In Stardust Melodies; Will Friedwald takes each of these legendary songs apart and puts it together again; with a staggering wealth of detail and unprecedented understanding.Each chapter gives us an extended history of one songmdash;the circumstances under which it was written and first performedmdash;and then explores its musical and lyric content. Drawing on his vast knowledge of records and the careers of performing artists; Friedwald tells us who was responsible for making these songs famous and discusses in depth the performers who have left their unique marks on them. He writes about variations in performance style; about both classic and obscure versions of the songs; about brilliantly original interpretations and ghastly travesties. And then therersquo;s the completely unexpected; like Stan Frebergrsquo;s politically correct ldquo;Elderly Man River.rdquo;This is a book for all lovers of American song to explore; argue with; and savor.From the Hardcover edition.
#49272 in eBooks 2004-09-01 2004-09-01File Name: B002FL3JA0
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Wanna play jazz? Buy this bookBy JakeA classic collection of tunes. really opened my eyes to some of the ins and outs of standard jazz composition!4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Invaluable resourceBy Wm.Great tunes. great format. but just doesnt have as good a song selection as the bootleg version. No "Stardust." no "Night and Day." no "One More for my Baby (and One More for the Road)." etc.. etc.. etc. On the other hand. songwriters should be comoensated fairly for their work. and there are still a ton of great. invaluable tunes here. set up to minimize page-turning mid-song and presented in a clean. clear. unfussy format. If you like jazz. you should have this.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. great referenceBy PlumhunterAppears to have all the standards. Use it for my jazz facebook group.
