Author Rob Palmer gets into the world of one of jazz’s greatest bassists in his new book entitled Mr. P.C.: The Life and Music of Paul Chambers, which is out now from Equinox Publishing Limited. The 416-page hardback biography uses literary sources as well as family and friend interviews to capture Chambers’ story from his birth in Pittsburgh to his rise in the jazz scene to his untimely death from tuberculosis at age 33.

Though his career only spanned 13 years, Paul Chambers recorded over 300 albums with top artists ranging from John Coltrane to Freddie Hubbard. He is maybe best known for playing bass on the landmark Miles Davis album Kind of Blue. The 1959 album, which features the bass-centric tune “So What,” is often credited as the greatest jazz album of all time.

Palmer includes a comprehensive discography detailing Chambers’ recordings as both a sideman and a bandleader.

Mr. P.C.: The Life and Music of Paul Chambers Chapters: