On Jazz

As a musician (cello and double bass), publisher, writer (New History of Jazz), and broadcaster, Shipton is uniquely qualified to present this collection of interviews with, anecdotes about, and recollections of jazz musicians (some well known, others less so)—among them, Louis Armstrong, Jackie McLean, Sonny Rollins, and Blue Lu Barker. Accessible to new jazz fans and lifelong devotees alike, the enthusiastic text informs and entertains in equal measure. The people encountered here are not just names on a page but real-life characters set in the context of their time and culture. Shipton is a keen observer and gifted raconteur, and his passion and expertise inform his writing. His friendships with many musicians and original scholarship on legendary jazz figures bring much to the proceedings and draw the reader into the jazz milieu. There are extensive notes, a helpful bibliography, and a selection of striking black-and-white photographs.