About the author
Ben Sidran is widely recognized as the host of National Public Radio's landmark series "Jazz Alive," which received a Peabody Award, and the host of VH-1 television's "New Visions" series, which received the Ace Award for best music series. He received a PhD in American Studies from Sussex University, has recorded over 35 solo albums, including the Grammy- nominated Concert for Garcia Lorca and produced recordings for artists including Van Morrison, Diana Ross, Mose Allison, Rickie Lee Jones and Steve Miller. The composer and music producer for the acclaimed film Hoop Dreams, Sidran has also authored several major works on jazz, including Black Talk, Talking Jazz and The Ballad of Tommy LiPuma.