Al Casey talks about his work independently from Fats Waller, including his love for other guitarists such as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian. He talks about working with pianist Art Tatum, an experience shared with bassist Truck Parham. Casey then goes on to describe his trio which accompanied Billie Holiday and others who worked with her add their experiences, including Doc Cheatham and Mal Waldron. There follows a dicsussion of Teddy Wilson's short-lived big band that worked at the Golden Gate in New York, analysing its press coverage and why it ultimately failed. The chapter finished with Truck Parham's vivid memory of the death of bandleader Jimmie Lunceford (who will be referred to numerous times in later chapters) as the result of a racist incident in a restaurant.

After Gillespie's return fron California, the big band he formed had a rhythm section of John Lewis, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson and Kenny Clarke. This chapter explores how that quartet became the MJQ and developed into one of the most influential jazz groups of the 1950s to the 1980s. Shipton discusses basses with Percy Heath and the difficulties of playing both piano and vibes with Milt Jackson.