This was really good! Surprisingly good. There were 26 musicians in here, all African American, all Jazz musicians. Each one was associated with a letter, and that letter became the theme for the poem (as well as the subject, obviously). There was a variety of poem styles, and each one was had an illustration to go with it. The absolute best part was that each artist had a mini biography in the back, as well as a glossary, and an explanation on the different kinds of poems. I might not have unde...

This is a poetry ABC book dedicated to all things jazz. Okay, maybe not all things jazz. But it's a start. 26 jazz musicians. 26 poetry forms. Great potential, right? The book starts off--as well it should--with Louis Armstrong--and ends with Dizzy Gillespie. In between we've got artists like Count Basie, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan. The book is illustrated by Paul Rogers. The poetic forms covered--how many have yo...

Do you love jazz? Do Louis Armstrong, John Coltraine, and Duke Ellington fill your playlists? If so, then you have to read Jazz ABZ by Wynton Marsalis. It is a poetry anthology dedicated to all the jazz greats. It’s set up by alphabet and each letter represents a specific jazz great or a jazz element, i.e. P = Charlie Parker and Q = Modern Jazz Quartet. Every entry includes a poem (list poem, limerick, ode, haiku, etc.) and an illustration. Both the words and the art eulogize the artist or eleme...

A very high concept alphabet book that will appeal to jazz fans and poetry lovers. Each page is dedicated to a jazz legend (Armstrong, Basie, Coltrane, etc.) with a nostalgic poster-type illustration and a poem. Each poem is a different style of poetry. Like jazz music, a description doesn't do it justice; you must read each poem aloud to appreciate it.

Pretty packaging inside and out. Designed to feel like the phonographs of old. I bought my copy used for penny and it arrived in pristine condition, signed by Paul Rogers with a quick illustration of a hand dropping a needle on a record. This will look so nice along with the other ABC books in the Room 407 collection.

This large-format book sets itself a towering task and largely succeeds to perform a complicated improvisation between: 1) Marsalis’s poetic accounting for each jazz titan, A to Z, and using heavily the alphabet letter assigned to each musician, and 2) Paul Rogers’ accompanying illustrations. Rogers’ illustrations shine. Marsalis’s poetry sometimes seems strained but still capably achieves his part of the project. The book aims to also instruct, as jazz historian Phil Schapp contributes bio sket...

Wow!I was lucky enough to stumble across this gem in the SFPL and loved it. I am so glad Paul Rogers came up with this book.

Superbly illustrated amazing work! Wynton Marsalis is as awesome with poetry as he is with music!

This is worthwhile coffee table book of poetry and art that is presented in the form of a 78RPM record album which celebrates twenty-six jazz greats, one for each letter of the alphabet. Paul Rogers first created the list and then provided the illustrations. Wynton Marsalis composed the poems for each of the jazz greats using 26 poetic forms from sonnet, skeltonic, haiku to limerick. A description of each poetic form, together with a biography of each jazz great, is included in the book. I liked...

Vintage poster-style illustrations and meticulously crafted poems pay tribute to the skill, spirit and style of twenty-six jazz greats, from A to Z.Listen to our chat about this book on our Just One More Book! Children's Book Podcast.

Part children’s book, part poetry collection, this alphabetized introduction to jazz artists is a must for all parents who value artistic learning! The author and illustrator picked 26 major figures in jazz and then provided a poem and portrait of each one. The combination creates a beautiful effect, a book that flows just like jazz itself, through the history of the musical movement. The poetic book combines dozens of different writing styles. At the end there are biographies of each jazz artis...

They should make this children's book into a Read Along book with an accompanying CD; it would be a pleasure to hear Marsalis perform his poems (and maybe a little sample of the 26 jazz musicians covered too). Very informative, even has biographical sketches at the end and notes on the poetic forms.

format: poetryage: middle to high schoolprotagonist: n/aMarsalis, M. (2005). Jazz A-B-Z: An A to Z collection of jazz portraits. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.Marsalis presents his version of an alphabet book that goes beyond just learning the A,B,Cs. Each letter of the alphabet is represented by an African American jazz legend (A is for Armstrong, etc.) and then coupled with a poem that evokes the various artists’ styles. There are twenty-six different poetic styles represented, one for each

Bold, graphic illustrations and poetry in various forms, each reflecting the style of music created by the musicians representing each letter. Fantastic! I don't know that I'd be able to use any of this in a storytime, but I would most definitely use it for English classes, music classes and Af-Am History month. Love the book design, too.

A fantastic look at the alphabet.

My kids weee amazing by the artwork in this book. We read the lyrical prose and searched for the songs on YouTube. Reading and learning while dancing is what we needed today.

There are many aspects of this 2005 Informational book that I really enjoyed. First, the illustrations were beautiful. Second, for every letter of the alphabet there was a long stanza of alliterations. This was extremely fun to read, and definitely created a book of tongue twisters. Lastly, the book introduced quite a bit of culture. Thus, I believe that many, perhaps older students, would have a fun time reading it. Both for the sake of enjoying the cultural information, but also for the fun of...

By far the most interesting children’s book I’ve ever read, Jazz ABZ details 26 jazz greats from Louis Armstrong to Dizzy Gillespie. The first portion of the book features a set of 26 poems, each based on a jazz great whose name corresponds to that letter of the alphabet. However, each piece of poetry is written in a different style such as acrostic, haiku, or free verse. A detailed notes section on each style of writing is featured in the back of the book, as well as a biographical snapshot of

Marsalis praises jazz greats from A to Z, using a panoply of poetic forms to fit his subjects. Nat King Cole (for the letter N) is captured in a fun reworking of the nursery rhyme "Old King Cole," which communicates his status as the pop arm of jazz, while Thelonius Monk (letter T) gets a haiku reminiscent of his own short, sharp themes. The illustrations are gorgeous! Much as Marsalis move from form to form to fit his subject, Rogers captures each artist with a painting evocative of their perso...

Awesome to read aloud (hear me, librarians?), this book uses several different kinds of poetry (hear me, English teachers?) to describe jazz greats (hear me, music teachers?) accompanied by bold art (hear me, art teachers?). Big for the shelves but so beautiful you'll want your own copy. My favorite poem? "Coleman Hawkins" for the way it sounds just like music.