3 Shades of Blue

[Kaplan] has written the definitive book on how that decade came to be and the three men . . . vital, marshalling with a light touch countless snippets of material * * Sunday Times * *
Kaplan evokes a pivotal moment in modern music . . . Entertaining * * Financial Times * *
A compelling read . . . [Kaplan] knows how to tell a story, and in 3 Shades of Blue he has a good one to tell. Or, rather, three good ones. . . . Kaplan has framed 3 Shades of Blue as both a chronicle of a golden age and a lament for its decline and fall. One doesn't have to accept the decline-and-fall part to acknowledge that he has done a lovely job of evoking the golden age * * New York Times Book Review * *
A superb book . . . [Kaplan is] a master biographer, a dogged researcher and shaper of narrative, and this is his most ambitious book to date * * Los Angeles Times * *
3 Shades of Blue, raises the bar . . . At a time when jazz is re-emergent and viral, seeping into virtually every musical genre (and vice versa), we are fortunate that the author has conjured this hothouse flower of a book - as rarified, intricate and haunting as an orchid * * Vanity Fair * *
A conventionally readable portrait of jazz musicians -- RICHARD WILLIAMS * * Literary Review * *
Kaplan does a wonderful job synthesising sources to produce a compelling narrative history . . . His technical descriptions of the music are accessible and useful * * Wall Street Journal * *
Writing with acumen and lyricism, Kaplan conjures the moods and milieus, breakthroughs and performances, temperaments and drama that generated this endlessly enthralling music * * Booklist (starred review) * *
Throughout this vibrant text, the author captures the time and atmosphere perfectly - the music, the personalities, the fragrant aroma of weed in the air - and he brings us right into the performances . . . A marvelous must-read for jazz fans and anyone interested in this dynamic period of American music * * Kirkus (starred review) * *
James Kaplan once more combines his formidable skill as an electrifying storyteller of the history of American music with a true depth of understanding of the art form itself - this time through the eyes of three jazz legends. This book reads like music. Don't miss it -- SETH MacFARLANE, creator of FAMILY GUY