3 Shades of Blue

From the New York Times bestseller, the story of jazz, told through the journeys of three towering artists

[Kaplan] has written the definitive book on how that decade came to be and the three men . . . vital, marshalling with a light touch countless snippets of material

Kaplan evokes a pivotal moment in modern music . . . Entertaining

A compelling read . . . [Kaplan] knows how to tell a story, and in 3 Shades of Blue he has a good one to tell. Or, rather, three good ones. . . . Kaplan has framed 3 Shades of Blue as both a chronicle of a golden age and a lament for its decline and fall. One doesn't have to accept the decline-and-fall part to acknowledge that he has done a lovely job of evoking the golden age

A superb book . . . [Kaplan is] a master biographer, a dogged researcher and shaper of narrative, and this is his most ambitious book to date

3 Shades of Blue, raises the bar . . . At a time when jazz is re-emergent and viral, seeping into virtually every musical genre (and vice versa), we are fortunate that the author has conjured this hothouse flower of a book - as rarified, intricate and haunting as an orchid

A conventionally readable portrait of jazz musicians

Kaplan does a wonderful job synthesising sources to produce a compelling narrative history . . . His technical descriptions of the music are accessible and useful

Writing with acumen and lyricism, Kaplan conjures the moods and milieus, breakthroughs and performances, temperaments and drama that generated this endlessly enthralling music

Throughout this vibrant text, the author captures the time and atmosphere perfectly - the music, the personalities, the fragrant aroma of weed in the air - and he brings us right into the performances . . . A marvelous must-read for jazz fans and anyone interested in this dynamic period of American music

James Kaplan once more combines his formidable skill as an electrifying storyteller of the history of American music with a true depth of understanding of the art form itself - this time through the eyes of three jazz legends. This book reads like music. Don't miss it

James Kaplan 's essays, stories, reviews and profiles have appeared in numerous magazines, including the New Yorker , the New York Times , Vanity Fair , Esquire and New York . His novels include Pearl's Progress and Two Guys from Verona , a New York Times Notable Book for 1998. His nonfiction works include The Airport, You Cannot Be Serious (co-authored with John McEnroe), Dean & Me: A Love Story (with Jerry Lewis), Frank: The Voice, and Sinatra: The Chairman . He lives in Westchester, New York.