City of Gabriels

City of the Gabriels: The Jazz History of St. Louis by Dennis Owsley City of the Gabriels presents St. Louis's jazz history from 1895 to 1973. Highlighted with striking images from each era, this coffee-table book describes the lively world of jazz from the Mississippi riverboats to the smoke-filled clubs of Gaslight Square. The book explores talents and personalities like Tom Turpin, Frank Trumbauer, Singleton Palmer, Clark Terry, Jeanne Trevor, Willie Akins, Miles Davis, and countless others. Beginning with the ragtime era that helped jazz take root, the narrative, authored by St. Louis jazz DJ Dennis Owsley, combines first-person accounts with deft commentary. Stories from and about musicians, club owners, and aficionados abound, and Owsley places them in context. City of the Gabriels is a must for lovers of jazz. The book gives a needed insight into an enduring culture in St. Louis. It also serves as the companion to the eponymous exhibit opening September 21, 2006, at The Sheldon Art Galleries in St. Louis.