San Antonio College Library

This is Whitney Balliett's long-awaited "big book." In it are all the jazz profiles he has written for The New Yorker during the past 24 years. These include his famous early portraits of Pee Wee Russell, Red Allen, Earl Hines, and Mary Lou Williams, done when these giants were in full flower; his recent reconstructions of the lives of such legends as Art Tatum, Coleman Hawkins, Jack Teagarden, Zoot Sims, and Dave Tough; His quick but indelible glimpses...

"Hawkins, the most imitated and influential saxophonist in jazz up to Charlie Parker#x19;s modern revolution, stood virtually alone among jazz musicians who came to prominence in the 1920s and successfully made the transition to modern jazz 25 years later. He also set a standard of dignity for black musicians that was rarely equalled." #x14;Choice, July 1991.

Based on interviews with family and friends, this account of the jazz great's life reveals the influence of Miles Davis' life on his work as well as the musician's persistent desire to re-invent himself.

Explores the life and career of the renowned trumpeter and bandleader of the jazz era.

"Louis Armstrong was not only a virtuoso musician, singer, composer and actor, but also a dedicated writer who typed hundreds of letters and reminiscences, carrying a typewriter with him on his constant travels around the globe. The man never stopped creating, and constantly communicated with friends and acquaintances. His unique verbal, musical and visual content and style permeated everything he touched." "Included in this extensive career biography...

"Masters of American music series"--Jacket. Includes bibliography and discography. A biography of the American jazz musician focusing on his life and style of music.

"The composer and bandleader Duke Ellington (1899-1947) was a largely self-taught pianist who was influenced by jazz and ragtime performers. While working as a sign painter he began to play professionally and in 1918 started his own band in his native Washington, D.C. In 1923 he moved to New York City and playing piano at the Kentucky Club, began gathering the musicians who formed the core of his famous orchestra and made his first recordings. With...