Born out of West African and Western music traditions and rooted in the music of Blues, Jazz has, as Wynton Marsalis put it, 'all the elements, from the spare and penetrating to the complex and enveloping'. In this compact reference - part of the successful series that includes Rock & Pop and Blues - the history, sounds and influences of this innovative and wide-ranging art form is celebrated decade by decade, from the early years with Kid Ory, through Beiderbecke, Armstrong, Gillespie and Monk, to the contemporary era.