Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development

Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development, by Gunther Schuller, is a seminal study of jazz from its origins through the early 1930s, first published in 1968. It has since been translated into five languages (Italian, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish). When it was published, it was the first volume of a projected two volume history of jazz through the Swing era. (Schuller died before he could write a promised third volume, on the bebop period and after.) The book takes an enthusiastic tone to its subject. A notable feature of the series is transcriptions of jazz performances, which increase its value for the musically literate.