Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

In the 1950s, New York City's Birdland was the center of the world of modern jazz--and a revelation to Bill Crow, a wet-behind-the-ears twenty-two-year-old from Washington State. Located on Broadway between 52nd and 53rd streets, the club named for the incomparable Charlie "Bird" Parker boasted lifesize photo murals of modern jazzmen like Dizzy Gillespie, Lennie Tristano, and, of course, Bird himself, looming large against jet black walls. Exotic live birds perched in cages behind the bar. The midget master of ceremonies, 3'9" Pee Wee Marquette, dressed in a zoot suit and loud tie, smoked huge cigars and screeched mispronounced introductions into the microphone. And the jazz-struck young Crow would park in the bleachers till 4 am, blissfully enveloped by the heady music of Bird, Bud Powell, Max Roach, and a host of other jazz giants.
From Birdland to Broadway is an enthralling insider's account of four decades of a life in jazz. Bill Crow, journeyman bass player, superb storyteller, and author of the successful Jazz Anecdotes, here narrates many moving and delightful tales of the pioneers of modern jazz he played with and was befriended by. We find Dizzy Gillespie, with whom Crow, because of prior commitments, regretfully declined steady work, dancing at the Royal Roost, Stan Getz sadly teetering on the brink of losing himself to drugs, and Harry Belafonte (known then as "the Cinderella Gentleman") running a lunch counter in New York's Sheridan Square between music dates. And we also witness many of the highlights of Crow's career, such as in 1955 when the Marian McPartland Trio (with Crow on bass) was named "Small Group of the Year" by Metronome; Crow playing with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet at venues like Storyville in Boston and Harlem's Apollo Theater (where they appeared with Dinah Washington); and the tour of the Soviet Union with Benny Goodman, a journey that might have been a high point of Crow's travels abroad but was marred by Goodman's legendary mistreatment of his band.
Moving beyond jazz clubs to the Broadway concert pit and a variety of studio gigs in the '60s, Crow encounters actors such as Yul Brynner and pop-rock acts like Simon and Garfunkel. From the great to the near-great, from Billie Holiday to Judy Holliday, Bill Crow's wealth of personal anecdotes takes the reader from Birdland, to the Half Note, to the Playboy Club, to the footlights of Broadway. This revealing book is a marvelous portrait of the jazz world, told by someone who's been there.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• 1. Birdland (p. 3)
• 2. The Big Town (p. 6)
• 3. Home, School, and the Army (p. 10)
• 4. Tacoma, Baltimore, and Washington (p. 15)
• 5. Seattle (p. 20)
• 6. Coast to Coast (p. 26)
• 7. Charlie's (p. 31)
• 8. Jam Sessions (p. 36)
• 9. Scuffling (p. 40)
• 10. Dave Lambert (p. 44)
• 11. Tupper Lake (p. 49)
• 12. More Scuffling (p. 55)
• 13. "The Music Goes 'Round and Around," (p. 61)
• 14. West Tenth Street (p. 67)
• 15. S.S. Uruguay (p. 71)
• 16. Gigging Around (p. 76)
• 17. Slim Gaillard, Stan Getz (p. 80)
• 18. Pee Wee Marquette (p. 87)
• 19. Papa Jo (p. 91)
• 20. Stan the Man (p. 95)
• 21. Claude Thornhill (p. 99)
• 22. Gene Quill (p. 104)
• 23. Terry Gibbs (p. 109)
• 24. The Marian McPartland Trio (p. 113)
• 25. Jazz Records (p. 119)
• 26. Popsie Randolph (p. 122)
• 27. Vic Dickenson (p. 125)
• 28. Bird (p. 129)
• 29. Gerry Mulligan (p. 133)
• 30. Duke Ellington (p. 138)
• 31. Garner and Monk (p. 144)
• 32. Pee Wee Russell (p. 149)
• 33. All Around Town (p. 153)
• 34. Dave Lambert, Last Chorus (p. 159)
• 35. The Gerry Mulligan Quartet (p. 164)
• 36. Europe (p. 170)
• 37. Good Gigs (p. 175)
• 38. The Concert Jazz Band (p. 180)
• 39. Judy Holliday (p. 184)
• 40. The Sherwood Inn (p. 190)
• 41. Benny Goodman (p. 195)
• 42. The Half Note (p. 204)
• 43. Japan (p. 210)
• 44. Al the Waiter (p. 214)
• 45. Condon's, the Playboy Club (p. 220)
• 46. Comedians (p. 227)
• 47. The Studios (p. 234)
• 48. Lainie Kazan (p. 238)
• 49. Peter Duchin (p. 243)
• 50. Doubling in Brass (p. 246)
• 51. 42nd Street (p. 250)
• 52. Jazz Anecdotes (p. 255)
• Index (p. 263)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Crow, a jazz bassist and award-winning author ( Jazz Anecdotes , LJ 3/15/90), offers his recollections of jazz life during the last four decades. Beginning with his arrival in New York City in 1950 and his experiences in the now-famous jazz club Birdland, he relates stories about the jazz musicians he encountered. In brief, conversational chapters, Crow tells about playing with baritone sax great Gerry Mulligan, pianist Marion McPartland, and tenor saxophonist Stan Getz. He also provides a firsthand account of the notorious treatment of the Benny Goodman band by its leader on a tour of the Soviet Union, and includes memories of such stage stars as Yul Brynner. Providing some fascinating social history, the author has written a book of intimate and entertaining vignettes about some modern jazz masters. Recommended for general readers and scholars interested in American music.-- David Szatmary, Univ. of Washington, Seattle (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

Bassist Crow follows up Jazz Anecdotes , his breezy collection of tales about colleagues he encountered in his 40-year career as a performer, with this spirited and affectionate memoir. A native of Seattle, Crow was a valve trombonist when he came to New York City in 1950 as a jazz-mad 22-year-old; he switched to bass for a gig in the Adirondacks, a job so hastily arranged that he had to hitchhike there with an equally penniless friend whose knowledge of Greek won the sympathy of Greek cooks at eateries en route. With similar color Crow recounts his ``scuffling'' from bar to union hall, from one apartment (and roommate) to the next in an attempt to make ends meet. As his career picked up, he played with everyone from Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Dinah Washington to Simon and Garfunkel. Crow's enthusiastic reminiscences, relayed with a musician's sure pacing, vivify an era. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

CHOICE Review

Over the years, bassist Bill Crow has been closely associated with some of the most important and interesting figures in jazz. In this autobiographical account of 40 years of his life, he writes about these musicians clearly and expressively, with a subtle but pervasive wit. Authors with both the musical and literary qualifications Crow possesses are rare. Crow's previous book, Jazz Anecdotes (winner JazzTimes Magazine's 1991 "Reader's Poll"), grouped its stories topically; in contrast, the present work uses the author's own professional history as its organizing principle. But as interesting as Crow's musical life has been, his descriptions of poignant or humorous incidents involving better-known musicians and entertainers are the book's focus and constitute its special appeal. Subjects include such diverse personalities as Gerry Mulligan, Zoot Sims, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker, Marian McPartland, Lainie Kazan, Judy Holliday, Peter Duchin, and Yul Brynner. Readers at all levels will experience the history of modern jazz from an insider's point of view while being thoroughly entertained. A. D. Franklin; Winthrop University

Kirkus Book Review

Low-key memoir by jazz musician and writer Crow. Fresh and 22, Crow arrived in Manhattan in 1950, coming from Washington State. He played trumpet, baritone horn, tuba, valve trombone, drums, and tenor sax, but his main axe was the bass fiddle. Bop had hit 52nd Street, and Crow hit Birdland--the bop mecca named after Charlie Yardbird Parker. Although Crow later played at Birdland himself, and adored Parker, he seems to have been a swing rather than a bop player. Here, he tells countless stories about his career but focuses on short takes that don't develop genuine continuity of interest. Among his longer takes are those about Charlie Parker: ``Though I hoped to find a memory of him in Clint Eastwood's movie Bird, I was sorry to see that, except on the soundtrack, Charlie wasn't there. The movie missed Bird's nature, his confidence, his intelligence, and especially his wit.'' In 1962, Crow was hired by Benny Goodman to accompany his band to the Soviet Union. The low-paying Goodman was, as recounted by many others, a terrible man to work for, ever the ogre on the bandstand and a creature of great vanity. Crow is also spot-on with Stan Getz: ``Stan had a pleasant disposition when he was sober, but when using drugs he could be awash with maudlin sentiment one minute and cold, distrustful, and cruel the next. Discussing him with friends...Zoot Sims said, `Yeah, Stan's a nice bunch of guys.' '' Other outstanding passages tell of Crow's work with the Gerry Mulligan combos and Claude Thornhill's band; in Broadway pit bands; and his friendship with Dave Lambert. Well written but seldom gripping.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Bill Crow is an accomplished jazz musician and writer