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The Jazz Pilgrimage of Gerald Wilson

The Jazz Pilgrimage of Gerald Wilson

By Steven Loza
Foreword by Anthony Wilson
Series: American Made Music Series

Hardcover : 9781496816023, 176 pages, 15 musical examples, 4 tables, April 2018
Paperback : 9781496817389, 176 pages, 15 musical examples, 4 tables, April 2018

The journey of an innovative musical legend who fused Latin sounds and jazz

Description

Jazz great Gerald Wilson (1918-2014), born in Shelby, Mississippi, left a global legacy of paramount significance through his progressive musical ideas and his orchestra's consistent influence on international jazz. Aided greatly by interviews that bring Wilson's voice to the story, Steven Loza presents a perspective on what the musician and composer called his "jazz pilgrimage. "

Wilson uniquely adapted Latin influences into his jazz palette, incorporating many Cuban and Brazilian inflections as well as those of Mexican and Spanish styling. Throughout the book, Loza refers to Wilson's compositions and arrangements, including their historical contexts and motivations. Loza provides savvy musical readings and analysis of the repertoire. He concludes by reflecting upon Wilson's ideas on the place of jazz culture in America, its place in society and politics, its origins, and its future.

With a foreword written by Wilson's son, Anthony, and such sources as essays, record notes, interviews, and Wilson's own reflections, the biography represents the artist's ideas with all their philosophical, historical, and cultural dimensions. Beyond merely documenting Wilson's many awards and recognitions, this book ushers readers into the heart and soul of a jazz creator. Wilson emerges a unique and proud African American artist whose tunes became a mosaic of the world.

Reviews

"Steven Loza's The Jazz Pilgrimage of Gerald Wilson is the first book on the extraordinary life and indispensable work of an underappreciated giant of American music. It is a major contribution to jazz studies and American studies. "

- Paul Devlin, editor of Rifftide: The Life and Opinions of Papa Jo Jones and Murray Talks Music: Albert Murray on Jazz and Blues