The Big Band Almanac, (Paperback)

With more than 500 pictures, and extensive entries on more than 350 orchestras, this complete coverage of black and white bands--from the almost-forgotten to Basie, Ellington, Miller, Shaw, and Dorsey--will prompt memories and establish important facts about a glorious era of jazz and popular music. Forewords by Les Brown and Harry James and an index with more than 6,000 names bracket a book that should be part of any music library.