Book excerpt: From the Minds of Jazz Musicians, Volume II is a follow-up to Volume I’s celebration of contemporary jazz artists who have toiled, struggled and succeeded in finding their creative space. Volume II was developed through transcribing and editing selected interviews with 29 jazz artists, conducted by the author since 2011, along with a historical essay on each artist. The interviews feature musicians from a broad range of musical styles and experiences, with their beginnings ranging from the 50s to the early 80s. Topics range from biographical life histories to descriptions of mentor relationships, revealing the important life lessons they learned along the way. With the goal to discover the person behind the persona, the author elicits conversations that speak of the creative process, mining the individualistic perspectives of seminal artists who witnessed history in the making. By comparing and contrasting each artist’s perspective to discover similarities in their career paths. these volumes are an important research tool for students and academics, offering direct information from leading figures in the jazz world.