A reference work devoted to the biographies of British jazz musicians. In over 850 career summaries, the author details the works from musicians from every era of British jazz, ranging from those who played professionally before 1920 at the dawn of jazz in Britain through to today's young jazz stars. It includes information on the early careers of those who became famous and the chronological listing of events in each subject's life sheds new light on the development of jazz worldwide. It also covers musicians born in the commonwealth.