The eminent jazz writer Ira Gitler was Feather's chief collaborator from the beginning of the series and became a co-author with the '70s book. Now this new edition, renamed The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz, offers a thorough expansion and updating of Leonard Feather's classic work.

Focusing exclusively on the biographies of jazz musicians, with over 3300 entries covering everyone from Louis Armstrong and Toshiko Akiyoshi to Thelonious Monk and Wynton Marsalis, The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz is the most engaging, inclusive, and up-to-date jazz reference available. Most of the entries from the previous books have been substantially revised by Gitler; many new young prayers have been added; and the international, coverage has been greatly extended. Each entry contains basic information about the musician: important dates, association with other musicians, major recordings and performances, and chief influences. The longer entries on more prominent figures provide a vivid sense of the life and art of the musician, exploring the evolution of his or her music and career, crucial, turning points, important relationships, and public and critical, receptions.

For anyone who loves jazz and wants a deeper knowledge of the musicians who make it, The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz is the first, best, and in many cases the only place tolook.