Suggested Jazz Books

Jazz Quarterly Volume 3 is a celebration of diversity within unity — a reflection of how jazz, at its core, embraces individuality while weaving a collective narrative. From the swing era to avant-garde experiments, we unpack the layers of jazz, revealing the intricate patterns that make this genre a timeless art form.

This volume takes us on a tour through the colorful tapestry of jazz history. We dig into the lives and lasting impact of famous figures like John Coltrane, Count Basie, Tony Bennett, and Miles Davis, who have irrevocably shaped the trajectory of jazz.

Welcome to the Jazz Quarterly book series’ first installment. The goal of this book series is to portray the essence of jazz, including its long history, significant musicians, classic recordings, and constantly evolving style.

Ted Gioia’s The History of Jazz has been universally hailed as the most comprehensive and accessible history of the genre of all time. Acclaimed by jazz critics and fans alike, this magnificent work is now available in an up-to-date third edition…

The story of Sonny Rollins—innovative, unpredictable, larger than life—is the story of jazz itself, and Sonny’s own narrative is as timeless and timely as the art form he represents…

A masterpiece that brings to life the fascinating story of the quintessential American music—jazz. Visually stunning, with more than five hundred photographs, this companion volume to the acclaimed ten-part PBS TV series is an exploration of the music that celebrates all Americans at their best…

Universally acclaimed as a musical genius, Miles Davis was one of the most important and influential musicians in the world. Here he gives us a compelling and fascinating autobiography, featuring a concise discography and thirty-two pages of photographs.

This book is at once an invaluable history of music from bebop to pop, an intimate and moving biography, and a story of a man’s struggle toward the full realization of his gifts and of himself…

The warmly welcomed memoir by one of the most influential and beloved musicians of our time. Honest, enlightening, and as electrifyingly vital as its author, this is an invaluable contribution to jazz literature and an intimate, insightful portrait of a creative life…

The definitive biography of guitar icon and Grammy Award-winning artist, Bill Frisell. Outlines the subject’s life in a series of intimate interviews…

This raucous, rich tale of Louis Armstrong’s early days in New Orleans concludes with his departure to Chicago at twenty-one to play with his boyhood idol King Oliver and tells the story of a life that began, mythically, on July 4, 1900, in the city that sowed the seeds of jazz…

By far the most thorough and nuanced portrait yet of this towering figure, Duke Ellington’s America highlights Ellington’s importance as a figure in American history as well as in American music…

The Jazz Masters: Setting the Record Straight features twenty-one conversations with musicians who have had at least fifty years of professional experience, and several as many as seventy-five…

From the mind of brilliant historian Robin Kelley comes the first full biography of legendary jazz musician Thelonious Monk, including full access to the family’s archives, dozens of interviews, and an afterword for Monk’s 2017 centennial…

In Reaching Beyond, Buddhist thinker and activist Daisaku Ikeda explores the origins, development, and international influence of jazz with legendary artists Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter…