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In a swinging improvisation with poster artist Paul Rogers, Wynton Marsalis celebrates the spirit of twenty-six stellar jazz performers, from Armstrong to Dizzy ? and showcases the same number of poetic forms.
An A to Z Collection of Jazz Portraits
Candlewick
October 2005
76 pages ISBN: 0763621358 Hardcover
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Non-Fiction Biography
A is for "almighty" Louis Armstrong, whose amazing artistry
unfolds in an accumulative poem shaped like the letter he
stands for. As for sax master Sonny Rollins, whose "robust
style radiates roundness," could there be a better tribute
than a poetic rondeau? In an extraordinary feat, Pulitzer
Prize-winning jazz composer Wynton Marsalis harmonizes his
love and knowledge of jazz's most celebrated artists with
an astounding diversity of poetic forms — from simple blues
(Count Basie) to a complex pantoum (Charlie Parker), from a
tender sonnet (Sarah Vaughan) to a performance poem
snapping the rhythms of Art Blakey to life. Matching Wynton Marsalis's musical cadences note for note
is the bold, poster-style art of Paul Rogers, highlighted
in two phenomenal foldout spreads. The art's vibrant
nostalgic feel is echoed in an exquisite design, with its
size simulating an old 78 LP and its endpapers die-cut to
mimic a vintage record sleeve. Complete with a discography
and brief biographies of the featured musicians as well as
notes on the various poetic forms, this is truly an
incomparable gift book — for older children learning about
jazz, longtime jazz aficionados, lovers of poetry, and
readers of all ages who appreciate the finest in book
design.
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