The Oxford Companion to Jazz features individual biographies of the most memorable characters of this relatively young art form. Charlie Parker, Bessie Smith, Thelonius Monk, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Mites Davis, John Coltrane, and the divas of jazz song -- Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan -- come to life in thoughtful considerations of their influences, often turbulent personal lives, and signature styles. In addition, this book looks at the impact of jazz on American culture -- literature, film, and television -- and explores the essential instruments of jazz and their most memorable players. Looking beyond the U.S., the commissioned jazz authorities also consider its profound interaction with the music of Brazil, Latin America, and Europe.

Authoritative and concise, The Oxford Companion to Jazz provides a quick reference source as welt as a dynamic and broad overview for all lovers of jazz, from novices to aficionados.