The Devil's Horn: The Story of the Saxophone, from Noisy Novelty to King of Cool

Segell traces the 160-year history of the saxophone--a horn that created a sound never before heard in nature, and that from the moment it debuted has aroused both positive and negative passions among all who hear it.

The 160-year history of the saxophone comes to brilliant life in Michael Segell's wonderfully researched, beautifully told "The Devil's Horn," Beginning with "a sound never heard before," Segell's portrait follows the iconographic instrument as it is lauded for its sensuality, then outlawed for its influence, and finally credited with changing the face of popular culture. A deeply personal story of one man's love for music-making, a universal story of artistic and political revolution, and a trenchant critique of the global forces that stand in art's way, "The Devil's Horn" is music writing at its very finest.