Grant Green - Rediscovering The Forgotten Genius Of Jazz Guitar

Green, a novelist, journalist, and former daughter-in-law of her subject, offers an intimate portrait of the great jazz guitarist Grant Green. Interviewing his family and friends, she unearths the story of Green's childhood, his beginnings on guitar, his early musical success in St. Louis, and his conversion to the Muslim faith. She uses discussions with several jazz luminaries to trace Green's trek to New York, his rise to fame among the jazz cognoscenti, his prolific output for such labels as Blue Note, and his subsequent low-key career until his untimely death in 1979. Though she creates a sympathetic portrait, the author directly confronts Green's heroin habit, which led to erratic behavior and the neglect of his family. A well-written, richly illustrated book that will appeal to anyone interested in postwar jazz.