Jazz - Nonfiction

Wow, this book was one that just blew me away. Having some background in studying the evolution of jazz culture, I can say this was an accurate and creative way to expose people to the nature of the music and culture. A lot of the history is told in song form, and the author uses colorful language and rhythm to teach the reader about the nature of jazz and blues songs. It's not all simple songs, though. Interspersed throughout the author puts bits of facts and interesting pieces about jazz culture. At the end of the book there's a timeline of jazz history and a glossary of jazz terms. I would call this book multicultural as well, because it details a subculture of America, one that could easily be overlooked in some school cultures. I would love to have this book in my classroom to spread awareness of types of music and also to teach kids about a culture that might not be represented in their history textbooks.