In a series of vividly drawn portraits and intimate, in-depth interviews with musicians, composers, experimenters, and club owners, Handel captures the vitality and the passion of the modern jazz scene, from the 1970s to the present. The most successful jazz players of recent years have been the so-called Young Lions, and Mandel includes three extensive interviews with the Lion King himself, Wynton Marsalis, who shares his philosophy of jazz and his pointed opinions on the contemporary scene. But most of the book focuses on the more experimental and avant garde trends. The book traces the development of some of the dominant new jazz groups -- talking to Lester Bowie of the Art Ensemble of Chicago and to members of the World Saxophone Quartet -- and examines the work of a range of major jazz figures such as David Murray, Henry Threadgill, Joe Lovano, Geri Allen, and singer Cassandra Wilson. And in a great departure from other jazz books, Mandel examines the powerful influence of rock on jazz. He chats with guitarist John McLaughlin, whose groundbreaking collaboration with Miles Davis set off the fusion revolution, and probes the inventive ideas of other jazz musicians with roots in gospel, blues, and soul, such as George Benson and James "Blood" Ulmer.

Ranging from the Knitting Factory to Lincoln Center, Future Jazz is an indispensable guide to today's scene and a valuable roadmap to the music of tomorrow.