By Alan Harper (University of Illinois Press) For many people, like me, who grew up in the 1960s and ’70s, our introduction to the great U.S. blues musicians was via their younger British imitators. Alan Harper was no different. But while… Read More ›
By Marko Paysan (Ear Books, hardback, English and German text, plus three CDs) Reviewed by John Watson “In Germany the band’s job is to provide the entertainment through their music, but in London the bands are pushed into a corner,… Read More ›
By John Szwed (Windmill paperback) Do we need another biography of Billie Holiday? Probably not, and thankfully John Szwed seems to feel the same way. He has various qualms about what has already been written about Holiday and concludes: “I… Read More ›
By Luca Vitali (Auditorium) Subtitled, Norway And The European Jazz Scene, and with an introduction and edited by Fiona Talkington, this is the most informative, the most engaging, the most wide-ranging and the most valuable guide to the very special… Read More ›
(Aero Music) In this age of information overload and instant access, of streaming and downloads, how does one best present one’s music? Some go along with the whole digital thing, making their music available unadorned and miraculously appearing, apparently body-less,… Read More ›
Sam Stephenson: The Jazz Loft Project Brian Homer reflects on a book which united two of his passions I love jazz and I love photography and this book (published in 2009) brings those two passions crashing together. Crashing because of the… Read More ›
By Simon Spillett (Equinox) Book review by Andrew Cartmel For anyone familiar with the work of both Tubby Hayes and Simon Spillett this is a much anticipated volume and a real treat. Simon Spillett is one of Britain’s leading tenor… Read More ›
By Dave Gelly (Equinox, hb, 167pp, £25.00) Review by Peter Vacher Two things to say straightaway and interests to declare. First, I know author Gelly quite well and second, I supplied eight images from my jazz photo collection for his… Read More ›
by Chris Barber with Alyn Shipton (Equinox, hb, Sheffield, £19.99) Book review by Peter Vacher Any man contemplating an autobiography has the right to omit or include whatsoever he chooses. He can be expansive or guarded. Chris Barber has opted for… Read More ›
With the live jazz scene remaining quiet it’s time to get that deckchair out, get the beer poured and get down to some jazz reading – in the back garden or on a beach somewhere. Here are seven books for… Read More ›
Photographer Garry Corbett has a look at the latest volume to celebrate CD cover art Windfall Light : The Visual Language Of ECM (Lars Muller Publishers) There are a few record labels in the history of contemporary music whose visual… Read More ›
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