Franklin is professor emeritus of English at the University Of South Carolina. He is also a long-time historian of jazz, especially in South Carolina. Over several years he interviewed jazz musicians born between 1905 and 1971, some of whom have since died. All of them have a South Carolina connection. Some, Like Dizzy Gillespie and Etta Jones, went on to international fame. Others have a more regional following. The interviews are a precious memento of the life of jazz musicians throughout the twentieth century. Franklin also notes in his introduction and in the course of the interviews the influence of the Jenkins Orphanage band on the development of jazz musicians in South Carolina. This is a valuable oral history. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)