Richard Cook’s Jazz Encyclopedia is not merely an A-Z guide to the artists and bands who have shaped jazz, but it also tracks the history of jazz and its changing styles. This is a wonderfully accessible work. Richard Cook`s passion for jazz and his strongly held opinions make this the liveliest and most trenchantly witty encyclopedia you`ll have read. Whether you`re trying to find out why Louis Armstrong was called Satchmo (his nickname as a kid was Satchelmouth), what bebop is, or the difference between Gil Evans and Bill Evans – this book has all the answers.