A year-by-year history of people and events telling the story of jazz and the personalities which have formed this music style. Beginning at the turn of the century, the text charts the history of jazz from its African roots and the southern US to the myriad urban styles heard around the world today. The book looks at how jazz has been influenced by - and has influenced - other musical and artistic forms. Each chronological section contains features on topics ranging from the individual qualities of the bass clarinet and the jazz scene in Paris to personal sketches and seminal gigs.