Introduction : I could write a book if they asked me
Irving Berlin : the little pianist who couldn't
Harold Arlen : the songwriter's songwriter
Hoagy Carmichael : the jazz song goes west
Jerome Kern : jazz comes to Broadway ... slowly
Cole Porter : from Peru to Paree to Broadway
Richard Rodgers : Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Rodgers
Hooray for Hollywood (sometimes)
Harry Warren : the king of the unknowns and his quiet reign in Hollywood
Jimmy Van Heusen : on the road with Bing and Frank
Johnny Mercer : the all-American voice
Frank Loesser's great New York musical
Gershwin's last heir : Burton Lane
Cy Coleman and the future
Coda : three more majors (for good measure)
Appendix : some names that (almost) got away.