Pulitzer Prize-winning musician and composer, Wynton Marsalis, draws upon lessons he has learned from a lifetime of playing jazz. He describes this uniquely American music form and demonstrates how a real understanding of the central idea of jazz and the unique balance between self-expression and the sacrifice for the common good is exemplified on the bandstand and how music can enrich every aspect of one's life. Marsalis helps to understand the life-changing message of the blues, reveals secrets about playing and listening and passes on wisdom he has gathered from working with three generations of great musicians. A chapter provides a brief synopsis of a variety of jazz artists and includes a list of recommended music titles.
The book includes a forward, an afterward, a table of contents and an extensive index. It is illustrated with black-and-white photographs.

This resource is for university level courses, but provides excellent information for those teaching secondary level courses in jazz and music. It is organized historically and the styles are presented chronologically. The innovations by single artists, the influence of other players and the chance occurrences that were combined, modified and developed in original ways have also been included. The focus of the text is jazz history and the analysis of the styles is presented in four sections: basics of jazz, premodern jazz, modern jazz 40s to 60s and modern jazz 60s to the present.