambers and Cristian Schorr
- Oceans of Time: The Musical Autobiography of Billy Hart by Billy Hart and Ethan Iverson
- The Jazz Barn: The Music Inn, the Berkshires, and the Place of Jazz in American Life by John Gennari
- Becoming Ella Fitzgerald by Judith Tick
- Stomp Off, Let's Go: The Early Years of Louis Armstrong by Ricky Riccardi
- Song for Someone: The Musical Life of Kenny Wheeler by Brian Shaw and Nick Smart
- Sax Expat: The Biography of Don Byas by Con Chapman
- Black Mystery School Pianists and Other Writings by Matthew Shipp
- Run the Song: Writing About Running, About Listening by Ben Ratliff
Books Referenced
- Sophisticated Giant by Maxine Gordon (about Dexter Gordon)
- Gene Krupa: His Life and Times by Bruce Crowther
- Rhythm Man: Chick Webb and the Beat that Changed America by Stephanie Stein Crease
- The Swing Era by Gunther Schuller
Albums Referenced
- Friday and Saturday Night at the Blackhawk by Miles Davis (includes essay by Ralph J. Gleason)
- Dizzy on the French Riviera by Dizzy Gillespie (includes essay by Ralph J. Gleason)
The Jazz Omnibus is on sale now at 25% off. This 600-page anthology features 21st-century photos and writings by JJA members. Details at: bit.ly/jja25
If you're a media-maker working in jazz, the JJA is offering first-time members a special rate of $50. Join a community of colleagues telling all the stories of jazz. Sign up at members.jazzjournalists.org/join
Don’t miss new episodes of The Buzz. Make sure you follow us wherever you listen to podcasts.
For more from the Jazz Journalists Association, go to JJANews.org.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.