This is volume 1 of three volumes on the history and musical contributions of jazz, by the composer, conductor and musical scholar, Gunther Schuller. This book takes readers "from the beginnings of jazz as a distinct musical style at the turn of the 20th century to its first great flowering in the 1930s. Schuller explores the music of the great jazz soloists of the twenties: Jelly Roll Morton, Bix Biederbecke, Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, and others; and the big bands and arrangers: Fletcher Henderson, Bennie Moten and especially Duke Ellington. He places their music in the context of the other musical cultures of the twentieth century, and offers analyses of many great jazz recordings. A classic study, this book is both a splendid introduction for students and an insightful guide for scholars, musicians and jazz fans." - jacket notes. Recommended. ( )