Book excerpt: "Richard Cook (with Brian Morton) of The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, takes the reader on a tour of the musical terrain, past and present. Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia is at once a rivetingly opinionated A to Z of every major figure from Louis Armstrong to John Zorn; a clear guide to the various techniques and styles, ranging from boogie woogie to scat singing; and a witty dictionary of terms, whether explaining the meaning of ghost bands, harmolodies or vocalese."--BOOK JACKET.