This is a study of how Chicago became the major centre of jazz in the 1920s - one of the most vital periods in the history of the music. By exploring the social and racial background of Chicago, Kenney is able to present compelling evidence of why Chicago became such a crucial place for the development of jazz. Kenney knows jazz, but as a historian he can put it into a wider social context. This book should be of great interest to anyone fascinated with jazz history.