Published in 2008, this book features 521 singers profiled through the year 2007, sketches of 198 more singers, 55 instrumentalists who have sung during their careers, a section for jazz vocal groups, a list of singers on film, and recommended reading on jazz singing. And in his introduction the author includes a brief history of jazz singing.

Scott Yanow’s writing sparkles, so there is nothing encyclopedic about this book. And regardless of the stature of the singer, if his/her life is interesting, space is allowed for it. As much as you think you know about a particular singer, Yanow often comes up with a surprising tidbit.

JazzStandards.com has a more in-depth review of this book, along with Jazz Singing: America’s Great Voices from Bessie Smith to Bebop and Beyond and Singing Jazz: The Singers and Their Styles at our page titled On Jazz and Singers: Three Books.

Scott Yanow has contributed thousands of CD reviews to the third edition of the All Music Guide to Jazz, and is one of the most prolific jazz record reviewers in history. He has written ten books on jazz and penned over 600 liner notes for many record labels.