Media
Author James Kaplan recently joined WBGO’s Lee Mergner to discuss his new book 3 Shades of Blue.
The interview is now available in both text and podcast form on WBGO.org. Check it out here!
Purchase a copy of 3 Shades of Blue today from Bookshop.org or Kaplan’s publisher Penguin.
Author James Kaplan recently joined Andrew Keen on his podcast “Keen On” to discuss 3 Shades of Blue.
Tune in to hear their full discussion on Kaplan’s latest book and get keyed into the world of jazz in the 50’s and 60’s.
Listen to the full podcast here and then purchase a copy of 3 Shades of Blue from Bookshop.org or Kaplan’s publisher Penguin.
The Washington Post has great things to say about Kaplan’s 3 Shades.
“In ‘3 Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and the Lost Empire of Cool,’ James Kaplan offers a compelling biography of all three men’s lives before, during and following the “Kind of Blue” sessions. Kaplan, the author of a best-selling, two-volume biography of Frank Sinatra, sets the scene with proper awe and wonderment.” – Zack Ruskin, The Washington Post
Read the full review here and then purchase a copy from Bookshop.org or Kaplan’s publisher Penguin.
The Times’ Peter Keepnews reviewed 3 Shades for their March 7th, 2024 issue, praising Kaplan’s writing on the golden age of jazz.
“A compelling read . . . [Kaplan] knows how to tell a story, and in 3 Shades of Blue he has a good one to tell. Or, rather, three good ones. . . . Kaplan has framed 3 Shades of Blue as both a chronicle of a golden age and a lament for its decline and fall. One doesn’t have to accept the decline-and-fall part to acknowledge that he has done a lovely job of evoking the golden age.” – The New York Times
Read the full review online now and purchase a copy of 3 Shades of Blue from Bookshop.org or Kaplan’s publisher Penguin.
3 Shades is featured in Kirkus Reviews latest “Fully Booked” podcast as an “editor’s pick.”
3 Shades of Blue is officially out. Purchase it now from Bookshop.org or Kaplan’s publisher Penguin.
Author James Kaplan sits down with Neon Jazz host Joe Dimino to discuss his new book 3 Shades of Blue.
Listen to their wonderful conversation and hear Kaplan’s first hand account of interviewing the legendary Miles Davis.
Purchase a copy of 3 Shades from Bookshop.org or Kaplan’s publisher Penguin today.
Kaplan grants readers exclusive insight into the history of the Five Spot, a legendary NYC club that hosted many of the biggest names in Jazz, in this excerpt from 3 Shades of Blue. Available now on WBGO.org.
3 Shades is officially out! Purchase it now from Bookshop.org or Kaplan’s publisher Penguin.
LitHub excerpts 3 Shades on the legendary face-off between Wynton Marsalis and Miles Davis.
Check out the passage detailing the storied rivalry and then pick up your own copy of 3 Shades of Blue from Bookshop.org or Kaplan’s publisher Penguin.
Vanity Fair’s David Friend loves 3 Shades in VF’s 13 Best Books to Read in March.
“In recent years, I’ve devoured two books exploring the backstory of Kind of Blue, the most beloved album in jazz history. But James Kaplan’s new effort, 3 Shades of Blue, raises the bar… we are fortunate that the author has conjured this hothouse flower of a book—as rarified, intricate, and haunting as an orchid.” – David Friend, Vanity Fair
3 Shades is officially out! Purchase it now from Bookshop.org or Kaplan’s publisher Penguin.
The London Times reviewed 3 Shades of Blue in its Sunday March 3rd issue, praising Kaplan’s depiction of the Hard Bop era.
“In the ten years between 1955 and 1965, an American art form — jazz — reached its peak… for that brief decade it resonated around the world, serving as the soundtrack of the postwar, pre-rock’n’roll era. James Kaplan, a novelist and journalist turned biographer, has written the definitive book on how that decade came to be and the three men — Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Bill Evans — whose musical collaboration defined it.” – Harry Lambert, The London Times
3 Shades is officially out! Purchase it now from Bookshop.org or Kaplan’s publisher Penguin.