Five Leaves Publications

Book details

From journeymen musicians to stars with many albums to their name, Mixed Messages includes interviews with 21 American jazz musicians – on music, mostly, but the world intrudes, as it does with the best of jazz music. The musicians range from the trombonist Louis Nelson, who was born in 1902, through the New Orleans pianist Ellis Marsalis, who is still playing and on to Byron Stripling, who plays trumpet with his Columbus Jazz Orchestra. Peter Vacher has been interviewing American jazz players since the 1950s and this is his second collection of interviews.

Mixed Messages is lavishly illustrated with rare and original photographs and will be of interest to any serious follower of jazz.

About the Author

Peter Vacher knows everybody in the jazz world. His interviews and articles have appeared throughout the English speaking world, including in the Melody Maker, Jazz UK and CODA. His previous book of interviews is Soloists and Sidemen (Northway Press). He also writes obituaries of jazz musicians for The Guardian.