Faces in the Crowd: Musicians, Writers, Actors, and Filmmakers (PB) (1996)

In Faces in the Crowd Gary Giddins explores the achievements of thirty-seven artists, ranging from Irving Berlin to Spike Lee, Billie Holiday to Kay Starr, Louis Armstrong to Miles Davis, Elias Canetti to Philip Roth. He shows how Jack Benny revolutionized comedy; assesses the hardboiled fiction of James M.Cain, Raymond Chandler, and Elmore Leonard; recounts how he uncovered the true birthdate of Louis Armstrong; chats with Clint Eastwood about Charlie Parker. And, of course, he writes with authority on the great jazz musicians. This provocative and entertaining collection reveals why Gary Giddins has become one of the most influential critics of his generation.