Queen of Bebop – Elaine M. Hayes
Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2017Washington Post Best Book of 2017
Amazon Editors' Top 100 Pick of the Year
Amazon Best Humor and Entertainment Pick of the Year
Booklist Top Ten Arts Book
Queen of Bebop brilliantly chronicles the life of jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, one of the most influential and innovative musicians of the twentieth century and a pioneer of women’s and civil rights
“The early years of Sarah Vaughan’s career coincided with the waning of the swing era, and this biography shows how the change both fuelled and limited her career.” (The New Yorker)
“Queen of Bebop explores the hard choices of many a jazz singer when rock ‘n roll began stealing audience focus, relying on a variety of performers to shed light on Vaughan’s mindset. A welcome and well-researched accounting of Vaughan’s life story. ” (NPR.org)
“Necessary and exciting. . . . Queen of Bebop models a way of understanding the lives and artistry of jazz musicians — one that establishes their importance and centrality in creating the best that America has offered the world.” (Washington Post)
