Celebrating The Duke offers readers a perceptive, panoramic survey of jazz as revealed, in illuminating detail, through the lives and music of its heroes (and heroines), from its founding fathers to the post-bebop generation, including Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Jimmie Lunceford, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Albert Ayler, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and a rich cache of writings on "America's greatest composer," the Duke himself.

With a foreword by Studs Terkel and a new introduction by Ira Gitler.

RALPH J. GLEASON (1917-1975) was a jazz and rock critic, founding editor of Rolling Stone, producer, disc jockey, teacher, and Vice-President of Fantasy Records. He was the author of Jam Sessions and The Jefferson Airplane and the San Francisco Sound. His work was honoured by three Deems Taylor Awards of excellence in music journalism, two Grammy nominations for liner notes, and two Emmy nominations for his documentaries on Duke Ellington.

"Ralph Gleason! I read him. He understands me!" - MILES DAVIS

"Even when he wrote about artists he knew less well, Gleason was ale to distil the essence of their contributions while evoking the overall beauty, dignity and majesty of jazz. But when he was thoroughly familiar with his subject - most notably Duke, Dizzy, Miles or Carmen McRae - he was uncommonly warm, insightful and sympathetic." - LEONARD FEATHER, Los Angeles Times

CONTENTS:
PART I: Jazz: Black Art / American Art
PART II: Heroes
Bessie Smith; Louis Armstrong; Jimmie Lunceford; Billie Holiday - Lady Day; Pres - Lester Young; Charlie 'Bird' Parker; John Birks 'Dizzy' Gillespie; John Lewis & the Modern Jazz Quartet; Carmen McRae; John Coltrane; Miles Davis; The Death of Albert Ayler.
PART III: The Duke
Farewell to the Duke; A Ducal Calendar 1952-1974; Coda: The Piano Player.

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