Module 5: Jazz

Summary: Myers, both father and son, take us on a journey through the beginnings of Jazz music in America. The book is written in poetry form that gives the story a more melodic feel and accompanies the vibrant illustrations beautifully.

Citation: Myers, W. D., & Myers, C. (2006). Jazz. New York: Holiday House. 

Impression: I loved this book and I even learned quite a bit about the history of jazz. The book is not completely for children because the poem is a well written poem that would appeal to adults as well.

Review:
Elizabeth Bush (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books)

The father/son team follows Blues Journey (BCCB 6/03) with a jazz encore, a splashier, if somewhat more uneven, effort. Fifteen poems spotlight a variety of jazz forms, from New Orleans funerals to be-bop, from stride piano to blues. W. D. Myers goes far to corral the various styles and translate them to the printed page in boldly counterpointed alternating lines (the left hand of the stride piano), script-font asides that weave through the bluesy “Oh, Miss Kitty,” and musical direction that changes the pace halfway through the “Good-Bye to Old Bob Johnson.” At their best, poems startle with flashes of playful imagery: “Heard a sad song/ Swung it into joy/ Heard a bad tune/ Spanked it like a naughty boy.” Others, though, are more predictable: “Sweet and gentle, so surprising/ Music fills us, hear it rising/ Like a charming angel choir/ Reaching, preaching souls on fire.” C. Myers creates a gallery of instrumentalists and divas whose slightly elongated, sinuous forms are sometimes contemplative, sometimes snaking in fluid motion, often ignited in primary colors, occasionally flanked by deep, moody shadows. Although only black performers are visually represented here, Myers’ introduction does address the fusion (collision?) of influences from African and European traditions that gave birth to this American musical idiom. Additionally, the appended glossary of jazz terms is likely to contribute to fuller enjoyment of the poems, and a timeline of jazz greats (which does not explicitly coordinate with subjects of the poems) provides additional information. 

Bush, E. (2007, February). [Review of the book Jazz by W.D. Myers & C. Myers]. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 60(6).

Uses: This would be a great book to display at the library during Black History Month since it provides information about the founders of jazz and blues. Also, this book is a great introduction about Jazz to children, it could be a required reading for a music class. The book is written in poetic form and provides wonderful examples of onomatopoeias in music that could be helpful to English teachers when teaching both topics.