Writings in Jazz

The title "writings" is slightly misleading; this is not a reader but a survey of jazz and jazz musicians from its inception through the rising stars of the 1990s. Davis (U. of Pittsburgh) writes in the personal tone of someone who has long been active in the jazz scene (the preface is by Donald Byrd, one of many musicians Davis has played with), offering many frank opinions that seek to correct historic misconceptions about jazz and jazz musicians. The audio CD features classic works from Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, and Coleman Hawkins, among others. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR