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Gary Giddins on Jazz (Interview)
Jazz critic and author, Gary Giddins, responds to the question, "What inspired you to study jazz as...

Gary Giddins on 1940s Era Jazz Jam Sessions (Interview)
Jazz critic and author, Gary Giddins, responds to the question, "Why was the jam session a relief...

Gary Giddins

Gary Giddins is a long-time columnist for the Village Voice and a preeminent jazz critic who received the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award, and the Bell Atlantic Award for Visions of Jazz: The First Century in 1998. His other books include Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams: The Early Years, 1903–1940, which won the Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award and the ARSC Award for Excellence in Historical Sound Research; Weatherbird: Jazz at the Dawn of Its Second Century; Faces in the Crowd; Natural Selection, Warning Shadows; and biographies of Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker. He has won an unparalleled six ASCAP–Deems Taylor Awards, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Peabody Award in Broadcasting.

Books by Gary Giddins

  1. Book CoverJazz

    College Edition

    A vivid history of jazz in a classroom text by two exceptional authors—a leading scholar and a respected critic.More

  2. Book CoverJazz


    The story of jazz for the general reader as it has never been told before, from the inside out: a comprehensive, eloquent, scrupulously researched page-turner.More

  3. Book CoverJazz: Essential Listening


    The #1 text in the market—now in an Essentials Edition.More

  4. Book CoverThe Norton Jazz Recordings: 2 Compact Discs for Use with Jazz: Essential Listening


    The 2 CD set of concise recordings features 41 pieces, carefully selected from the 78 tracks of the Full Edition, in a dynamic combination of essential masterworks and lesser-known gems.More

  5. Book CoverThe Norton Jazz Recordings: DVD for Use with Jazz: Essential Listening


    The DVD-ROM of concise recordings contains the same repertoire as the CD set, but includes Interactive Listening Guides (iLGs) which synchronize audio and author commentary. The iLGs also features listening quizzes that challenge students to identify the instruments, performers, and structure of each piece.More

  6. Book CoverRecordings: for Jazz


    This comprehensive 4-CD set features 75 works recorded from 1916 to the present. Carefully selected by Giddins and DeVeaux and produced by Sony with attention to top quality audio, these recordings of both landmark works and innovative departures from the standard canon showcase the breadth and scope of jazz.More

  7. Book CoverWarning Shadows: Home Alone with Classic Cinema


    A brilliantly insightful and witty examination of beloved and little-known films, directors, and stars by one of America’s most esteemed critics.More