The Jazz Omnibus - by David R Adler & Howard Mandel & Patrick Hinely

About the Book

The Jazz Omnibus: 21st-Century Photos and Writings by Members of the Jazz Journalists Association is an indispensable resource for newcomers to jazz, casual listeners, aficionados, educators, students and researchers.

Book Synopsis

The Jazz Omnibus: 21st-Century Photos and Writings by Members of the Jazz Journalists Association is a spectacular anthology of works by 90 international experts in jazz and related music.

90 contributors represent the finest music writers and photographers alive today

Their skill, wisdom, insight, and generosity converge to produce a timeless contribution to music criticism, history, and scholarship. The Jazz Omnibus captures the expansive breadth of jazz-its past present, and future-through the ears of its great artists and the pens and cameras of its most admired journalists.

As jazz embarks on its second century, this book stands alone as a compendium of reportage and analysis of an art form offering pleasure and insights while building communities that celebrate creative individuality and ensemble play.

A few examples of what readers will find in The Jazz Omnibus

* Ted Panken on Sonny Rollins

* Michael Jackson interviews Keith Jarrett

* Jordannah Elizabeth on Amina Claudine Myers

* David R. Adler on Meshell Nedegeocello

* Nate Chinen on Sun Ra

* Debbie Burke on Jewish women songwriters

* Willard Jenkins on becoming a jazz journalist

* Rob Shepherd speaks with Mary Halvorson

* Deanna Witkoswki on Mary Lou Williams

* Ashley Kahn surveys the new American expatriates

* Ted Gioia on Amy Winehouse, jazz singer

* Howard Mandel at Ornette Coleman's birthday party

* Larry Blumenfeld on Arturo O'Farrill in Cuba

* Suzanne Lorge on Carla Bley

The Jazz Omnibus: 21st-Century Photos and Writings by Members of the Jazz Journalists Association is an indispensable resource for curious newcomers to jazz, casual listeners, aficionados, educators, students and researchers.

Review Quotes

"I was going to write that The Jazz Omnibus is essential for your library, but then I realized that The Jazz Omnibus really is a library. It serves a tasty range of sharp writing . . . You will spend many happy years thinking about what you have read in this book."

-A. B. Spellman, poet, author, critic, namesake of the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for Jazz Advocacy

"The Jazz Omnibus is the most entertaining, illuminating anthology of its kind to appear in this century. It honors the ongoing liveliness of jazz and its devoted commentariat . . . Almost every facet of jazz writing is represented, all of it united by the cool breeze of honest enthusiasm."

-Gary Giddins, critic and biographer, named an NEA Jazz Master in 2025

"Jazz is experiencing something of a new golden age. As The Jazz Omnibus makes clear, the same can be said for the state of jazz journalism. If you love this music and those who write about it as much as I do, you will not be able to put this indispensable anthology down."

-Ricky Riccardi, Louis Armstrong House Museum Director of Research Collections and Grammy-winning author

"The Jazz Omnibus gathers exciting writing and photos by a diverse group of contributors about the music and musicians we call jazz, and so much more. Readers are sure to savor it, returning to a favorite piece or discovering a new writer or artist. Either way, it's a wonder."

-Farah Jasmine Griffin, author, In Search of a Beautiful Freedom, Professor, English and African American Studies, Columbia University

"What a gift to all of us from the members of the Jazz Journalist Association. The Jazz Omnibus project takes us on a journey through jazz history with new visual and written perspectives by no less than 90 contributing jazz media experts. This is bound to be an invaluable resource for jazz lovers, educators, students, musicians, audiences, supporters - hop on the bus, you won't regret it."

-Monika Herzig, Jazz Pianist/ Composer/ Author/ Professor of Artistic Research, Jam Music Lab University, Vienna