The Story of Jazz Author:Marshall Stearns Marshall Stearns, the renowned jazz expert, presents a colorful and documented history of jazz - from its beginnings to its most progressive phrases. — He covers the main jazz movements: the pre-jazz influences of blues, minstrels, spirituals, and ragtime; the jazz of the twenties and early thirties; the more recent eras of swing, bop, Afro-Cuban... more » dance music and rock 'n' roll. He discusses the styles that developed in New Orleans, Chicago, New York, St. Louis and Kansas City, accenting his account with personality sketches of the great jazz artists. He also includes a lively analysis of the technical elements of form and structure which will be of interest to both musician and layman.« less