Black Beauty, White Heat: A Pictorial History of Classic Jazz, 1920-1950 by Driggs, Frank; Lewine, Harris - 1995

NY: Da Capo Press, 1995. Book. Very Good. Trade Papeback. Reprint.. 360 pp. Curled cover and thumbing, lengthy gift inscription in red ink on inside covers. No other markings. An encyclopedic collection of 1500 historical black and white photos of all the American jazz greats and hundreds of lesser known musicians through 1950. Lengthy detailed captions trace their careers and the venues where they played, with special focus on New Orleans, New York, Chicago and Kansas City. The text also shows how racism affected careers, with light-skinned black musicians in general enjoying more commercial success. Obscure record labels also are given recognition. Two indexes -- one giving musicians' names, the other for their compositions -- add to the value of this reference book. Size: 4to -- 12 in High.