Kurt Dietrich

Kurt Dietrich, author of “Never Givin’ Up: The Life and Music of Al Jarreau,” is Professor Emeritus of Music at Ripon College, where he held the Barbara Baldwin DeFrees Chair in the Performing Arts. He has written many articles and three previous books on jazz, including “Wisconsin Riffs: Jazz Profiles from the Heartland” from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. He earned degrees from Lawrence University, Northwestern University and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He plays trombone with various groups around Wisconsin.