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How jazz works

• Berliner, Paul. Thinking in jazz: the infinite art of improvisation.
  Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994. ISBN:0226043819 (paper)

  Somewhat technical, but superb for its insights into how jazz is created.

• Kernfeld, Barry. What to listen for in jazz.
  New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995. ISBN:0300072597

  An excellent book by the editor of the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, the major reference work for jazz research. Comes with a CD of musical examples that illustrate points made in the text.

• King, Jonny. What jazz is: An insider's guide to understanding and listening to jazz.
  New York: Walker & Co., 1997. ISBN 0802775195

  Probably the best introduction to what's happening on the bandstand, written by a jazz pianist.

• Monson, Ingrid. Saying something
  Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. ISBN 0226534782

  Analysis of the communication styles between musicians in the jazz setting.

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Reference

• Tesser, Neil. The PLAYBOY guide to jazz: A selective guide to the most important CDs and to the history of jazz. New York: Plume [PenguinPutnam Inc.], 1998.

  A must for those new to jazz, and a delight for fans. Available direct from Neil Tesser via ListenHere!

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History

• Bushell, Garvin and Mark Tucker. Jazz from the beginning.
  New York: DaCapo Press, 1998. Reprint of the 1988 ed.
  with new preface by Stanley Crouch. ISBN 030680848X

  Lots of Chicago-related stories, mentions specific venues.

• Clark, Andrew, Ed. Riffs & Choruses: A new jazz anthology.
  London and New York: Continuum, 2001. ISBN:0826447562

  A spectacular collection of news articles, short stories, poetry, criticism, and scholarly work covering jazz from its beginning to the present.

• Demlinger, Sandor and John Steiner, Destination Chicago Jazz Chicago: Arcadia Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0738523054

  Excellent photos, but errors in the text and captions. Cross-check with other sources.

• Driggs, Frank and Harris Lewine, Black Beauty, White Heat:
  A Pictorial History of Classic Jazz 1920-1950.
  New York: DaCapo Press, 1995. ISBN 030680672X (paper)

  The best collection of early jazz photos in a single volume; a whole chapter on Chicago.

• Gushee, Lawrence. Pioneers of jazz : the story of the Creole Band. New York : Oxford University Press, 2005 ISBN 0195161319

• Hennessey, Thomas J. From jazz to swing:
  African-American jazz musicians and their music, 1890-1935.
  Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1994. ISBN 0814321798

  A whole chapter on Chicago, and a nice discussion of territory bands.

• Kennedy, Rick. Jelly Roll, Bix, and Hoagy:
  Gennett Studios and the birth of recorded jazz.
  Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994. ISBN: 0253331366

• Kenney, W. Howland. Chicago jazz: a cultural history, 1904-1930.
  New York; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994 1993. ISBN: 0195092600 (pbk)

  The first place to start a study of Chicago Jazz history.

• Lewis, George. A power stronger than itself : the AACM and American experimental music
  Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008. ISBN-13 9780226476957

  The official history of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), founded on Chicago's South Side.

• Litweiler, John. The freedom principle: Jazz after 1958.
  New York: William Morrow & Co.,Inc. 1958. ISBN: 0688022464

  An introduction to modal and free jazz.

• Majer, Gerald. The Velvet Lounge : on late Chicago jazz. New York : Columbia University Press, 2005. 023113682X

• Miller, Paul Eduard, Ed. Esquire's 1946 Jazz Book [1946 theme: Chicago]
  New York: Da Capo Press 1979. [Da Capo "Roots of Jazz" reprint series.] ISBN:0306795272

• Ogren, Kathy J. The jazz revolution: Twenties America and the meaning of jazz.
  New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989. ISBN 019505153X

• Shaw, Arnold. The jazz age: popular music in the 1920's.
  New York; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989. ISBN: 0195060822 (pbk)

• Sengstock, Charles A. Jr. Jazz music in Chicago's early south-side theaters. Northbrook, IL: Canterbury Press of Northbrook, 2000. NO ISBN.

• Sengstock, Charles A. Jr. That toddlin' town: Chicago's white dance bands and orchestras, 1900-1950 Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2004. ISBN 0252029542

• Steiner, John. "Chicago."
  In Hentoff, Nat. comp. Jazz; new perspectives on the history of jazz by twelve of the world's foremost jazz critics and scholars. New York: Da Capo Press, 1974. ISBN: 0306705923

  One of the seminal articles on Chicago jazz by an expert who was there when it all started! More info on John Steiner and his jazz collection.

• Vermazen, Bruce. That moaning saxophone : the Six Brown Brothers and the dawning of a musical craze. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN 0195165926

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Chicago Jazz People

• Lillian Hardin Armstrong

  Dickerson, James. Just for a thrill : Lil Hardin Armstrong, first lady of jazz. New York : Cooper Square Press; distributed by National Book Network, 2002.ISBN 0815411952

• Louis Armstrong

  Armstrong, Louis. Swing that music. (reprint of 1936 ed.)
  New York: Da Capo Press, 1993. ISBN 0306805448

  Armstrong, Louis. Louis Armstrong in his own words: selected writings. Ed. by Thomas Brothers.
  Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN: 0195119584

• Leon Bix Beiderbecke

  Berton, Ralph. Remembering Bix; a memoir of the jazz age New York : Harper & Row, 1974.

  Evans, Philip R. and Linda K. Evans. Bix : The Leon Bix Beiderbecke story. Bakersfield, CA : Prelike Press, 1998.

  Lion, Jean Pierre. Bix : the definitive biography of a jazz legend : Leon "Bix" Beiderbecke (1903-1931) New York : Continuum, 2005 ISBN 0826416993

  Sudhalter, Richard M. and Philip R. Evans, with William Dean-Myatt Bix : Man & Legend New Rochelle, NY: Arlington House, 1974.

• Hoagy Carmichael

  Carmichael, Hoagy. The stardust road & Sometimes I wonder : the autobiography of Hoagy Carmichael New York : Da Capo Press, 1999. ISBN 0306808994

  Sudhalter, Richard M. Stardust melody : the life and music of Hoagy Carmichael New York : Oxford University Press, 2002. ISBN 0195131207

• Condon, Eddie. We called it music: a generation of jazz.
  New York: Da Capo Press, 1988 ISBN: 0306762676

• Dodds, Warren ("Baby"). The Baby Dodds story.
  Rev. ed. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1992. ISBN: 0807117560 (pbk.)

• Thomas A. Dorsey ("Georgia Tom")

  Harris, Michael W. The rise of gospel blues : the music of Thomas Andrew Dorsey in the urban church New York : Oxford University Press, 1992. ISBN 0195063767

• Bud Freeman

  Freeman, Bud. Crazeology: the autobiography of a Chicago jazzman. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1989. ISBN: 0252016343

  Freeman, Bud. If you know of a better life please tell me Dublin: B. Eaves, 1976.

  Freeman, Bud. You don't look like a musician Detroit, Balamp Publishers 1974.

• Earl Hines

  Dance, Stanley. The world of Earl Hines.
  New York: Scribner, 1977. ISBN 0684149354 : 0684150301

• Hodes, Art. Hot man: the life of Art Hodes. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1992. ISBN: 0252017536 (acid-free paper)

• Jelly Roll Morton

  Lomax, Alan. Mister Jelly Roll : the fortunes of Jelly Roll Morton, New Orleans Creole and "inventor of jazz." Berkeley : University of California Press, 2001. ISBN 0520225309

  Pastras, Phillip. Dead man blues : Jelly Roll Morton way out West Berkeley : University of California Press; Chicago, Center for Black Music Research, 2001. ISBN 0520215230

  Reich, Howard and William Gaines. Jelly's blues : the life, music, and redemption of Jelly Roll Morton. Cambridge, Mass. : Da Capo, c2003 ISBN 0306812096

  Russell, William, ed. "Oh, Mister Jelly" : a Jelly Roll Morton scrapbook Copenhagen : JazzMedia, 1999 ISBN 8788043266

• Gertrude "Ma" Rainey

• Davis, Angela Y. Blues Legacies and Black Feminism:
  Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday
  New York: Pantheon Books, 1998.

• Torme, Mel. It wasn't all velvet: an autobiography.
  New York, N.Y.: Viking, 1988. ISBN: 0670822892

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Compilations

• Alkyer, Frank, Ed. Downbeat: 60 years of jazz
  Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation, 1995. ISBN:0793534917

• Dahl, Linda. Stormy weather: the music and lives of a century of jazzwomen.
  New York: Limelight Editions, 1989. ISBN: 0879101288
  

• Gourse, Leslie. Madame Jazz: Contemporary jazz instrumentalists.
  New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995. ISBN:019510647

  Several Chicago jazzwomen are profiled.

• Piazza, Thomas. Setting the tempo: Fifty years of great jazz liner notes.
  New York: Anchor Doubleday, 1996. ISBN:0385480008

• Placksin, Sally. Jazzwomen 1900 to the present: their words, lives and music.
  London: Pluto, 1985. ISBN: 0745300898 (pbk)
  

• Shapiro, Nat. ed. The jazz makers: essays on the greats of jazz.
  New York: Da Capo Press, 1979. ISBN: 0306801051 (pbk.)

• Shapiro, Nat. ed. Hear me talkin' to ya: the story of jazz by the men who made it.
  New York: Rinehart, 1955. NO ISBN

• Sudhalter, Richard M. Lost chords : white musicians and their contribution to jazz, 1915-1945. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN 0195055853

• Walser, Robert, Ed. Keeping time: Readings in jazz history.
  New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN: 0195091728

  A marvelous collection of essays, many by jazz musicians.

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