Jazz-Rock: A History

In this encyclopedic work, Nicholson (Billie Holiday) chronicles the development of jazz-rock from the early interactions of jazz and rock in the 1960s--a time when jazz seemed to many to be at a dead end--to the present day. He emphasizes that the influences have been mutual: rock did much to revitalize jazz, but rock musicians have also learned from the jazz masters. He discusses a multitude of artists, including major figures such as Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa; shows how big band leaders such as Count Basie, Stan Kenton and Woody Herman combined jazz and rock; and talks about the conflict between commercialism and innovation, pointing out that when recording companies capitalize on the money-making potential of music, they often water it down to blandness. With so much ground to cover, Nicholson can't go into depth here, but as a comprehensive overview, his book succeeds. An impressive ""Jazz-Rock Fusion Discography"" by Jon Newey complements the text. It lists the names and album titles of hundreds of artists whose works have been significant in the evolution of the jazz-rock fusion. Photos. (June)