The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz

by Ira Gitler, Leonard Feather, Annabeth Albert

Book Overview

Do you want to know when Duke Ellington was king of The Cotton Club? Have you ever wondered how old Miles Davis was when he got his first trumpet?
From birth dates to gig dates and from recordings to television specials, Leonard Feather and Ira Gitler have left no stone unturned in their quest for accurate, detailed information on the careers of 3.300 jazz musicians from around the world. We learn that Duke Ellington worked his magic at The Cotton...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195074181
• ISBN13: 9780195074185
• Release Date: November 1999
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 744 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.0" x 10.2" x 7.4"

Customer Reviews

Essential jazz reference book

Back in the mid-1960s, as a high schooler just discovering jazz, I found a copy of Feather's "Encyclopedia of Jazz (1960)"; it was a revelation and fostered my enthusiasm and knowledge of the music and musicians. I still have it. But this completely new book is just as good, if not better. It contains brief biographical entries on 3,300 musicians covering all eras, styles, and genres under the wide umbrella of jazz. The entries, though concise, are thorough and trace each musician's career and recorded output. It should be on every jazz fan's shelf. Highly recommended.

Jazz Reference

As a librarian, I can't begin to explain the value of this volume for use by students and other patrons wanting concise but informative biographical information on jazz musicians -- a very popular topic for school reports.The entries may be short, but they are complete, and can serve as a starting point for further research.