From Harlem to Hollywood

What a great story - a must for all music afficionados - this is legendary stuff. What a gift.- Mark Snow (prolific screen and TV composer of The X-files The Rookies Hart to Hart)Van Alexander knows more about the Big Band era than any man alive - and he's written it all in his autobiography.- James Bacon veteran Hollywood columnistWhat a delight it is to have the recollections of one who was there and was central to the development of the Swing Era and so much of what followed...- Garry Giddens - author columnist artistic director of the American jazz orchestraVan Alexander vividly recalls and recaps all the great stories depicting his extrordinary career that began for him in Harlem at the legendary Savoy Ballroom. His anecdotes and association with many musical giants in Hollwood from Les Brown and Billy May to Stan Getz and Sweets Edison. Meet them all in this wonderful book.- Richard Grudens - author of Stardust The Bible of the Big Bands and well known jazz musicologist.Van's life story is truly a bit of musical history and it resurrected many fond memories for me. He was there at the beginning of the Swing Era and recalls many great stories covering his early days at the Savoy Ballroom with Chick Webb and Ella Fitzgerald up to and including his TV and picture credits and his collaboration with Michael Feinstein. I found his book 'unputdownable.' - Quincy Jones