Meet Author James Kaplan

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3 Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and the Lost Empire of Cool

From the author of the definitive biography of Frank Sinatra, the story of how jazz arrived at the pinnacle of American culture in 1959, told through the journey of three towering artists - Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans - who came together to create the most iconic jazz album of all time, Kind of Blue.

3 Shades of Blue is James Kaplan’s magnificent account of the paths of the three giants to the mountaintop of 1959 and beyond. In it, Kaplan explores the astonishing creativity and strange hothouses that seem to produce it, examining the music, race, and the towns that gave jazz its home, from New Orleans and New York to Kansas City, Philadelphia, Chicago, and LA. 

“This book reads like music. Don’t miss it.” —Seth MacFarlane

JAMES KAPLAN’S essays, stories, reviews, and profiles have appeared in numerous magazines, including The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Esquire, and New York. His nonfiction books include The Airport, You Cannot Be Serious (coauthored with John McEnroe), Dean & Me: A Love Story (with Jerry Lewis), Frank: The Voice, and Sinatra: The Chairman.