Englishman Alyn Shipton in his introduction, “Rethinking Jazz History,” lets you know right away that his book is going to present a new take on common beliefs about jazz. While he examines the usual origins from ragtime to big bands, he clearly sees jazz as an international music. In the section called “New Jazz” he discusses the politicization of the music and the influence of world music on jazz. This is a refreshing and comprehensive look at jazz from a new perspective.

With regard to the jazz standards, Shipton sheds light on the subject by providing a general historical context as well as origin and anecdotal information for hundreds of songs and compositions. The general index includes song titles.

Alyn Shipton is the author of the award-winning book, Groovin’ High: the Life of Dizzy Gillespie. He programs jazz for the BBC and is a critic for The Times of London.