Jazz

Myers, Walter Dean. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. 2006. Jazz. New York: Holiday House.

Plot Summary
This book is composed of lyrical vignettes honoring jazz music and musicians. The introduction is a brief historical journey from the original "...blending of two musical traditions. African and European..."to the arrival of today's "different artists reinterpret[ing] the music according to their own sensibilities." Myers and Myers include 15 poems, a Glossary of Jazz Terms, and a Jazz Time Line highlighting interesting dates to note from the 1800s to today. It is a follow-up to their poetry blues tribute titled, Blues Journey (2003).

Critical Analysis
This father and son team make a beautiful tribute to jazz roots, influence and magic. The introduction is a bit in depth for the described age audience of 4 to 8 year olds. However, the teacher, the older reader, and the jazz enthusiast alike will benefit from the historical context in order to better contextualize the art form. The children will surely benefit without the history lesson however, because each two-page spread gives the reader and listener a visual feast. This book clearly celebrates the monumental founding and contributions of black musicians to the art form, as well as the evolution and unique qualities only found in jazz music. The writer provides his well researched, and passionate understanding of the influences and evolution of the jazz tradition, improvisation, and structure.

The poem lyrics are best read aloud either to oneself or to others. They flow and scatter and croon, in accordance with their subject. For example, the Three Voices poem breaks into the thum, thums of the bass, the reaching, preaching of the piano, and the sound born from the horn. These are "stories in rhyme" indeed. The Stride poem features a silhouetted pianist in front of the deep red background. The words form long white lines and are separated by short repeated black words beneath. Turned on its side, the piano imagery appears.

The paintings provide interesting angles, lighting and vibrant motions. They are bright, emotional, and fluid, as you would hope a picture book about a musician playing would be. The attention to detail is quality. From the size of the horn blowers cheeks (see cover image above), the dancing gaits of the funeral procession, the stretched and strained fingers of the pianist, to the flexed forearm of the drummer. You get the feelings of the sound with the combination of word and art. Every character in the book is black and dressed in clothing such as a purple suit and knee high socks of the New Orleans dancers. They readily depict that style and grace of the jazz musicians, singers, and dancers.

Review Excerpts

"Myers is arguably one of the most important writers of children's books of our age..." -Kirkus Reviews http://www.walterdeanmyers.net/reviews.html

"The father-and-son team behind blues journey creates a scintillating paean to jazz. Walter Dean Myers infuses his lines (and the rests between them) with so much savvy syncopation that readers can't help but be swept up in the rhythms." - Publishers Weekly

"...the father-son Myers team has put together an absolutely airtight melding of words and pictures that is perfectly accessible to a younger audience." - Starred Review, Booklist
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0823415457/ref=dp_proddesc_0/002-4198874-8224861?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Connections
"Wynton Marsalis' Jazz A B Z (Candlewick, 2005) offers an interesting comparison and complement: varied poetic forms and stylized, posterlike visuals present the lives of jazz musicians. Interaction with each inspired title informs the other and awakens interest in listening."–Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library, Review for School Library Journal http://www.amazon.com/Coretta-Scott-Illustrator-Honor-Books/dp/0823415457

Myers and Myers. 2003. Blues Journey. New York: Holiday House.

Moss, Lloyd. 2005. Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin. Aladdin Books. Also a stories in rhyme as a tribute to classic music and the musicians. The word patterns are similar and a lesson could explore the way authors give words to instrument's sounds.

More Information

1. Jazz won Christopher Myers the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book award.
2. Author Website - http://www.walterdeanmyers.net/
3. A total of 63 books produced by Myers listed on author's website
4. Numerous awards for the author and individual books including Newbery, Coretta Scott King, Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, Michael L. Printz Award, Margaret A. Edwards Award, Parents Choice Award, and many ALA awards.