Jazz

Written by Walter Dean Myers

Narrated by Vaneese Thomas and James Williams

“Jazz,” winner of the first-ever Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production/American Library Association, features performances by jazz vocalists James “D-Train” Williams and Vaneese Thomas. The history of jazz is presented in a series of fifteen poems that are read and sung, against a backdrop of original music that sets the appropriate mood and tone for each of the varied pieces. The result is a celebration through poetry, art, and music that reflects the heart and soul of the many styles of jazz in a glowing tribute to a truly American art form.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Live Oak Media
• Release date: Jan 1, 2007
• ISBN: 9781430109150

Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers was the New York Times bestselling author of Monster, the winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award; a former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature; and an inaugural NYC Literary Honoree. Myers received every single major award in the field of children's literature. He was the author of two Newbery Honor Books and six Coretta Scott King Awardees. He was the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults, a three-time National Book Award Finalist, as well as the first-ever recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Reviews for Jazz

[matesewiggns · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jazz by Walter Dean Myers, illustrated by Christopher Dean Myers is a vivid picture book of rhythmic poetry that describes the history of Jazz. The book covers the first formation of Jazz and different type of Jazz such as Bebop, Blues, and New Orleans Jazz. There are poems and colorful beautiful illustrations about the instruments used in Jazz: the piano, bass, and horns. These that could be found in this jazzy picture book is Jazz History, African American music and Types of Jazz, instruments, and vocals.

[maowangvater · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Bright painterly illustrations by Christopher Myers set the scene for his father’s poetry. It’s poetry that catches the rhythm of the uniquely American music as it sings of its history and variations. To the marvelous picture book James "D-Train" Williams and Vaneese Thomas sing and recite the lyrics accompanied by band playing what they sing about.

[scote23 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Poetry and jazz. Beautiful.

[christian3mehalic · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a story that was chosen because it is an Award Winning Picture book and it has some amazing illustrations. The book itself is telling the story of jazz's history through cool pictures and interesting text. Even the way the lettering is set up and how it flows across the page and links into each illustration. Awesome book that also has a whole lot of history in it. Great for a group/class reading.

[arieldean · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The poem is dedicated to the children of New Orleans. Jazz is the heart of New Orleans music and this poem really captures that. Through the poems, the rhythm of jazz is captured. I loved the big illustrations and sometimes I had to turn the book sideways to read the poem which was different but exciting. Each page has a person playing an instrument so I would try to imagine that type of background music. I also liked the glossary and time line.

[kyleburley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An impressionistic celebration of jazz music in fifteen beautifully illustrated poems. Award winning writer Walter Dean Myers captures the passion and essence of the music from it's earliest African roots to the the most sophisticated modern style. Perfectly complimenting his words are the painted illustrations of his son Christopher Myers. His stylized but elegant portraits give us glimpses of recognizable subjects (e.g.Dizzy Gillespie's puffed cheeks, Miles Davis' unique stance) while never resorting to caricature.The language is lively, onomatopoeic and should appeal to young readers if read aloud with enthusiasm even if, as is likely, they have no previous knowledge of or interest in jazz. If your intention is to introduce the subject to a young reader, you could hardly choose better."Jazz" has recieved the following awards:Books of the Year Winner 2006 8 to 12 Years Coretta Scott King Book Award Honor Book 2007 Illustrator Cybils Finalist 2006 Poetry The Golden Kite Award Award Book 2006 Picture BookLee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Winner 2007 NAACP Image Award Nominee 2007 Outstanding Literary Work-PoetryLion and Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry Honor Book 2006

[smdorr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is a collection of poems talking about the many different types of Jazz. This would be a good book to incorporate in a classroom because it introduces a very large part of New Orleans culture, but through poetry. I also liked how this book has a Jazz terminology glossary in the back of the book to reference. *Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner

[eclouse_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A poetry book about the different aspects of Jazz music. Would be great to use in a lesson either about different kinds of music or when talking about different kind of poetry. The illustrations are also very well done and give the book another aspect of being able to see the different aspects of Jazz.

[bsalomon_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jazz is a collection of poetry that the author has dedicated to the people of New Orleans. The poems have a jazz rhythm while reading it. These poems circulate around famous musicians that made jazz music popular and also starting the basis for music. This would be a great book to share in the classroom, especially to students in New Orleans.

[nmkimdykstra · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Personal Response:I thought this was a beautiful book, and the poetry on the pages is wonderful. However, I think there might be a bit too many words each page for kids to process (or more than they want to process).Classroom/Library uses:This would be a great book for a music teacher to incorporate into his or her curriculum. This would also go nicely with studies dealing with the African-American experience in the United States. Since Jazz music is so lyrical and poetic, it could also go along with English studies.

[mcrotti_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is a tribute to the African-American tradition of jazz music, written in fifteen fun, rhythmic poems meant to evoke the sounds of various kinds of jazz. The poems speak of different instruments, musicians, and singers, and would be a great introduction into the world of African-American music for children. The book also includes an introduction giving a brief history of jazz music, a glossary of jazz terms, and a jazz timeline spanning the 1800s to the present.Libraries could use this book as part of a children's program on music. The poems would be extremely fun to read in a story-time format, and, the introduction, glossary, and timeline are extremely informative, but written accessibly for younger readers.

[d9holliman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book the artwork was wonderful, it was bold and really pulled that jazz feeling out of the poems. All of the poems were jazz themed and styled. Since I am not very knowledgeable about jazz I cannot say if any of the poems/songs were classics or not. I think that it is a great way to expose readers to jazz music and to show the connections that poetry and music can have. Jazz is another great book to use to get students reading poetry, which helps them with their reading skill in regards to fluency and expression.

[chrismyersgroup · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book takes lyrics from existing jazz songs and places them with pictures. The illustrations are done very creatively with paint and ink. Each illustration seems to link directly to the text it is matched with. Christopher Myers did a great job at choosing images that would link to the text, yet still drive curiosity and a sense of history. He is able to portray the strong history, culture and emotion behind jazz music though facial expressions, instruments used, and people he has chosen to represent.