Duke's 'Bones received quite a few reviews, most of them very favorable. Mark Tucker, a good friend and author of several excellent jazz books (The Duke Ellington Reader, Ellington: the Early Years, et. al.), write this blurb for the back of the book.
"In this engaging history of Duke Ellington's trombonists, Kurt Dietrich simultaneously honors an instrument often slighted in the literature and opens up a new chapter in the study of jazz orchestration and composition. Focusing on one section of the Ellington band allows Dietrich to get inside the creative process of give-and-take that characterized this extraordinary ensemble. And with his intimate knowledge of the trombone and its capabilities, Dietrich can explain both how Ellington's brass players invented such a richly expressive tonal vocabulary and employed it with such awe-inspiring eloquence."
Lee Bash, book reviewer for Jazz Educators Journal, wrote this review in the July 1996 issue of the magazine. In 2000, Bash listed Duke's 'Bones with his "Fifty Favorite Jazz Books" that he has reviewed in his long tenure as reviewer for the Jazz Educators Journal.
"I can hardly contain my enthusiasm over this welcome book that (gasp) highlights the trombone as the feature instrument within the context of Duke Ellington's band over the decades. Ellington's treatment of this often-ignored instrument was innovative from the onset. Although Duke's approach to arranging always emphasized the individual rather than following a set formula, most folks probably tend to think about either the saxophone or trumpet section first when it comes to his music. But, of course, he was wise in selecting some of the most innovative and distinctive musicians available for the trombone section as well. This marvelous book chronicles the main players and the nature of their contribution, while reminding us at the same time of how masterful an orchestrator and arranger Duke really was.
Portions of this material wer actually previously published by IAJE via select volumes of Jazz Research Papers taken from presentations at the annual IAJE Conference. Frankly, I'm surprised there aren't more books coming out as a result of this kind of process where the authors/researchers are able to develop their theses through this wonderful venue. . .
In addtion to rich biographical material, some of which has been derived from oral history projects, Dietrich also provides us with comprehensive and fascinating portraits of the most significant players throughout Ellington's 40-plus years. Although Duke employed at least 40 trombonists through the years (most are briefly introduced in one of the three appendices), the author wisely restricts most of his attention to Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Juan Tizol, and Lawrence Brown, with briefer space devoted to Tyree Glenn, Britt Woodman, Quentin "Butter" Jackson, John Sanders, Mitchell "Booty" Wood, Chuck Connors, and Buster Cooper. But this book is a great deal more than a mere collection of anecdotal information. There are extensive transcriptions that illustrate the level of virtuosity enjoyed among these brilliant musicians as well.
As I've already indicated, Dietrich also supplies us with some marvelous appendices that should be of particular interest to arrangers and historians. The first illustrates how Ellington scored for his trombone section (often, full of innovation and distinctive touches). The second provides discographical information designed to assist the reader in finding recordings of the works discussed throughout the book. The author is quick to point out that it is not intended to be exhaustive or complete, but it does strongly support the central theme of the book. In addition to providing a fairly thorough roster of Ellington's trombonists, the third appendix also utilizes a chart to keep track of when various members of the section began and the duration of their tenure. There's an extensive bibliography that should be of help for any researcher looking for more information on Ellington. In fact, the only thing missing is the inclusion of a CD to demonstrate the transcriptions, and while we assume that there are legal and financial prohibitions that deter that handy addendum from happening, serious students who wish to maximize the benefits of this book will not be influenced or deterred by this minor inconvenience whatsoever. This is one of those books I'll always particularly cherish, and I'll get the recordings on my own!"
Another very nice review appeared in the Summer 1997 International Trombone Associations's ITA Journal. It was written by Chris Buckholz, then associated with Bowling Green State University and the University of Michigan.
"With one notable exception of Jack Teagarden, trombonists have received little attention from jazz writers over the years. J. J. Johnson and the colorful Frank Rosolino await definitive biographers,and many of the early jazz trombonists and commercial players remain shadowy, forgotten figures. Kurt Dietrich has made up for much lost ground in his new book, Duke's 'Bones: Ellington's Great Trombonists. Not only is this a fine book about trombonists and trombone playing, it is truly one of the most outstanding jazz books ever written.
Richly illustrated with rare photographs and solo transcriptions, the book chronicles the history of Duke's trombone section from the 1923 addition of John Anderson to Elmer Snowden's "Washingtonians" through the end of the full-time orchestra upon Ellington's death in 1974. Special attention is paid to the men who made up the great section of 1932-1943: "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Juan Tizol and Lawrence Brown, each of whom receives a chapter on his career and style. This kind of detailed biography has been needed for years, simply because of the impact these men had upon the world of jazz and classical music. Any trombonist who has played Berio's Sequenza V or has had to create a "wa-wa" effect in 20th-century music is echoing the language of Sam Nanton. Gunther Schuller's monumental Eine Kleine Posaunenmusik draws upon the work of Lawrence Brown.
One of the most refreshing and important facets to this work is that Dietrich does not engage in the kind of armchair psychoanalysis and speculative criticism that has for years plagued serious writing about jazz. The book is well documented throughout and relies heavily upon quotations from the trombonists and their colleagues for historical and biographical information. Dietrich's analyses of style demonstrate his tremendous knowledge of the trombone and as such are important contributions to pedagogy; he wants us to understand how these trombonists produced their music as well as why they did. More significantly, Duke's 'Bones documents the history of a section, not just the work of individuals. The importance of the trombone section to the Ellington orchestra has often been overshadowed by the prominence of soloists like Ben Webster and Cootie Williams. Duke's 'Bones chronicles the evolution of textures within that section as an integral component of one of the great vehicles of 20th-century art. The roles created by Nanton, Tizol and Brown were filled by other trombonists throughout the life of the Ellington orchestra, players such as Quentin Jackson, Buster Cooper, Britt Woodman, Booty Wood and Chuch Connors. Fortunately their stories are included as well as those of the many other trombonists who came through the orchestra for short or long periods of time. This documentation is summarized in one of the book's appendices, and other appendices include a discography and a wonderful essay on the trombone scoring techniques of Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.
Throughout Duke's 'Bones, Dietrich tells the story of Ellington's trombonists with scholarly precision, warm prose, and direct examples through transcription. It is sincerely hoped that this book will become an archetype for a new school of serious jazz writing, one that will recognize trombonists for their importance to 20th-century music."
Other reviews appeared in CHOICE, JazzTimes, and the newsletters of Duke Ellington societies in the United States, Great Britain and France. If by any chance anyone is interested in any of those, contact me.