Jazz Milestones; a pictorial Chronicle of Jazz 1900 - 1990 compiled by Ken Vail [hard cover] BOOK

Jazz Milestones; a pictorial Chronicle of Jazz 1900 - 1990 compiled by Ken Vail [hard cover] BOOK | Originally published in Great Britain in 1993, this illustrated chronology is loaded with information. Each year gets one-half page (early in the century) to two pages (by the 1920s). For each year are listed significant events, births and deaths of musicians, any films or books about jazz, and important compositions and recordings. For example, in 1944 Allied forces landed in Normandy, Decca launched the first hi-fi records, and Norman Granz presented his first concert at the Philharmonic. Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer wrote "How Little We Know" and Coleman Hawkins, Billie Holliday, and many others made recordings. Scattered through the book are inserts on Harlem, Fifty-Second Street, Greenwich Village, and other jazz venues with maps locating famous clubs. An index of musicians notes the instrument played and birth and death dates but serves only to index the lists of births and deaths, not the rest of the text. Jazz fans will enjoy this book, especially the many black-and-white photographs and record jackets. Sandy Whiteley