My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Cambridge University Press for an advanced copy of this musical and cultural study.
Jazz is. I read this years ago and no two words have summed up something that is both a movement, a genre of music, a way of life, and a way to be. From Fats Waller to Miles Davis to Jon Batiste. That is a lot of different kinds of music, from all three of these gentlemen, in different styles and different ways of creating. However that is jazz and that is what jazz is. Alyn Shipton, author, critic, bassist and jazz lover has written in his book On Jazz: A Personal Journey, both a biography on himself and his times and lessons as a musician and the music that made him what he is, featuring profiles and stories of fellow musicians and composers both innovative and unknown.

The book starts with a portrait of a young musician, first listening to his father's jazz albums that his father had acquired in his time in the service. Later he found a small music store that in a small bin featured like bands with a lot of others. Soon more records would follow, until young Shipton acquired a double bass with a unique history and began to practice and soon performing, with others. Stories and anecdotes follow covering many of the British jazz scenes players and performers that Shipton grew to know. At the same time, Shipton writes about jazz from it's origins to key performers and players, tracing jazz's roots from the past to the current day.

The book is packed with fun and sometimes different tales and personal experiences, along with very well researched examinations of jazz, its beginnings and how it developed over the years. American readers might find alot of the British musicians and performers new to them, but I found this exciting as I am always looking for new music. The historical sections are well researched and educational. The writing even including his adventures in the music scene work well with the historical pieces, and tell a very complete story.

Definitely recommended to music lovers who are both new to the music, and older hands looking for a good history and some new names to listen to. A well- written personal journey about a genre of music I have loved for a long time.

I like listening to music more than reading about it, but this is nonetheless well written. The author knows jazz, and it is clear here. There are some interesting stories, and readers are likely to learn some things along the way.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

I like jazz not in a "I know this artist" like but as in "this music is a balm and a cheer for the soul". Unfortunately, I could not connect with this book. I wanted to but somehow there was a thin but perceptible barrier between the author and myself.
I believe, however, that people that have already read anything by Alyn Shipton, will love this book as well. I would have found it far more interesting to be a book of essays on jazz, and how it relates to the world as in "jazz in context".
Finally, I want to thank the publisher for kindly offering me the chance to read the book on this platform.