The compellingly readable short biographies of leading jazz artists collected in this volume amount to a panoramic history covering more than 100 colorful years of jazz. Each entry presents a lively account of the musician"s life that combines biographical data with an overview of musical influences and collaborations that shaped the artist"s work. Entries for each musician also include selective discographies, recording labels, and other notes of interest to jazz buffs. Expanded entries for the most significant jazz artists cover up to four illustrated pages. Just a few of the more than 500 jazz greats described in this book are-- Cannonball Adderley * Louis Armstrong * Count Basie * Sidney Bechet * Bix Beiderbecke * Ornette Coleman * Miles Davis * Dizzy Gillespie * Benny Goodman * Ella Fitzgerald * Lionel Hampton * Billie Holiday * Scott Joplin * Wynton Marsalis * Glenn Miller * Thelonious Monk * Charlie Parker * Oscar Peterson * Sonny Rollins * Bessie Smith * Art Tatum * Fats Waller * Lester Young . . . and many others Here is a detailed assessment of each musician"s place and legacy in the history of jazz. Written by a team of musicians, journalists, and music critics under the editorial direction of jazz historian John Lewis, 501 Jazz Greats is a comprehensive guide for jazz aficionados and a tribute to the art form"s most inspired and inspiring musicians. More than 600 photos.