Will Anderson has written a book titled SONGBOOK SUMMIT: 15 Pioneers of American Sound that is scheduled for release in September. According to the author, it discusses the intersection between Jazz and The Great American Songbook in the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s. It has 15 chapters on these American figures: Louis Armstrong, the Dorsey Brothers, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Frank Sinatra, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Richard Rodgers, Hoagy Carmichael, Jimmy van Heusen, and Henry Mancini.
Will states, “Aside from the diverse array of musical innovation, there are many rich historical events in America in the first half of the 20th century: World War I, the creation of jazz, Tin Pan Alley, the Great Depression, World War II, the advent of the radio and electric microphone, and the creation of the modern American musical (which includes Jerome Kern’s Showboat and Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma.”
“The book does not overload the reader with facts, dates or mundane details. Rather, it gives a clear distinction of the differences and uniqueness of each figure. How did these figures influence each other? And what role did they play in defining the cultural identity of America?”
To order, email songbooksummit@gmail.com and learn more at www.PeterAndWillAnderson.com.
