The Majesty of Chicago Jazz : Twenty-Five Visionaries Who Define the City's Sound (Edition 1) (Hardcover)
The Majesty of Chicago Jazz : Twenty-Five Visionaries Who Define the City's Sound (Edition 1) (Hardcover)
Hero image 0 of The Majesty of Chicago Jazz : Twenty-Five Visionaries Who Define the City's Sound (Edition 1) (Hardcover), 0 of 1
Preorder Release date Oct 6

The Majesty of Chicago Jazz : Twenty-Five Visionaries Who Define the City's Sound (Edition 1) (Hardcover)

(No ratings yet)

Key item features

The first book to trace the vast influence of Chicago jazz from its origins to today—from Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton to Anita O’Day, Herbie Hancock, and the AACM.

Author and Chicago native Howard Reich gives readers a front-row seat to the history of Chicago jazz as it roared forth in jazz clubs, concert halls, and festivals. Reich covered Chicago jazz for more than thirty years as the Chicago Tribune’s staff critic, and in this collection, he argues that jazz as an art form is inconceivable without Chicago. Carefully choosing from among his thousands of articles on jazz, Reich highlights twenty-five of the most important Chicago jazz artists who pushed the art form forward.

The Majesty of Chicago Jazz begins with two New Orleans visionaries who achieved their artistic pinnacles in Chicago in the Roaring Twenties: Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong. In the decades that followed, Chicago produced an uninterrupted line of innovators: revolutionaries Ahmad Jamal and Sun Ra, iconoclasts Von Freeman and Fred Anderson, populists Herbie Hancock and Ramsey Lewis, chameleons Patricia Barber and Kurt Elling, and the breakthrough band of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), among others. Reich offers two pieces on each of the book’s twenty-five visionaries, including profiles, reviews, appreciations, and obituaries. The book concludes with a beginner-friendly discography, perfect for those looking to listen along.

The Majesty of Chicago Jazz is captivating for jazz newcomers and aficionados alike—all are guaranteed to learn something surprising here. With a musician’s ear and a journalist’s expertise, Reich offers listeners a valuable guide to the groundbreaking jazz that has come out of Chicago, a city that remains a fertile breeding ground for musical experimentation. 

Current price is $27.50
Preorder Price Guarantee
Price when purchased online
  • Free 90-day returns

How do you want your item?

Try 30 days of Free Shipping with Walmart+! Choose plan at checkout.
How do you want your item?
Columbus, 43215
Arrives by Wed, Oct 7, 2026
Sold and shipped by Walmart.com
Free 90-day returns
This item is gift eligible
walmart plus

Get free delivery, shipping and more*

*Restrictions apply

About this item

Product details

Specifications

Customer ratings & reviews

0 ratings|0 reviews
This item does not have any reviews yet