LITERARY LAS VEGAS

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As a young man, Thurman Hackett loved to sit in with jazz musicians in the Los Angeles nightclubs, playing along on his alto saxophone. He never really joined a band, but the musicians he played with still serve as inspiration for his work.

The retired interior designer channeled his love for painting, music and writing into "Historical Journey Into Jazz," a book full of music history, personal stories and colorful images from Hackett's paintings of jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Count Basie and Billie Holiday.

Hackett, a North Las Vegas resident, is one of 80 authors set to appear at the Local Author's Expo at the Vegas Valley Book Festival, set to run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 8 at the Fifth Street School, at Lewis Avenue and Fourth Street.