These are the intriguing stories behind more than 500 top jazz trumpeters of all time - many of whom still play today. This collection of profiles covers such legends as Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Wynton Marsalis, plus lesser-known but also noteworthy trumpeters from all jazz eras. Each profile traces the "plot" of the player's life, emphasizing the personal or musical traits (if not eccentricities) that set each trumpeter apart from other musicians. Overall contributions to the world of jazz are also described, along with stories of colleagues, individual career details, and recommended recordings. The book also features a section on jazz figures who seem unlikely to have recorded on trumpet, but did, such as Benny Goodman, Hoagy Carmichael, and Mose Allison.