Jazz A-B-Z: an a to z collection of jazz portraits

Wynton Marsalis (author)

Paul Rogers (illustrations)

Walker Books, UK: 2005

ISBN: 9780763634346

Genres: music, poetry, picture book

‘A vital, vast, vivacious, vernal voice/ with violet, velvet virtues sings to me'

Thus begins the description of the jazz songbird, Sarah Vaughan. Alliteration abounds and the structure of each poem has been carefully selected to reflect the rhythmic style of each performer/composer. Definitely written to be read aloud, these are poems that cry out for performance.

The verses dedicated to Art Blakey demand a drummer. The repetitive ‘p's of the poem about Charlie Parker echo the rippling notes of saxophone riffs - ‘Persistent preacher of positivity, Parker purges pessimism with a peppy parade of polished percussive pearls.' Poems that seem over-written and too-clever-by-half make musical sense when read aloud, with an ear to the instrument of each legendary performer. Clapping out the rhythms of each syllable of a poem demonstrates just how skilful the writing is - here are the toe-tapping syncopations and unexpected hesitations that are the essence of jazz. Marsalis, a brilliant jazz trumpeter in his own right, has written a wonderfully varied collection of cleverly crafted poems that introduce the reader to the greatest names in jazz.

Presented in hardcover format that mimics an old-fashioned LP, Paul Rogers' illustrations reinforce this with poster-style images that capture the energy and vibrant colours of the music. A column-length biography of each musician is provided at the back of the book, written by jazz historian Phil Schaap. Notes on the poetic forms are also provided, often including an indication of why it was used for that particular artist, allowing the careful reader to develop a richer understanding of both the performer's music as well as the poem.

Finally, a list of twenty-six recommended jazz recordings is provided - one for each artist Marsalis has written about. This is a collection to be enjoyed on many levels and is therefore appropriate for virtually any age and stage of musical and literary development.

Great fun for jazz lovers, especially.