Birth of the cool : beat, bebop, and the American avant-garde

Following a frenetic swing-era "cool revival" and stamped with the unique sensibility of poet-author Lewis MacAdams, "Birth of the Cool" gives a cultural history of the American underground in the '40s and '50s, and of the artists at its core: Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, William Burroughs, and others. 66 photos.