Jazz 101 is a fascinating entre into the world of jazz, for the beginner, novice, or jazz enthusiast. Szwed takes listeners on a tour of the varied and nonlinear history of jazz, exploring how it developed from an ethnic music to become Americas most popular music and then part of the avant-garde in less than fifty years. Szweds complete overview includes the major types of jazz and significant jazz musicians of the twentieth century; the roots of jazz, including its European and African influences; and recommended listening, plus appendices on jazz singers and record guides.
Infinitely readable and highly entertaining, Jazz 101 is a vital tool in understanding and appreciating jazz.

John F. Szwed is currently a professor of music, anthropology, African and African-American studies, and American studies at Yale University. He has written seven books on music and African-American culture. His honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Rockefeller Foundation Humanities Fellowship. He lives in Connecticut.

Grover Gardner, named one of the "Best Voices of the Century" by AudioFile magazine, has recorded more than five hundred audiobooks. He is the recipient of more than thirteen Earphones Awards as well as an Audie Award. In addition to narrating, he has an active career as an actor and stage director. He lives in Washington, D.C.