Bibliography of Eddie Costa

Biography and general

Feather, Leonard: The encyclopedia of jazz. 2nd ed. 1960.

The article devoted to Costa has the essentials.

Feather, Leonard: The encyclopedia of jazz in the 60s.

Updates the previous entry.

Kernfeld, Barry, ed: The new Grove dictionary of jazz. 1988.

The brief article on Costa adds a little to the above

Musician dies as auto oveturns of West Side. New York Times July 31st 1962, p.17 col.2

Nelsen, D: Elegy for Eddie. Down Beat 1962 29(24) pp.13 and 39.

The most detailed and affecting obituary, by a friend. Adds much personal detail.

Dance, Stanley: Lightly and politely, section 835: With feeling. Jazz journal 1962 15(9) pp.14 and 40.

Starts as an obituary, but a lot of this is given over to Dance's well-rehearsed views that
a. generally white men can't play jazz (but EC is an exception)
b. SD doesn't like the vibraphone (but EC is OK as a pianist)
c. SD doesn't like modern jazz, (but EC is OK, probably because Coleman Hawkins used him)
Nonetheless there is a passage towards the end where his reminiscence begins to show some warmth.

Ginibre, J.L & P. Carles: Dictionnaire du vibraphone. Jazz Magazine 1968 no.151, p.37.

Vincent, Don: Eddie Costa. Jazz journal 1972 25(7) p.7

Adds a brief reminiscence from an interview with Bill Evans.

Style

Balliett,Whitney: Night creature: a journal of jazz 1975-1980. 1981.

Ostensibly a review of Tal Farlow, Fuerst set, this has by far the best description of Costa's piano style I have seen.

Maher, J: Costa and Powell. Music USA 1959 76(Aug) p.33

Annuaire biographique du piano. Jazz magazine 1963 9(novembre) p.26.

Hunt, D.C.: The musician's musician: cases for seven under-rated jazzmen. Jazz 6(July 1967) p.24

Morgan, Alun: Eddie Costa. in McCarthy, A. & others, eds. Jazz on record: a critical guide... 1968

Short but insightful piece

Harrison, Max: No.8 in Modern jazz 1945-1970: the essential records. Ed. by M. Harrison, and others. 1975

Shelly Manne's album 2, 3, 4 is included in this selection of 200 albums

Billard, François: Eddie Costa. in Carles, P. & others. Dictionnaire du jazz. 1988.

Live Reviews

Small combo reviews. Variety1957 206(May 8th) p.46.

Rolontz, B: Costa piano sparks Farlow Trio. Billboard 1958 70(March 3rd) p.9

Balliett, Whitney: Collected works. Section entitled "Mammoth".

A brief mention of EC's performance at the Newport Jazz Festival, mentioning a tune not included on the issued LP.

Feather, Leonard: Two poll winners: they're both Eddie Costa... Down Beat October 31st 1957 24(21) p.17.

Marquis, Dom: Down Beat - Dot Jazz Conceert (Heard in Person). Down Beat 1958 (June 26th) p.34

An account of the concert which produced the two albums on which EC scarely features. See my note to that session.

Morgenstern, Dan: New York scene. Jazz journal 1960 13(1) pp.19.

Describes a weekend engagement at the Cork 'n' Bib, Westbury NY, where Coleman Hawkins was backed by EC's trio (with Henry Grimes and Paul Motian).

Morgenstern, Dan: Dionysus in New York. Jazz journal 1960 13(7) pp.17-18.

Describes the Jazz Profiles concert at the Circle in the Square, organised by Gunther Schuller, which premiered the music, some of which was later recorded on the Jazz abstractions album.

Balliett, Whitney: Dinosaurs in the morning. 1962. Section entitled "Historic".

Describes the same concert. This piece is reproduced from a New York Times article, and later incorporated into Balliett's Collected works (p.114-116).

Welding, Pete: First International Jazz Festival (Report from Washington). Down Beat 1962 29(20) pp.20-21.

The festival, sponsored by the Music Committee of the President's People-to-People Program, and held on 31st May- 3rd June 1962, included a programme by the Jazz Ballet Theater, for which music was provided by a group with Don Ellis, Eric Dolphy, Costa, Ron Carter and Charli Persip.

Balliett, Whitney: Collected works. pp.171-173.

Describes the same performances.

Morgenstern, Dan: Jazz goes to Washington. Music America 82(July 1962) p.18.

Anecdotes

Record reviews

References to record reviews are given in the alphabetical list of albums.