As the handsome (and much-married) leader of a series of big bands and small groups in the 1930s and 1940s, clarinetist Artie Shaw achieved measures of fame and fortune that temporarily eclipsed those of his great rival, Benny Goodman. Shaw's five top single recordigs had sold over 65 million copies by 1965; by 1990 his total sales exceeded 100 million records. Yet Shaw was an ambitiously serious and introspective musician. He frequently tired of the music business, often forsaking it for extended periods. He also achieved renown as a writer of fiction. Unlike Goodman, Shaw, now in his 93rd year and the last surviving icon of the Swing Era, has not been well served by jazz writers. In rectifying that omission, the revised edition of this book offers a narrative account and analytical assessment of the life and times of a major figure in American popular music.

About the Author
John White is Reader in American History at the University of Hull. He is coeditor of Larkin's Jazz (Continuum, 2001).

Reviews
"'I read through your book rather rapidly, since I already knew most of what you were writing about.' - Artie Shaw; 'This well-researched and painstaking book draws from a multitude of sources and is a welcome addition to the slim library of Shaw biographies.' - The Jazz Rag"



Book Information
ISBN 9780826469151
Author John White
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 376g