[Dixielandjazz] William Russo Obit

[Edgerton, Paul A]

> He also wrote three books on composition and arranging.

I have all three. The first was a very small how-to book on conventional
jazz scoring for big band or combo. It was one of the earliest books of its
kind. It was followed by a scholarly tome covering every imaginable aspect
of the jazz composing an arranging, mainly for a large jazz orchestra. You
don't want to drop this one on your foot.

The last book came out only a few years ago. When I saw it on the shelves I
didn't even realize that Bill Russo was still alive. It's quite different
from the others because it's an introductory course in music composition. It
would be suitable for any level and has no stylistic bias.

All three are published by the University of Chicago Press and still in
print. They're not Dixieland by any stretch of the imagination, but they are
definitely worthwhile.