Edition: Paperback, November 9, 2001

Description: 350 Pages Classic Jazz explores the birth and early development of a truly American art form. Scott Yanow's insightful essays describe the very beginnings of jazz, as well as ragtime, early blues, and New Orleans jazz, from 1895 to 1916. The era just before swing, 1917 to 1933, is examined in great detail, highlighting the careers and recordings of the performers who defined the Jazz Age, such as Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton. This authoritative guide also offers an essay on the world of jazz in 1933, and a list of recommended books and videos. The influential artists featured include Bix Beiderbecke, Cab Calloway, Hoagy Carmichael, Bing Crosby, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Earl Hines, Gene Krupa, Glenn Miller, Bessie Smith, Fats Waller, Ethel Waters, Paul Whiteman, and dozens more.