The Fifth Edition updates current and ongoing stylistic trends in jazz, including the modern big bands and the new hybrids of jazz extending beyond fusion and crossover. The chronological presentation of the history is intuitive and logical. New biographical sketches for recent and historical musicians have been added to update the text.
Interactive Listening Guides are now available using the CDs that accompany the text and the CDs for SCCJ (Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz). Together, these two sets comprise the most powerful collection of jazz recordings available in such a simple package and they are now fully interactive.
Widely adopted for its well-balanced approach and extensive and innovative supplements package, this classic chronological survey of jazz history brings the various historical styles to life by exploring them through the lives of the musicians and a study of their recordings.