New on the Shelf:

The Complete Discography of Louis Armstrong: All of Me, by Jos Willems, published by Scarecrow Press, 4501 Forbes Blvd., #200, Lanham, MD 20706, (301) 459-3366, $85 cloth, $55 paperback, www.scarecrowpress.com

American Big Bands, by Dr. William F. Lee, published by Hal Leonard, paperback $19.95 U.S., $25.95 CAN, (800) 554-0626, e-mail: sales@halleonard.com

Swingin' Americans Series: Marty Grosz Discography, by Clarrie Henley, published by Gerald Bielderman, Leie 18, 8032 ZG Zwolle, Netherlands, Ph: 038-4537821, $16 (in bills), http://home.tiscali.nl/tradjazz.

The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, general editor: Howard Mandel, published by Billboard Books, hardcover, $45.00, www.watsonguptill.com.

Young Chet, by William Claxton, published by Schirmer Art Books, paperback, $18.96, www.amazon.com/books

Alive at the Village Vanguard: My Life In and Out of Jazz Time, by Lorraine Gordon as told to Barry Singer, published by Hal Leonard, (release date 12/20/2006), $27.95, (800) 554-0626, e-mail: sales@halleonard.com.

Bunny Berigan: Elusive Legend of Jazz, by Robert Dupuis, published by Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, La., paperback $19.95, www.lsu.edu/lsupress

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An Update:

The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, second edition, edited by Barry Kernfeld and published by Oxford University Press in late 2001, has articles on every aspect of jazz, covering groups, composers, arrangers, instruments, record labels and venues. Originally $500 and reviewed on the RAG's website when first released, the three-volume set is currently priced at $275 and is available at www.us.oup.com/us.

The full text has now also been made available online via a paid subscription at www.grovemusic.com. The online version is identical to the print version, a widely respected reference tool containing more than 7500 signed articles written by jazz scholars and authorities. Most articles also contain useful bibliographies and discographies.

Traditional jazz aficionados will notice omissions of some noted trad artists, as well as venue and festival errors and omissions, but, taken as a whole and considering its attempt to cover jazz worldwide, this set is truly a remarkable accomplishment in terms of scope, fine writing and excellent research.

Articles from The Mississippi Rag are referenced in selected bibliographies for traditional jazz musicians, and readers will recognize the names of well regarded traditional jazz writers who have contributed entries. These include Paige Van Vorst, Chip Deffaa, Scott Yanow, Peter Vacher, Mike Hazeldine, Bill Russell, William J. Schafer, Alyn Shipton, Marcel Joly, John Edward Hasse, Clarrie Henley, Albert Vollmer, Warren Vaché, Sr., and many others.

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If you love to read reviews, you'll love the RAG. It's loaded with reviews of recordings, books, videos, and festivals, as well as fascinating articles of past and present musicians. To subscribe, click here.

To read other interesting reviews, check out www.thejazzgazette.be.