Leslie Gourse - Wikipedia

Roberta Leslie Gourse (January 1, 1939 – December 23, 2004) was an American writer and biographer who was a prolific writer on jazz music and musicians.[1] In 1991, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers awarded her the Deems Taylor Award for a series of seven articles in the magazine JazzTimes focusing on female jazz musicians.[2]

Gourse was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, to Harva Zelda Fisher Gourse and Harry Andrew Gourse.[3] She attended Columbia University. Shortly after her graduation in 1960, Gourse published her first novel, With Gall and Honey, a romantic novel set in Israel. Gourse wrote several books for children, and many biographies of notable jazz musicians.[1]

Gourse died as a result of respiratory problems in 2004.[1]

Bibliography
The Best Guided Walking Tours to New York City, (1989)
Student Guide to New York (1984)
Pocahontas: Young Peacemaker (1996, for children)
Gloria Estefan: Pop Sensation (1999)
Native American Courtship and Marriage
Jim Henson: Young Puppeteer (2000)
On Jazz
Madame Jazz: Contemporary Women Instrumentalists (1995)
Louis' Children – American Jazz Singers (1984)
Straight No Chaser: The Life and Genius of Thelonious Monk (1998)
Wynton Marsalis: Skain's Domain (2000)
Sassy – The Life of Sarah Vaughan (1992)
Carmen McRae – Miss Jazz (2001)
Dizzy Gillespie and the Birth of Bebop (1995)
Art Blakey – Jazz Messenger (2001)
Aretha Franklin – Lady Soul
Unforgettable – Life and Mystique of Nat King Cole (2000)
Everyday: The Story of Joe Williams (1985)
Billie Holiday: The Tragedy and Triumph of Lady Day (1995)
The Billie Holiday Companion (1997)
Lady Be Good (1995)
Mahalia Jackson: Queen of Gospel Songs (1996)
The Golden Age of Jazz in Paris and other stories about Jazz (2001)
Books on jazz for children and young people
Sophisticated Ladies – The Great Women of Jazz (2007)
Striders of Bebop and Beyond- The Art of Jazz Piano (1997)
Blowing on the Changes- The Art of Jazz Horn Players (1998)
Deep Down in Music: The Art of the Great Jazz Bassists (1998) (with a foreword by Ron Carter)
Fancy Fretwork- The Great Jazz Guitarists
Swingers and Crooners- The Art of Jazz Singing (1997)
Time Keepers – The Great Jazz Drummers (2000)