Alphabetically arranged entries summarize the professional careers of over 500 percussionists from various musical venues. Due to the shrinking global village, ethnic percussion was rediscovered and incorporated into the concert hall. Since percussion transcends all musical styles, it often is featured center stage as a solo or ensemble in heterogeneous musical settings. These excerpts represent percussionists who spent the majority of their lives performing as collaborative or solo artists or working as inventors or manufacturers of percussion instruments. Where applicable, select discographies, bibliographies, and videographies accompany the entries.

This detailed reference will appeal to professional percussionists, instructors, and percussion historians. Data has been compiled from numerous disparate sources and entries are cross referenced. Individual bibliographies include articles by or about the person and a general bibliography lists broader reference works. Discographies and videographies reflect samples of an artist's work. Select photographs complement the text.