Improvisation, swing, blue notes, glissando, scat? these and other ingredients have made jazz a unique musical genre, unmistakable and loved in every corner of the globe. Born in the United States at the end of the 19th century, jazz has its roots in Afro-American music, but has succeeded in becoming contaminated owing to contributions from different styles, fragmenting in turn into countless currents and categories. From the first New Orleans bands, passing through the absolute genius of ?Satchmo? Armstrong - who became model for all later jazz musicians - to the big bands of Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, and Benny Goodman, or to the unsurpassed singing performances of Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, this book retraces the history of jazz, lingering on the most outstanding personalities and musical excerpts that have marked this musical genre more than any other. Besides the classics, ample space is reserved also for artists of the second postwar period who succeeded in renewing jazz, restoring its freshness and vitality again for the new generations of artists that today tread the musical scene. AUTHOR: Bill Milkowski is a New York-based freelance writer who has contributed to several publications since the 1970s, including DownBeat, JazzTimes, JAZZIZ, Bass Player, Guitar Player, Modern Drummer, Absolute Sound, and Jazzthing. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he began his career in music journalism, he relocated to New York City in 1980, moved to New Orleans in 1993, and returned to New York in 1997. Milkowski was named Writer of the Year for 2004 by the Jazz Journalists Association. SELLING POINTS: . Comprehensive history of jazz from its roots in Afro-American music to global influence . Highlights iconic figures like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald . Explores jazz's evolution and influence on modern music through vibrant storytelling and musical excerpts