Recounts DeFranco's life from his birth in 1923; through his musical training and his time playing clarinet with the likes of Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, Nelson Riddle, and Glenn Miller; to
Beginning with the previously undocumented first recording session of 16-year-old Russell in 1922, and ending in 1968 with a Mississippi riverboat party shortly before his death, this discography cove
In The Last Balladeer, author Gregg Akkerman skillfully reveals the life-long achievements and occasional missteps of Johnny Hartman as an African-American artist dedicated to his craft. In the first
Dave Liebman is one of the leading forces in contemporary jazz. Prominently known for performing with Miles Davis and Elvin Jones, he has exerted considerable influence as a saxophonist, bandleader, c
Mr. Trumpet The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumph of Bunny Berigan by Michael Zirpolo (Scarecrow, 2011) / 588 pages / 6 x 9 / $95.00 (cloth) 978-0-8108-8152-5LTD sales: 232 units, $15,440 net, 260 sto
In this second volume of Rayno’s magisterial treatment of the life and music of this remarkable maestro, Whiteman’s career during the second half of his life is explored in the fullest detail, as Whit
Sandke tackles the stubborn and controversial question of whether jazz is the product of an insulated African-American environment, shut off from the rest of society by strictures of segregation and d
Teddy Reig (1917-1984) was a larger-than-life character, a self-described hustler who had a profound effect on the music world from the 1940s to the 1970s. As a record producer, he captured the work o
An entertaining and unpretentious chronicle of a life in American popular music, recounted with wit and honesty. Bennett evokes a bygone era when 'territory' and 'name' bands—each with its own 'girl s
In Rhythm Is My Beat: Jazz Guitar Great Freddie Green and the Count Basie Sound, Alfred Green tells the story of his father, rhythm guitarist Freddie Green, whose guitar work served as the pulse of th
The life of jazz trumpeter Roland Bernard "Bunny" Berigan (1908-1942) resembles nothing less than an ancient Greek tragedy: a heroic figure who rises from obscurity to dizzying heights, touches greatn
Mission Impossible: My Life in Music is the engaging autobiography of Lalo Schifrin, the musician, conductor, and composer of more than 60 jazz and classical works and over 100 film and television sco
This volume follows the history of fake books from the Tune-Dex subscription service used in the 1940s to the Real Book series now popularly used (the latter described in part by musicians Steve Swall
The literature on jazz music has been generally shaped by a racially exclusionary theme that may have been laudatory in terms of the goal of advancing the social position of African Americans in a rac
Timme Rosenkrantz (1911-1969) was a journalist, author, concert and record producer, broadcaster, and entrepreneur with a consuming passion for jazz and little head for business. He was the first Euro
Jazz Child: A Portrait of Sheila Jordan is the complete biography of the first female jazz vocalist to record on the prestigious Blue Note record label. In this book, biographer Ellen Johnson reveals
The author was attorney for the musicians, the entertainers, and the Citizen's Committee involved in fighting the rigidly enforced and arbitrary rules in New York City that severely limited their acti
