The first comprehensive, fully documented history of a uniquely American art form, exploring all aspects of the intricate musical and social exchange that evolved from Afro-Irish percussive step dances like the jig, gioube, buck-and-wing, and juba to the work of such contemporary tap luminaries as Gregory Hines, Brenda Bufalino, Dianne Walker, and Savion Glover.

More than one thousand new entries have been added to the dictionary since its first edition in 1985, and 80% of the others have been revised. The scope is classical music and jazz. American nomenclature is used. People, terms groups, instruments and works are included in alphabetical order. Definitions and descriptions for terms and biographies for individuals are treated briefly. Entries for individuals include Dorsey, Foster, Gershwin, Gottschalk...

"From the author of the definitive biography of Frank Sinatra, the story of how jazz arrived at the pinnacle of American culture in 1959, told through the journey of three towering artists-Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans-who came together to create the most famous and bestselling jazz album of all time, Kind of Blue. The myth of the 60s depends on the 1950s being the before times of conformity, segregation, straightness-The Lonely Crowd...

Produced in association with the Smithsonian and including images from The National Music Museum in South Dakota, Music: The Definitive Visual History guides readers through the progression of music since its prehistoric beginnings, discussing not just Western classical music, but music from all around the world. Profiles the lives of groundbreaking musicians from Mozart to Elvis, takes an in-depth look at the history and function of various instruments,...

"I began listening to music before I could walk. Our family gramophone was the old-fashioned kind that played a stack of 78 rpm records. The first ran for around three and a half minutes, then another dropped onto the turntable, and so on. Five discs gave my mother some uninterrupted time for housework, while I sat listening to the music. Then I was quite happy to do the same thing all over again. And again. When my father came home from his final...

Focuses on the life and music of the composer who wrote such musical masterpieces as Rhapsody in Blue, American in Paris, and Porgy and Bess, and who made jazz an accepted form of serious music

Produced in association with the Smithsonian, Music: The Definitive Visual History guides readers through the progression of music since its prehistoric beginnings, discussing not just Western classical music, but music from all around the world. Profiles the lives of groundbreaking musicians from Mozart to Elvis, takes an in-depth look at the history and function of various instruments, and includes listening suggestions for each music style.

Covers the period of American history from 1918 to 1945, including the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and World War II.