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This comprehensive and informative overview of the history of jazz piano, from the early innovations of Jelly Roll Morton to the late-20th and early-21st century stylings of Mulgrew Miller and Brad Mehldau, is a collection of short biographies and incisive musical critiques on the work of as many influential and significant pianists as there are keys on a keyboard. Robert Doerschuk, a jazz pianist himself, displays a remarkable insight into the backgrounds and stylistic influences of his subjects, incorporating fascinating details such as Morton`s tarnished reputation among his contemporaries and his decades-long feud with Duke Ellington. With each group of musicians occupying its own category ( Singing and Swinging for Earl Hines, Nat King Cole, and others, while the avant-garde master Cecil Taylor is the lone occupant of the Order Within Chaos niche), Doerschuk perceptively explores the rich panorama of 20th-century jazz history. THE GIANTS OF JAZZ PIANO is an invaluable guide and research resource for both jazz neophytes and more seasoned aficionados. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.