B+

"Jazz Idiom: Blueprints, Stills and Frames"

Photographs by Charles L. Robinson; poetry by Al Young

Publisher: Heyday Books

Binding: Softcover

Pages: 120

Price: $21.95

Charles Robinson doesn't have the name recognition of a William Claxton, William Gottlieb or Chuck Stewart. But like his better-known associates, the California-based Robinson has spent his adult life taking photographs of jazz musicians. Some of his best are collected in a new book from Heyday, "Jazz Idiom: Blueprints, Stills and Frames."

It's an intriguing collection presented here, a mix of performance shots and more relaxed, backstage candids. Robinson clearly had access -- the multiple photographs of a recording session with saxophonist Illinois Jacquet and pianist John Lewis shows both men relaxed and utterly indifferent to the camera; that's the mark of a good photog, there.

The accompanying text -- referred on the cover of the book as "poetic takes and riffs" -- is by Al Young, the poet laureate of California. He doesn't explain the photos, doesn't even describe them. Rather, like a good jazz musician, he accompanies the photos -- provides an aside or short poem. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you figure out where he's coming from, Young's writings are more illuminating than straight narrative explanation would be.

On the page opposite Robinson's shot of the great bassist Ray Brown holding a cello, Young contributed both a free verse poem, and then a short essay on Brown: "The gut strings, the wood of the bass. Its touch. Unlike some of the young guys who came after him, Ray was never out to show you how fast he was. Ray Brown's tone and the sound of his instrument -- that was his touch. I'm curious today about who got his bass, and if anyone could get anywhere close to him. It's just beautiful to hear his grace notes."

Similarly lovely passages accompany Robinson's photos of Ray Nance and Jimmy Rushing, Milt Jackson and Miles Davis.

If there's a complaint about the book, it's that too few of the photos are run large enough to give them the visual impact they deserve. Even though the book is an oversized 9 inches by 8 inches, and is printed on a nice, heavy stock of paper, many of the photos are run as small as 3 inches by 5 inches.

Still, it's a strong collection of photos of some of the most important jazz figures of the last half-century.

A-

"Moving to Higher Ground: How Jazz Can Change Your Life"

Author: Wynton Marsalis with Geoffrey C. Ward

Publisher: Random House

Binding: Hardcover

Pages: 183 pages, index

Price: $26

Wynton Marsalis is one of the most influential musicians in the United States today. Through his role as leader of the Jazz at Lincoln Center program, through his numerous recordings and constant touring and lectures, Marsalis is leading much of our ongoing discussion about the role of art in our culture.

A new book, written with Geoffrey C. Ward, is written in such a way that its main purpose seems to be as a jumping-off point for the next round of that discussion. Marsalis argues persuasively and passionately that jazz is unique among musical styles for its blend of improvisation and structure, with swing at the heart of it all.

Of course, as Marsalis' critics (who are numerous, and as passionate as he is) have long complained, his definition of jazz is a fairly old-fashioned one: Marsalis' take on jazz does seem to exclude fusion (he dismisses Miles Davis' entire 1970s and '80s catalog as "rock"), much less acid jazz (which is never even mentioned).

Marsalis is on strongest ground here when he's writing about the culture of jazz, explaining how the give-and-take of a live jazz performance is a good lesson on getting along with others in life in general. The passages where he explains the technical aspects of playing jazz in everyday language are also very informative to those who love the music but don't have the talent to play it.

When he goes off on that too-familiar refrain from jazz fans -- that jazz is America's only serious music -- well, that dig on other uniquely American music styles like bluegrass and country is as unnecessary as it is wrongheaded.

Still, he redeems himself with his chapter on the blues -- the cousin of jazz, both born in the black communities of the Deep South just over a century ago -- which is almost poetic as he lovingly describes it.

"With the blues, you have layers of meaning. The words say one thing, the way they're sung can say another, and the music always says something else. For all of the sorrow of some blues lyrics, the music is always grooving; a groove implies dance, and dance always brings joy. Dizzy Gillespie said it best: 'Dancing never made nobody cry.' That's the key to understanding blues. The blues delivers both joy and sorrow."

Marsalis' book delivers mostly joy, a reflection of his own lifelong love affair with the music.

C-

"1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die"

Author: Tom Moon

Publisher: Workman

Binding: Softcover

Pages: 1,007, index, illustrated

Price: $19.95

Any music guide is going to be, by its very definition, subjective. It's the nature of the beast.

So to criticize a book like Tom Moon's new guide by arguing that this record shouldn't be here when this other one isn't is pretty petty -- and if that argument were to be adhered to, we'd simply not have any music-buying guides.

But if one claims to be offering a basic guide to the best recordings in history, to be creating, as the book's cover itself says, "A Listener's Life List," then there ought to be some sort of adherence to offering at least a foundation of what are generally considered to be the most influential and best recordings.

And on that score, Moon's book comes awfully close to failing.

While the majority of albums on his list are worthy, and he shows an admirable willingness to list lesser-known albums that are wonderful listens, a series of blind spots in his selections are so egregious and so utterly misrepresent the history of 20th century music, that ultimately they leave this a deeply flawed book.

The worst is the utter absence of the New Orleans jazz renaissance of the 1980s through the present. Moon lists not a single album by the Marsalis clan: nothing from Wynton, nothing from Branford, nothing from Delfeayo or patriarch Ellis. Even if one doesn't particularly care for Wynton (which Moon clearly does not, offering several withering comments about him in other jazz entries), the man has been the most influential jazz musician of the last quarter-century. And, oh yeah, he's the only jazz composer to ever win the Pulitzer Prize for music. The Marsalises aren't the only folks who have helped restore New Orleans to a place of prominence in American music. But you won't find Harry Connick Jr. here, either. Nor Terence Blanchard, Leroy Jones or Nicholas Payton.

The re-emergence of New Orleans as a major jazz center has been one of the most important developments of the past few decades, and yet there is nothing here to help listeners explore that. It is a truly curious oversight.

And while this book is presented as a guide to worldwide music, the French selections are too thin to be truly representative of that nation's contributions. Yes, the obvious Edith Piaf is here -- but where's Charles Aznavour? Charles Trenet? Henri Salvador? Did France truly produce only one great singer?

Finally, local music fans might wonder about the complete absence of any bands from San Diego County. There is nothing from The Cascades, San Diego's first band to score a charted hit. No blink-182. No Charles McPherson or Cheathams or P.O.D. or Switchfoot or Jewel or Jason Mraz or Stephen Bishop or Beat Farmers or Iron Butterfly. Nada. One of the most vibrant music hubs in the country, and not a single mention.

Moon was music critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer for 20 years, and he knows a lot about music.

But this book is being marketed as an essential guide to music you shouldn't miss during this life -- and using this guide will cause you to miss far too much of the most influential music in history to be able to trust it.

Jim Trageser was a contributing critic to "The Grove Guide to Blues on CD" and "The Routledge Encyclopedia of the Blues."