Sultanof discusses a full century of big-band jazz, using the reporter's concept of who, what, when, where, and how to help readers understand the genre's history. Preceding the nine chronological chapters are helpful time lines and definitions of key musical elements. Each chapter begins with an overview of historical and socioeconomic circumstances that influenced the music and the public’s relationship with the genre in the period discussed. Of note in this regard are the effects of the Depression, WW II, the British invasion, and disco. Each chapter highlights songs considered classic to the era. The book is valuable both for the history of the genre it offers and for the fact that each chapter can stand on its own. Readers can read chronologically or pick chapters that focus on their passion or chosen area of study. At the book's conclusion, additional reading and listening suggestions are listed by artist; an index of song titles follows the general index. Whether readers are jazz connoisseurs or jazz dabblers, this is a valuable tool for delving into the unique genre of big band jazz.



Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers.

Choice Reviews

Big band jazz gets a concise, balanced analysis from Sultanof, a composer-arranger and professor at the Institute of Audio Research in New York City. Sultanof surveys the rise and fall of the music form from its American origins in 1918 through the early 1950s, when the public flocked to dance in packed clubs, to the present day. He examines the bands’ popularity through the lavish venues in which they played, and the arrival of radio, improved sound recordings, and booking agencies that brought talent to wider audiences. Sultan writes enthusiastically about the heralded ensembles and arrangements of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, and Glenn Miller ('Fred Astaire didn’t make too many records in his incredible career, but his meeting with the Goodman band and the sextet is pure magic,' Sultanof writes about the song 'Just Like Taking Candy from a Baby'). He is especially astute in documenting the well-received bands of World War II, the yearlong musicians’ strike, the singers, the use of foreign rhythms, and the shift to smaller groups. His guide takes readers up through more recent arrangers Gil Evans, Gary McFarland, and Don Sebesky. Sultanof has written a handy, detailed reference for jazz music listeners.

Publishers Weekly

Sultanof has had a long and distinguished career as composer, arranger, and jazz historian, working with musicians of the caliber of Sonny Rollins and Gerry Mulligan and publishing the arrangements for Miles Davis's legendary 1949–50 Birth of the Cool sessions. Though written for novices, this book will be of value to all lovers of jazz bands, introducing numerous ensembles that may have eluded them. Several of these groups only marginally qualify as jazz, but that's for the good, as styles spread outside of straightforward jazz, and jazz musicians were recruited to play them. Sultanof's choice of songs is tilted toward what's playing on YouTube or Spotify. Thus, readers can listen to cuts while reading about them in the book.... Above all, his knowledge of the band scene from the 1910s to the present is unparalleled. VERDICT This titles should appeal...to everyone interested in jazz or big bands.

Library Journal

It is no easy task linking Paul Whiteman and Duke Ellington to Darcy James Argue and Tom Kubis in less than 200 pages. Sultanof does the job of introducing the neophyte to the panoply of styles and creators over the wide arc of the past century.

ARSC Journal

[I]n addition to the absolutely required abilities as an ‘ … editor, arranger, composer, and educator,’ Jeffrey has also organized the subject cogently and coherently and he has written about it in a style that is clear and concise…. From a musician’s perspective, Jeffrey’s new book is the closest thing I have ever encountered in written form that depicts and explains what the Jazz big band experience ‘feels like’ and he does it in such a way as to make it possible for the Jazz fan, as well, to go along for the ride. After reading Jeff’s book, you’ll listen to Jazz big bands with an informed ear. You’ll be able to place yourself in the music and vicariously experience the excitement that is Big Band Jazz. Experiencing Big Band Jazz: A Listener’s Companion by Jeffrey Sultanof will be the seminal work on the subject for years to come.

Jazz Profiles

Experiencing Big Band Jazz fills an important gap in the literature of this rich, wonderful, and unsinkable musical idiom with a thoughtful tour through nearly a century of influential recordings. And here’s the big payoff: With the musical examples readily available online, you can follow along without having to amass a huge record collection!

Ray Hoffman, CEO Radio, WCBS Newsradio 880 New York