This erudite work blends the graphic extravagance of a sumptuous coffee-table book with the textual rigor of a catalogue raisonne in tracing the musical path of New York’s nonpareil Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the milieu in which it flourished. It is well worth the reader’s time to attend closely to the forensically detailed chapters…
Ted Panken, DownBeat magazine

Musicians themselves, Lisik and Allen have somehow left no stone unturned when assembling this incredibly thorough history of an iconic ensemble. A must-own item for any fan of this ensemble and its history.
C. Andrew Hovan, All About Jazz

Any fan of the orchestra simply has to own “50 Years at the Village Vanguard,” the definitive book by Dave Lisik and Eric Allen, two musicians and educators who clearly love this big band.
Scott Yanow, LA Jazz Scene

This year’s pre-eminent jazz coffee-table book…a marvelously complete documentation of the band’s origins, personalities, lore and achievements. Lisik and Allen masterfully weave scads of revealing interviews, historical and contemporary photos and more into a gorgeous chronicle that thrums with jazz vitality.
Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen

A joyful onslaught of graphics, photos and posters; sidebars, indented quotes and other neat features add spark to this fascinating new book on the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, making it an exciting journey for jazz lovers of all stripes. Readers can thumb through randomly and be assured of landing at a place of interest: treating it as an encyclopedia, historical account, or a series of jazzy anecdotes that bring you shoulder-to-shoulder with the musicians of this iconic band.
Debbie Burke

This is simply one of the finest books about jazz to be released in the last decade. It is well-researched, highly readable, beautifully designed and a fitting tribute to a remarkable musical entity.
Joe Lang, Jersey Jazz magazine

It’s amazing! Everybody has to get this book!
Judy Carmichael, host of “Jazz Inspired"

Holy sh*t, this is a terrific book! The narrative is terrific. It’s chock full of interviews, but it also is a kind of history text. But it reads fast because there are so *&%!# many pictures in here and they’re amazing.
Mike Caldwell, Jazz Bastard podcast

A well-organized and eminently readable book. It is a must for anyone interested in the Jones-Lewis mystique.
Doug Ramsey, Rifftides blog

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