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
