The first publication to focus on Romare Bearden's rarely seen "Paris Blues" series—nineteen jazz-infused collages created in 1981 that explore African American experience and urban culture. Bearden (1911–1988), celebrated as the consummate jazz painter, conceived these vibrant works as pages for an oversized book responding to the 1961 film Paris Blues, expanding the narrative to include Harlem and New Orleans. This volume examines the collages alongside Bearden's encounters with iconic musicians and jazz spaces, revealing the profound connections between visual art, music, and city life. Features archival photographs of Bearden with Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and other jazz legends from the 1950s–70s.