We've already outlined a general history of jazz by strolling down the many highways and byways of its different styles during the first fifty years of its life; now we're going to propose another approach to this music, the most popular and creative of the 20th century, and incidentally, one that's still continuing to develop, though in a different manner. We'll be offering a chronological approach to the life and music of some great jazzmen. There are already several anthologies and compilations in this world to do with jazz and those who are part of it, but we wanted to take a different approach and go one step further if possible. We'll be following our selected artists into every corner of their life, their critical and popular successes, anything unusual or innovatory they introduced, all in their order of composition; another "extra" with us will be the sound which will be cleaned and restored. So here goes. Jazz to listen to, accept, listen to again, appreciate, think about. For these are the high points of a musical story belonging to the 20th century that's still relevant fifty years later. Andre Francis (Jazz Characters creator)