Drawing on interviews, biographies and the archives of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA, this collection of essays provides portraits of such jazz greats as Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Dizzie Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Eddie Condon. Ranging from stage fright to stardom, racism to the importance of a good nickname, these stories offer fresh perspectives on the life of a jazz musician, and unique insights into the historical and social impact of jazz on 20th-century America.