Sunday, May 11, 2014

Benny Goodman & Teddy Wilson: Taking the Stage as the First Black-and Jazz Band in History by Lesa Cline-Ransome -- ADVISABLE

Cline-Ransome, Lesa Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson: Taking the Stage as the First Black-and-White Jazz Band in History, illustrated by James E. Ransome. Holiday House, 2014. $16.95. Content: G

This book is an account of Benny Goodman's and Teddy Wilson's introductions to music, their serendipitous meeting, and their fight against racism with their interracial jazz band. Includes two pages of backmatter with a more extensive history of Goodman and Wilson, a jazz time line, and short biographies of other important jazz musicians.

This is a wonderful approach to biography, lively and entertaining, with a snappy rhythm that's fun to read aloud, while still imparting facts and addressing deeper issues such as racism. It would be great for a music class, or for discussions on race and integration, and may even help some students discover jazz music. The illustrations capture available pictures and photos of the band members very well, and would pair quite nicely with actual photos or videos of the band.

EL -- ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Caryn

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