On The Bookshelf
The World of Jazz | Jim Godbolt
This book is exciting and interesting in so many ways. It is filled with amazing pictures from the Jazz Age that make history feel real and alive. The images tell the story of how jazz began in New Orleans and traveled all over the world, growing into the music we know today.
The author, jazz historian Jim Godbolt, clearly loves jazz, and his passion shines through every page. He doesn’t just show photos of musicians and famous places. He also shares colorful artwork from record covers, posters, magazines, and record labels. Some of these designs are legendary, especially posters for Dizzy Gillespie and Jazz at the Philharmonic, as well as jazz magazines like Record Changer.
The story of jazz is told through old newspapers, posters, books, reviews, and rare photographs. Many of these items are hard to find, which makes the book feel like a treasure chest of history. You learn that jazz is not only about music, but also about how it was shared, recorded, advertised, and turned into a business.
The book shows how jazz started with young, self-taught musicians who had very little, and how it slowly became a huge, worldwide industry. It is a book you can read again and again. Every time you look at the pictures, you notice something new—from poor neighborhoods and riverboats to exciting nightclubs and beautiful concert halls around the world.
With its big pages and powerful images, this book is fun to explore, easy to enjoy, and full of inspiration. I highly recommend it.
The World Of Jazz: 1990 | Jim Godbolt
On The Bookshelf
Notes Of A Hanging Judge | Stanley Crouch
Notes Of A Hanging Judge: Essays and Reviews, 1979-1989 is a 1990 collection of essays by Stanley Crouch that critically examines the American Civil Rights Movement, Black culture, and politics, arguing the movement became “loco” and self-defeating despite its initial nobility. The book features sharp, often controversial, critiques of figures like Jesse Jackson and artists like Toni Morrison and Spike Lee, using a blend of insider passion and journalistic rigor to analyze the Black experience in America.
The title refers to Crouch’s role as a harsh judge of the Civil Rights Movement, similar to a pirate-turned-judge who was hard on his former comrades. The book includes essays on race relations, Black middle-class life, the Bernhard Goetz case, Black homosexuality, and profiles of leaders like Jesse Jackson.
Crouch views the Civil Rights Movement as a noble cause that became mired in self-defeating nationalism and a lack of spiritual depth, losing its original majesty. Written with a virtuosic prose style, it balances passionate involvement with a reporter’s rigor, offering unique perspectives on public issues. He covers a wide range of topics, from politics and social issues to art and travel, often focusing on the African-American experience.
Notes Of A Hanging Judge: 1990 | Stanley Crouch
Oxford University Press
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Alan Plachta was born on November 30, 1981 and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Recently recorded in NYC his last album “Un viaje” in collaboration with Richard Nant, featuring Luis Perdomo on piano, Sam Sadigursky on reeds, Satoshi Takeishi on drums and Matt Pavolka on bass.
As a composer, arranger and conductor he has worked with the Boris Big Band, Orquesta Sudamericana, Kai de Raiz, and Orquesta de Cuerdas Elvino Vardado in collaboration with Juan Pollo Raffo.
Alan has played and/or recorded with numerous South American musicians such as Roberto Taufic, Hugo Fattoruso, Urbano Moraes, Daniel Maza, Robert Vincs, Alex & Nilusha, Alexandre Ribeiro, Ana Luiza and Luis Felipe Gama, Nicolás Ospina, Celeste Carballo, Ligia Piro, Liliana Herrero, and Cecilia Pahl among others.
A leader or co-leader, he has recorded five albums, the first in 2005. A prolific arranger and producer Nussbaum has collaborated as guitarist and guest arranger for Cambrio de Estacion, Roma, Soy Una Tarada, Desmesura, Este Tiempo, Ensamble Real Book Argentina, and Y De Amor No Supe Nada.
As a guitarist he has recorded ninetten albums and his compositions are included in Real Book Argentina. His educator role has Adam teaching ear training, arrangement, harmony and guitar. He is in charge of the Musical Language´s Technichs at the Tecnólogo en Jazz y Música Creativa career at UTEC.
Guitarist, composer, arranger and educator Alan Plachta continues to explore his music and his teaching.
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On The Bookshelf
Jazz: America’s Classical Music | Grover Sales
Jazz critic Grover Sales takes the reader on a journey of introduction to the history, complexity and criticism of the music in Jazz: America’s Classical Music. This book illustrated with photographs, is considered a classic text and an ideal guide for both beginners and those familiar with the genre.
In an engaging and conversational style, the renowned jazz teacher tells of the lives and music of the greats like Ellington, Tatum, Hawkins, Coltrane, Parker, Hines, Goodman, Armstrong, and many others. He does this with a mix of important facts, fascinating anecdotes, and brilliant interpretations.
The author was a prominent figure in the jazz world, he taught at Stanford University and worked as the publicity director for the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Jazz: 1984 | Grover Sales
Prentiss-Hall Press
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Joe Alterman was born November 16, 1988 in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from New York University with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Jazz Piano Performance.
He has performed at iconic venues including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Birdland, and Blue Note, sharing stages with jazz greats like Houston Person, Les McCann, and Ramsey Lewis. He also had the privilege of opening for Dick Gregory at the Kennedy Center.
He leads his trio or performs solo with a deep groove, bluesy touch, and an exuberance that’s hard to resist, his playing is both deeply rooted and refreshingly modern. He has recorded eight critically acclaimed albums to his name, including the 2023 release Joe Alterman Plays Les McCann: Big Mo & Little Joe, Alterman continues to evolve as a recording artist while honoring jazz’s deep traditions.
His creativity extends to his cultural leadership and writing. As the Executive Director of Neranenah, an Atlanta-based Concert & Culture series, he celebrates Jewish contributions to music and the arts. His writing has also garnered acclaim, he has penned liner notes for three Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra albums. Alterman was the subject of Nat Hentoff’s final piece on music and in 2025, he was featured on President Jimmy Carter’s Grammy-winning album, Last Sundays In Plains: A Centennial Celebration.
Pianist, composer, writer, and cultural curator Joe Alterman continues to record and swing with style all over the world.
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