Artie Shaw, the world famous clarinet-playing bandleader who became popular during the Swing Era, was immersed in the music business as a performer for 30 years, from the summer of 1924, when he began to study saxophone, until the summer of 1954, when he stopped performing. This period of activity is the focus of this musical biography and discography, a detailed account of Shaw's musical career and recorded output. The book begins with a summary of Shaw's career in the contexts of jazz history and social setting, then moves into more detail. The chronologically arranged sections, mirroring each phase of his career, incorporate contemporary reviews and interview quotes to create an insightful narrative. The discography lists all known recordings and is separate from the text to facilitate easy reference. Includes appendixes and index.
Vladimir Simosko (M.L.S., Rutgers University) is Music Librarian at the University of Manitoba and former Curator of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University. He is the author of a critically-acclaimed biography of Eric Dolphy (Smithsonian Institution Press) and Serge Chaloff (Scarecrow Press, 1998).
For those select devotees long yearning for a meticulous accounting of the career and discography of swing musician Artie Shaw, the wait is over. * Choice * Vladimir Simosko has provided the first comprehensive study of the great Artie Shaw...This book provides a wealth of neatly categorized information...the best available guide to the life and music of Artie Shaw. -- John Harding ...Simosko's book brings us leagues closer to following Shaw's career and peccadilloes than we have ever been...this is indeed a gloriously detailed book... * Hot Jazz Saturday Night * ...thorough survey of his musical career. * The New York Times * ...this is one of the jazz publishing events of the year. * Cadence Magazine * The volume contains a gallery of interesting black and white posters and photos that reflect not only his personal and professional life, but also an era in jazz. * Reference and Research Book News * This is a terrific book for fans of the Big Band Era. Push that librarian to buy a copy and be the first in line to read it. * Rapport * ...a work that is not only long overdue, but also highly welcome for the impressive amount of new and corrected information that it does offer. * JazzTimes Magazine * Both swing fans in general and record collectors in particular have been waiting for this book for decades, believing that someday Artie Shaw, one of the past century's greatest clarinetists might himself set down in words, once and for all, the true account of his career. * The Mississippi Rag * ...this volume will be the first source to consult for some time to come...about as complete as one could wish for...Artie Shaw deserves a book of this nature to place him back in the limelight for the present generation. * American Reference Books Annual * ..the definitive chronicle of Artie Shaw's three-decade, or so, career in music...This is a marvelous book and Vladimir Simosko deserves a great deal of credit for his work. * The IAJRC Journal * A treasure to be enjoyed by any Big Band enthusiast and an indispensable tool for every serious Artie Shaw collector. * South Bay Beat * Using contemporary reviews, his own musical analysis and many quotes from Shaw himself, Simosko has put together a fascinating narrative that could serve as the basis for a dramatic novel...this is the best possible book on the rather unique Artie Shaw. * Jazz Improv Magazine * It is a treasure to be enjoyed by any Big Band enthusiast and an indispensable tool for every serious Artie Shaw collector. * Black Athlete Sports Network * Truly, this is a jazz book not to be missed. * Music World Magazine *
