It is America's music - born out of a million American negotiations: between having and not having; between happy and sad, country and city; between black and white and men and women; between the Old Africa and the Old Europe - which could only have happened in an entirely New World. It is an improvisional art, making itself up as it goes along - just like the country that gave it birth. It demands individual expression by demands selfless collaboration. It is forever changing but nearly always rooted in the blues. It has rich tradition and its own rules but it is brand-new every night.
This magnificent, fully illustrated book is a powerful narrative brought to life by the remarkable men and women who have made their mark on the music and on American culture. In words and photographs we met Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Billie holiday, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, and many more.
