John Chilton has gained an international reputation as a jazz biographer, having written acclaimed books on Sidney Bechet, Billie Holiday, Coleman Hawkins, Bob Crosby, Louis Jordan, Henry 'Red' Allen and Roy Eldridge. His lively autobiography not only reveals the fascinating background to his jazz researches but also shines a bright light on his many years as a professional jazz musician. For thirty years he led the Feetwarmers backing singer George Melly, sharing escapades that took them all over the world. Before working with George, he was in Bruce Turner's Jump Band and also led the Swing Kings which backed many visiting American jazz stars. He has dedicated his life to jazz, both as a player and as an author - in 2000 he was voted 'Jazz Writer of the Year' - and his story is full of anecdotes and revelations about the many British and American musicians he has known. George Melly has described him as 'an anecdotalist of genius'.

Jazz is a music born in the United States and formed by a combination of influences. In its infancy, jazz was a melting pot of military brass bands, work songs and field hollers of the United States slaves during the 19th century, European harmonies and forms, and the rhythms of Africa and the Caribbean. Later, the blues and the influence of Spanish and French Creoles with European classical training nudged jazz further along in its development. As it moved through the swing era of the 1930s, bebop of the 1940s, and cool jazz of the 1950s, jazz continued to serve as a reflection of societal changes. During the turbulent 1960s, freedom and unrest were expressed through Free Jazz and the Avant Garde. Popular and world music have been incorporated and continue to expand the impact and reach of jazz. Today, jazz is truly an international art form. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Jazz contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 1,500 cross-referenced entries on musicians, styles of jazz, instruments, recording labels, bands and band leaders, and more. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Jazz.

In this compelling and moving account of the marvellous Melly's last five years, on- and off-stage, the eminent jazz trumpeter, Digby Fairweather, whose band has accompanied Melley during this period, captures the technicolour Melly as never before. He vividly recalls the many gigs, recording and drinking sessions, the performances up and down the country, the characters they have met and the unexpected and unscripted encounters...as well as their conversations and friendship.Anyone who has seen George Melly on stage will know how outrageous and captivating he can be - the rouguish twinkle in the eye always spelling mischief. But there is another side to him - his erudition, his fame as an expert on Surrealism, his passion for angling, his sexual appetite and more.Even in his last year, although very ill and growing ever more deaf, his sense of fun and his love of music has kept him singing to the end - the ultimate performer. In "George Melly: The Final Bows of a Legend", one of his closest associates offers a view of this jazz master as never seen before.

Few musical genres inspire the passionate devotion of jazz. Its mystique goes far beyond the melodies and rhythms, with its key players and singers discussed by aficionados with a respect that borders on reverence. Some books on jazz offer little more than theory or dry facts, thereby relinquishing the 'essence' of the music. This book is different. One of the most influential and internationally known writers on the subject describes, through vivid personal contacts, reminiscences and zesty anecdotes, his life in jazz as a player, broadcaster and observer. Alyn Shipton recalls friendships with legendary musicians, while revealing fresh discoveries about such luminaries as Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Abbey Lincoln and Geri Allen. On Jazz powerfully evokes the atmosphere of clubs and dancehalls, and takes us behind the scenes and up onto the stage, so that this electrifying world is unforgettably spotlighted as never before.

In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends.

Griffith's work results from many interviews with side-men in big bands of the early 1930's and early 40's, including Curtis Jones, Bill Dillard and Cliff Olson. Here the author brings a fresh perspective to the rich legacy they left behind them.

Modern Jazz Trumpet Legends By: Larry Kemp Modern Jazz Trumpet Legends is an examination of the lives and contributions of jazz trumpeters born between 1925 and 1940. Included are Miles Davis, Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen, Chet Baker, and Clifford Brown along with scores of other men and women who created jazz with a trumpet. This is an essential guide for the student of jazz, those interested in history, and those who just like to read entertaining true stories about the most colorful people. The Jazz Trumpet Legends three volume series is the most comprehensive book on the subject. In the series, 867 trumpeters are discussed. The second volume covers the trumpeters in the center of the history of jazz. There are the sad stories of those who died too young (Clifford Brown at 25, Ray Wetzel at 27 from automobile accidents; Joe Gordon at 35 from a house fire; Booker Little at 23 from uremia), balanced by the positive stories of those who accomplished much with their lives (Miles Davis invented cool jazz and fusion; Maynard Ferguson took the trumpet to new heights; Lionel Ferbos performed regularly for a couple of years after his hundredth birthday; Clora Bryant and Betty O’Hara showed that women could get the job done on the trumpet). Modern Jazz Trumpet Legends contains two appendices that apply to trumpeters in all three volumes: a yearly calendar showing, for each day of the year, the trumpeters born on that date; and a geographical listing of the states and countries showing, for each place, the trumpeters born there. Early Jazz Trumpet Legends is the first of three volumes organized chronologically by date of birth. The second volume, Modern Jazz Trumpet Legends covers those born between 1925 and 1940 and the third volume, Current Jazz Trumpet Legends, covers those born after 1940.