Book Review: The Jazz Ear

"Ben Ratliff is the rare critic who can hold his own in conversation with musicians and incite them to reveal how they think and work. Whether it’s Wayne Shorter extolling Vaughan Williams symphonies, Dianne Reeves listening rapt to Shirley Horn, or Branford Marsalis delving into Wagner, this luminous book has revelations on almost every page."—Alex Ross, author of The Rest Is Noise

In The Jazz Ear, the acclaimed music critic Ben Ratliff sits down with jazz greats to discuss recordings by the musicians who most influenced them. In the process, he skillfully coaxes out a profound understanding of the men and women themselves, the context of their work, and how jazz—from horn blare to drum riff—is created conceptually.

link: The New York Times Store > THE JAZZ EAR