In its 1,472 pages, the thick fourth edition of this entertaining, easy-to-use reference now reviews and rates more than 20,000 sizzling recordings by over 1,700 musicians in all jazz styles – from New Orleans jazz to bebop, fusion and beyond. Colorful profiles describe the artists' lives and careers, while anecdotal histories portray selected jazz legends. “Music Maps” chart the evolution of jazz instruments, plus the influence of significant players, vocalists and sidemen. Providing essays on styles plus details on labels, producers and more, this definitive guide will help readers begin or fine-tune a great jazz collection by providing critics' choices for the best place to start exploring each artist or genre.