Edward Kennedy Duke Ellington and his music have been an intregral part of the American scene for most of the 20th Century. Janna Tull Steed introduces the readers to the engaging, enigmatic man himself, as well as to the range of Ellington's musical achievement, with a lively mix of fact and anecdote. ...

As Nat Hentoff says, "Hearing Bix for the first time was like waking up to the first day of spring". Bix has always inspired such acclaim, for he was an unmatched master of the cornet. Ralph Berton was privileged enough to have been a fan -- and younger brother of Bix's drummer -- just as Beiderbecke's genius was flowering, before he died in 1931 at age twenty-eight. Listening from behind the piano, tagging along to honky-tonks and jam sessions, ...

A legend on both the clarinet and the soprano saxophone, one of the most brilliant exponents of New Orleans jazz, Sidney Bechet (1897-1959) played with such fellow jazz legends as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Jelly Roll Morton. Here is his vivid story written in his own words. Expressive, frank, and hilarious, this classic in jazz literature re-creates a man, a music, and an era. ...

The Jazz Itinerariesseries, a new format based on Ken Vail's successful Jazz Diaries, charts the careers of famous jazz musicians, listing club and concert appearances with details of recording sessions and movie appearances. Copiously illustrated with contemporary photographs, newspaper extracts, record and performance reviews, ads and posters, the series provides a fascinating insight into the lives of the greatest jazz musicians of our times. ...

Neal has also worked tirelessly for charity during his career, and now in his ninety-sixth year has retired to East Anglia with his wife Julia. He is without doubt the fittest man of his age in Britain, fully involved in village life and still regularly enjoying a round of golf. ...

Art Pepper (1925-1982) generally is considered the greatest alto saxophonist of the post-Charlie Parker generation. This collection contains interviews, reminiscences, reviews, critical profiles and essays, and gives particular attention to his grueling, lifelong battle with heroin. Includes a detailed chronology and rare photos and album covers. 4 color photos, 16 b&w photos. ...

Unlike other great bandleaders, Ellington personally created nearly all the music played by his orchestra. Using family papers, sheet music, and original recordings, Hasse provides a complete portrait of Ellington's great achievements. 119 photos. Tie-in with the October 1993 Duke Ellington Photographic Exhibition at the Museum of New York. ...

In Blue Flame, noted regional biographer Robert C. Kriebel devotes his admiring attention to documenting Herman's life and music. No aspect of Herman's career escapes his gaze: the musicians-both famous and obscure who played in his bands, the music they played, the writers and arrangers of that music, the famous recordings, and the ups and downs of band life from the big-band heyday of the 1930s through half a century of changing tastes and ...

Bud Powell created the foundation of the modern piano style. His incomparable talent as a composer is often overlooked. This volume offers 20 piano arrangements, startling in their originality and expressiveness. ...

Based on extensive interviews with Clifford Brown's family, friends, and fellow jazz musicians, it is a portrait of a remarkable musician. Catalano depicts Brown's early life, showing how he developed a facility and dazzling technique that few jazz players have ever equalled. We read of his meteoric rise in Philadelphia, where he played with many of the leading jazz players of the 1950s, including Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker; his tour of ...