The Annual Review of Jazz Studies is dedicated to scholarly research on jazz and its related musical forms. It recognizes the growing awareness of jazz as a cultural phenomenon. All volumes include numerous musical examples, a book review section, a portfolio of jazz photographs, and bibliographic surveys. This volume is a special double issue covering the two years of 1997 and 1998. It begins with a series of studies devoted to the classic ballad, "Stella by Starlight," focusing on various performances by groups led by Miles Davis as well as discussing visits to "Stella" by Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. Other articles in this volume cover major figures in the heritage of jazz, such as Bix Beiderbecke, Martial Solal, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman. It also explores two other areas of interest: the Western African drumming tradition and its relation to jazz, and a study of a seminal book, Jazz Dance, by Marshall and Jean Stearns. The reviews include two essays on Paul Berliner's Thinking in Jazz, an assessment of Jazz Research and Performance Materials: A Select Annotated Bibliography, three biographies of Woody Herman, and a review of important Duke Ellington recordings. Finally, there are rare photographs drawn from the files of the Institute of Jazz Studies. This volume is a must-have for collectors of this series and sure to be of interest to all jazz lovers.
