Jazz is more than music. It encompasses the stories and struggles of those who compose, play, and perform on stages across America and the world. To fully understand the music, you must know the players.

Jazz journalist Charles L. Latimer spent almost two decades exploring and covering Detroit's thriving jazz scene. Over the years, he met and interviewed many of the world's most famous musicians, as well as up-and-coming artists.

Latimer's artist profiles, originally published in the Metro Times, are collected in Behind the Swing.The result is a fascinating and...