Can jazz still be told? More importantly, who is entitled to tell its story? In this remarkable book, Franck Médioni gives the floor to 111 of the genre’s greatest artists—from Sonny Rollins to Randy Brecker, from Herbie Hancock to Martial Solal, from Archie Shepp to Maceo Parker. Through these conversations, another history of jazz emerges: vibrant, diverse, and constantly evolving. There is no overarching theory here, nor any fixed narrative, but rather a rich polyphony of voices. Each artist speaks from personal experience, from the body, from memory, and from a unique relationship with the world. Jazz appears not simply as music, but as a way of thinking in action—a way of being.
From Michel Portal to Cassandra Wilson, from Pat Metheny to Joe Zawinul, these musicians reflect on what it means to perform, to create, and to improvise in today's world.
Part dictionary, part emotional map, this book unfolds a vast landscape where generations, styles, and traditions intersect. At last, jazz explained by those who live it.
Patrick FRÉMEAUX

Franck Médioni is a journalist and writer. A former producer for France Musique, he has published a number of interview books with Martial Solal, Joëlle Léandre, Sonny Rollins, Daniel Humair, and Michel Portal. He is also the author of several biographies, including those of Jimi Hendrix, George Gershwin, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Michel Petrucciani.

PRÉFACE D’ARNAUD VIVIANT - POSTFACE DE TOM BURON

534 PAGES