A. B. Spellman is a well-known author, poet, critic, and instructor. He has published numerous books and articles on the arts, including Art Tatum: A Critical Biography and The Beautiful Days.

"An essential book in the jazz canon. . . . [T]he University of Michigan Press has given it a rebirth under the title Four Jazz Lives."
—Nat Hentoff, JazzTimes

"An engrossing, impressionistic history of contemporary jazz."
—Nation

"[Spellman] views these men with a perceptive and understanding eye."
—New York Times

"Remains the best introduction to the worlds of Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, Herbie Nichols, and Jackie McLean."
—Ben Ratliff

"Four black jazzmen speak at considerable length for themself, with connective passages supplied with persistent relevancy by a poet, historian, and critic."
—Nat Hentoff