This work investigates the cultural significance and social dynamics of the legendary New York City jazz bar Jim & Andy's and the broader evolution of the jazz musician's lifestyle. Gene Lees, a prominent music critic and journalist, utilizes his firsthand experiences and extensive interviews with jazz luminaries to document the intersection of professional artistry and the informal, often volatile, social spaces where musicians gathered. The text argues that these environments were essential to the development of jazz as a communal and improvisational art form.

Experts and jazz historians frequently cite this work as a vital primary source for understanding the social history of the jazz era. Readers often note that the prose provides a candid and unvarnished look at the realities of the music industry during the mid-twentieth century.