Gary Giddins's Weather Bird is a brilliant companion volume to his landmark in music criticism, Visions of Jazz, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism. More then 140 pieces, written over a 14-year period, are brought together for the first time in this superb collection of essays, reviews, and articles. Weather Bird is a celebration of jazz, with illuminating commentaryon contemporary jazz events, today's top muscicians, the best records of the year, and on leading figures from jazz's past. Readers will find extended pieces on Louis Armstrong, Erroll Garner, Benny Carter, Sonny Rollins, Dave Brubeck, Ornette Coleman, Billie Holiday, Cassandra Wilson, Tony Bennett, and many others. Giddins includes a series of articles on the annual JVC Jazz Festival, which offers a splendid overview of jazz in the 1990s. Other highlights include an astute look at avant-garde music ("Parajazz") and his challenging essay, "How Come Jazz Isn't Dead?" which advances a theory about the way art is born, exploited, celebrated, and sidelined to the museum. A radiant compendium by America's leading music critic, Weather Bird offers an unforgettable look at the modern jazz scene.

This classic Poyser title, now in its third revised edition, discusses in depth the various ways in which weather conditions influence bird behaviour. Weather conditions affect food and water availability, decisions about when and how to migrate, timing and success of reproduction, flight style, and physical comfort. Birds display many adaptations in form and behaviour that help them to cope with changing weather conditions, and this fascinating book uses a great variety of examples to explore the subject in depth. The text is enhanced throughout with evocative line drawings, there are many useful tables and figures, and there is also an 8pp colour photograph section.

It was now almost too dark to distinguish objects; duskier and vaguer became the flat world of marshes, set here and there with cypress and bounded only by far horizons; and at last land and water disappeared behind the gathered curtains of the night. There was no sound from the waste except the wind among the withered reeds and the furrowing splash of wheel and hoof over the submerged causeway. The boy who was driving had scarcely spoken since he strapped Marche's gun cases and valise to the rear of the rickety wagon at the railroad station. Marche, too, remained silent, preoccupied with his own reflections. Wrapped in his fur-lined coat, arms folded, he sat doubled forward, feeling the Southern swamp-chill busy with his bones. Now and then he was obliged to relight his pipe, but the cold bit at his fingers, and he hurried to protect himself again with heavy gloves.

"Engaging text and colorful illustrations and photos teach readers about weather"--

"Engaging text and colorful illustrations and photos teach readers about weather"--

The weather is different every day. Sometimes the sky is blue and the sun is shining; sometimes the sky is filled with clouds and it's raining. And sometimes there is so much wind, you can hardly walk. In winter, when soft snowflakes fall from gray skies, you can make a snowman! Weather can be fun, but it can also be dangerous, like when there's a tornado. In this book, you'll find out more about the beautiful, exciting, and dangerous sides of the weather. An informative book filled with fun facts about the weather and nature, with beautiful photographs and playful illustrations. For children ages 5 and up. Guided Reading Level M

Fun illustrations and informative text show readers how the weather can change in fall. Through critical thinking and comprehension questions, readers will learn to pay attention to the weather and understand seasonal changes.