Jazz Heroes

Jazz encompasses a bewildering range of musical styles and players. Some players, however, have become legendary—not only did their work shape the course of modern jazz, but their influence on contemporary musicians is as strong as ever. In Jazz Heroes, John Fordham examines the lives and work of six such artists—pianist Thelonious Monk, guitarist Wes Montgomery, singer Ella Fitzgerald, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, and saxophonists John Coltrane and Gerry Mulligan. Packed with stunning archive photos and interviews with musicians and writers who knew them personally, and with a discography plus special features on contemporary culture and musical trends, Jazz Heroes is both a lasting testimony to these musicians and a fascinating survey of jazz in the postwar era. John Fordham is a noted jazz writer and critic. He is the author of Jazz, Jazz Man, and Jazz on CD.