Description
Author: George T. Simon
Foreword: Frank Sinatra
Publisher: The Macmillan Company
Printing: Eighth Printing
Date of Publication: 1970
Place of Publication: New York
Format: Hardcover with dust jacket
Condition: Hardcover in Very Good+ condition with clean, bright original Macmillan cloth binding featuring gilt instrument motifs. Dust jacket is almost Near Fine with only very light wear at the top edge and no chips or major flaws. Jacket protected in Brodart archival cover.
Description:
A classic and authoritative history of the big band era by renowned jazz critic George T. Simon, with a foreword by Frank Sinatra. The Big Bands is widely regarded as one of the definitive accounts of the swing era, offering an immersive chronicle of the musicians, bands, arrangers, and personalities who shaped American popular music from the 1930s through the mid-1940s.
Drawing on firsthand knowledge and deep industry access, Simon brings to life the sounds, venues, broadcasts, and behind-the-scenes stories of legendary figures including Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, and many others. The book combines musical insight with cultural history, capturing the spirit of an era when big bands dominated dance halls, radio, and the national imagination.
An essential volume for jazz collectors, music historians, and readers interested in twentieth-century American culture.