Four Jazz Lives
A revival of a classic oral biography of four nearly overlooked jazz giants
Description
A. B. Spellman is a well-known author, poet, critic, and instructor. He has published numerous books and articles on the arts, including Art Tatum: A Critical Biography and The Beautiful Days.
Reviews
"Remains the best introduction to the worlds of Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, Herbie Nichols, and Jackie McLean."
- Ben Ratliff
—Ben Ratliff
"Four black jazzmen speak at considerable length for themself, with connective passages supplied with persistent relevancy by a poet, historian, and critic."
- Nat Hentoff
—Nat Hentoff
"An essential book in the jazz canon. . . . [T]he University of Michigan Press has given it a rebirth under the title Four Jazz Lives."
- Nat Hentoff
—Nat Hentoff, JazzTimes
"An engrossing, impressionistic history of contemporary jazz."
- Nation
—Nation
"[Spellman] views these men with a perceptive and understanding eye."
- New York Times
—New York Times