Description
Book Synopsis"The two sides of Shaw…are at the center of…[this] compulsively readable biography." —Daniel Akst,
Wall Street JournalTrade Review"Makes sense of a turbulent life that even Artie Shaw himself had given up on explaining." -- Ted Gioia - San Francisco Chronicle
"Tom Nolan proves himself valiantly…It’s not simply the first-hand research, the careful investigation of the facts, the easy, approachable prose style…The portrait is thorough, providing a deep study of a man both complicated and coarse, creating beauty through his clarinet and creating turmoil through his actions." -- Michael Steinman - Jazz Lives
"Compelling…scented with understanding and charm." -- Michael D. Langan - Buffalo News
"A beautifully measured, unforgiving account…an exemplary work of jazz biography." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Every great artist deserves a great biography, and Swing Era bandleader and clarinetist Artie Shaw finally has one.…Nolan has crafted a well-written, highly entertaining, and informative biography." -- Peter Thornell - Library Journal
"Enthralling…[
Artie Shaw] gives the satisfactions of a true rags-to-riches story…and plausibly accounts for Shaw’s huge character faults without obscuring his charm and prodigious talent." -- Ray Olson - Booklist
"At last, the lively, continually imaginative life of the most creative clarinetist in jazz history." -- Nat Hentoff, author of At the Jazz Band Ball: Sixty Years at the Jazz Scene
