Gelly, Dave

Being Prez : the life and music of Lester Young by Dave Gelly ( Book )
9 editions published in 2007 in English and held by 348 libraries worldwide
"Lester Young was one of the great jazz masters, and his impact on the course of the art form was profound. He fundamentally changed the way the saxophone was played - his long, flowing lines brought new levels of expressiveness and subtlety to the jazz language, setting the standard for all modern players. In Being Prez, renowned British critic Dave Gelly follows Lester Young through his life in a rapidly changing world, showing how the music of this exceptionally sensitive man was shaped by his experiences. The reader meets a complicated, vulnerable, gentle individual who was brought up in his father's traveling carnival band. His early career was spent in the nightclubs and dancehalls of Kansas City and the Southwest, and he made his landmark recording debut at the peak of the Swing Era." "But at the height of his powers, he was drafted into the US Army, where racism and his own unworldliness landed him in military prison. Following these events, Young grew increasingly withdrawn and suspicious, changes in his character reflected in the darkening mood of his music. Gelly, himself a jazz saxophonist, examines many of Young's classic recordings in illuminating detail. He reveals how as a saxophonist - and as major contributor to the Count Basie band - Young created a strong personal voice, a cool modernism, and a new rhythmic flexibility in the freely dancing rhythms of 4-beat swing." "With his sax jutting oddly to one side, his bizarre oblique use of language, and his unique musical rapport with Billie Holiday (who famously nicknamed him "Prez"), Lester Young has become an icon and a cult figure. This biography illuminates the life and work of this giant of jazz."--BOOK JACKET.

The giants of jazz by Dave Gelly ( Book )
8 editions published between 1986 and 1988 in English and Norwegian and held by 285 libraries worldwide

Lester Young by Dave Gelly ( Book )
5 editions published between 1984 and 1986 in 3 languages and held by 284 libraries worldwide

Masters of jazz saxophone : [the story of the players and their music ( Book )
4 editions published in 2000 in English and held by 275 libraries worldwide
"A remarkable line-up of jazz saxophone players and music is at the heart of this study. Color photos and essays show how jazz sax music has been sculpted in the hands of Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Branford Marsalis, Michael Brecker, and other legendary innovators." "Written by world-class jazz authorities, the book illustrates the saxophone's role in varying jazz styles from the 1920s through today. It profiles the influential saxophonists who have helped redefine jazz over the years, including Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman, Roland Kirk, Joshua Redman, and many more. This well-rounded portrait describes the sax in the avant-garde and fusion movements as well, and provides a guide to history's finest recordings featuring jazz saxophone."--BOOK JACKET.

Stan Getz : nobody else but me by Dave Gelly ( Book )
6 editions published in 2002 in English and held by 176 libraries worldwide

The facts about a rock group : featuring Wings by Dave Gelly ( Book )
1 edition published in 1977 in English and held by 105 libraries worldwide

Icons of jazz by Dave Gelly ( Book )
6 editions published between 2000 and 2004 in English and Spanish and held by 97 libraries worldwide
Alfabetisk opslagsværk over jazzmusikere i det tyvende århundrede.

Masters of jazz saxophone : the story of the players and their music ( Book )
3 editions published in 2000 in English and held by 92 libraries worldwide

The facts about a pop group : featuring Wings by Dave Gelly ( Book )
3 editions published in 1976 in English and held by 61 libraries worldwide

Django Reinhardt : know the man, play the music by Dave Gelly ( Book )
4 editions published in 2005 in English and held by 57 libraries worldwide