Cambridge University Press

Few publications among the literature on Duke Ellington to have appeared in recent years ... can claim to have shed as much light on their subject as the impressive collection of essays assembled... — Music and Letters More…

wide-ranging, full of intriguing information, and refreshingly straightforward ... the glory of Celenza's book is the information it offers - subtle illumination of areas of the subject that... — Jazz Lives More…

remarkable ... a definitive study in breadth and depth of the themes, backgrounds, imagery and motivation of the blues — The New York Times More…

What a delight to have three classic works on blues reissued under one cover. Oliver is to be congratulated for conceiving of the idea and for bringing it to fruition...This book should be in... — Choice More…

fills an interesting and important gap in American musical history — Cashbox More…

most of the writers in this Companion are academics, and it's hard to fault the obvious passion underlying their diverse points of view — BBC Music Magazine More…