NEW BOOK: The Musical World of Paul Winter by Bob Gluck

contents

jazz

There are surely many saxophonists and environmentalists, but very few environmentalist/saxophonists. Most influential is Paul Winter, about whom Bob Gluck has written the first book, now available from Terra Nova in a paperback, expanded edition.

Gluck's narrative follows Winter's fascinating path, from a small central Pennsylvania railroad town to touring South America at the invitation of the U.S. State Department, playing at the Kennedy White House, recording in the Grand Canyon, playing music to whales in ocean, and for four decades, crafting an annual multi-media celebration of the Summer Solstice at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. Gluck traces the evolving story of Paul Winter's "Consort, " a group modeled upon an Elizabethan-era ensemble while incorporating music of many cultures and species.

Paul Winter has, for five decades, harnessed his gift for melody, love of aesthetic beauty, and infectious optimism to increase societal empathy for endangered species and this fragile planet. In this book, Bob Gluck captures the wonder and adventure of Paul Winter's musical odyssey.

Bob Gluck, writer and pianist, is the author of Pat Metheny, Stories beyond Words (2024) and two other books from University of Chicago Press. The latest of his fourteen recordings are Early Morning Star (2020) and the forthcoming Transcendence, Music of Pat Metheny (both from FMR Records). Bob Gluck is Professor Emeritus at the University at Albany in Albany, New York.

Critical commentary about Bob Gluck's books:

The Musical World of Paul Winter: "This book goes beyond one musician's story directly into your own. It gets you to musing, "Where do I really fit in? Where does anyone?" - W. A. Mathieu, pianist and author of The Listening Book, Discovering Your Own Music

Pat Metheny, Stories beyond Words: "For anyone who wants to think about and, perhaps more importantly, feel music more deeply, more intensely, and more profoundly." - Kevin Fellezs, author of Birds of Fire: Jazz, Rock, Funk, and the Creation of Fusion

The Miles Davis Lost Quintet and Other Revolutionary Ensembles: "One of the best things about this book is Gluck's ability to connect all the dots: the relations between players and movements, between seemingly disparate musicians and the collective music they created." – Scott Yanow, New York City Jazz Record

You'll Know When You Get There: Herbie Hancock and the Mwandishi Band: "A fascinating look at the development of a musical identity… At its core, the book is a study about how an artist accumulates a sound and the experiences that shape his musical views." - Jon Ross, Down Beat

write your comments about the article :: © 2025 Jazz News :: home page