With more than 500 pictures, and extensive entries on more than 350 orchestras, this complete coverage of black and white bands - from the almost-forgotten to Basie, Ellington, Miller, Shaw and Dorsey - will prompt memories and establish important facts on a glorious era of jazz and popular music. Forewords by Les Brown and Harry James, and an index with more than 6,000 names, this is a book that should be part of any music library.

LEO WALKER played trumpet in several Midwest territory bands of the 1930s. For ten years he operated his own booking agency in Hollywood where he specialized in handling big bands. A former president of the Hollywood Press Club, he is the author of The Wonderful Era of the Great Dance Bands, and founder of the Big Band Academy of America.

"A must for those interested in one of the most important periods of musical history…history that has continued into today… The organization is the key. Under each alphabetically-arranged bandleader, from Irving Aaronson to Si Zentner, is categorized when and where the leader started his first band, some of his leading sidemen and vocalists, radio and TV shows, theme song, previous band affiliations, songs written and recording affiliations…a good, breezy reference work that also features an invaluable index." - VARIETY

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