The Sound of the Trumpet

Book excerpt: The sound and the fury… On a dark night in Pennsylvania, a jazz legend met his death. But now, in the heat and light of Las Vegas, the sound of Clifford Brown’s soaring trumpet is coming back to life. Because a man named Evan Horne, who knows all about jazz and pain, is unraveling a puzzle that reaches back forty years to Brown’s last hours—and that has already gotten one person killed. Horne was called to Las Vegas to authenticate some recordings purported to be the lost tapes of Clifford Brown. But when a murder interrupts his listening session, Horne becomes the key player in a dangerous duet. Carrying a worn old trumpet that may have belonged to Clifford Brown himself, Horne is pursuing the truth behind an audiotape that may be worth a fortune, may be a hoax, and may be just one haunting melody in a killer’s murderous obsession… Praise for THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPET: “Well written, plausible, and down to earth; recommended.” —Library Journal “Fascinating insider information on various aspects of the jazz world. A must for jazz fans, who will appreciate Moody’s grasp of the music.” —Booklist “When Bill Moody writes about dead jazz musicians, you can hear the blue notes bouncing off the walls.” —The New York Times Book Review “Moody writes beautifully…a gallery of colorful figures…distinctively pleasurable.” —Publishers Weekly “For a lively trip into the…world of jazz musicians, and murder, there’s no better guide than Bill Moody.” —Tony Hillerman, author of the Leaphorn and Chee mysteries