Frémeaux & Associés, a historiographic reference label for jazz with Alain Gerber's Quintessence Collection, publishes as part of the "A history explained by" collection with the Presses Universitaires de France, a history of jazz told by Laurent Cugny, professor at Sorbonne University and former director of the ONJ (National Jazz Orchestra). In this book, he traces the history of this music born 120 years ago and which has continued to evolve in all it's dimensions- musical, social, cultural, political, and economic. After having studied it's prehistory (the history of jazz before jazz, between 1866 and 1900) and jazz before recording, Laurent Cugny endeavors to first extract a "main linear plot" by exposing the traditional chronological narrative of styles: new orleans, pre-swing, swing, bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, modal jazz, free jazz, jazz-rock, while recalling that certain major figures do not fit easily into this plot: Duke Ellington, Django Reinhardt or Charles Mingus in particular. After 1976, we can speak of a postmodern era of jazz, until today. Finally, vocal jazz is treated separately. In just over 4 hours, a global story, from slavery to the ECM label, from constantly renewed creation to it's tireless rereading of repertoire and universal language.