Dubbed by Leonard Bernstein as 'the only original American art form', jazz is the epitome of spontaneous musical expression. Its development is traced here through the lives of 12 landmark jazz-legends: Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Buddy Bolden, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Miles Davis.

The fascinating dimensions of their story lie not only in an account of musical innovation, but in the rich social history to which their work bears witness.

• ISBN: 9780714832043
• Author: David Perry