Part one of a massive two volume set that looks at the growth and change in African American sacred music from the Civil War onwards – shifts that occurred for years before the music became to be known as gospel, but with an ear towards all those elements that would really come to the forefront in the postwar years! Writer Robert Darden has roots both in the field of gospel journalism, and academia – and he blends both together in ways that follow a well-researched body of evidence, but also presents things in a very down to earth way at points. The book his hugely annotated, with some black and white images throughout – and is a fascinating look at this often-undocumented years of music. Hardcover edition is 210 pages. Book

Things really heat up in this second volume of Robert Darden's look at the rise of gospel in America – as he traces the music's journey from the pulpit to the public, from praise to protest – and really illuminates the power that gospel and its inspiration brought to black identity from the 60s onward! This volume is even bigger than the first, and really overflows with research and information – a hugely documented project that features pages of notes at the end, and black and white images throughout the larger first section – as Darden does a fantastic job of mixing music, politics, and cultural progression. Hardcover edition is 334 pages. Book

An amazing document of one of Peter Brotzmann's greatest albums from the time – a set that includes the album on CD, plus a book of photos taken during its creation! The record features spare duets between him and percussionist Han Bennink – recorded in the Black Forest, in a very nature-oriented setting that often has Bennink playing on rocks, sticks, and whatever else he could find – even some water, which sounds especially amazing! Han turns in some of his most inventive percussion ever – and proof that he's easily one of the most creative musicians on the European scene! There's a real focus on sound and feeling on the album – an organic sensibility that's quite different from other Brotzmann sessions, and which often comes across with a surprisingly gentle feel – and the album's a perfect example of the FMP formula at its best, when applied with the right sense of freedom. The whole thing comes in a softcover book with a fantastic presentation – loads of photos that were taken on the way to the forest where the set was recorded, then during the recording of the material too – really beautiful images that live up to the aesthetic of the cover art. The book also features an introductory essay – and the whole thing is 120 pages, with the CD inside the cover – black and white images throughout. (Jazz, Books) CD

Amazing images from the painter of the Bitches Brew album cover – the legendary Mati Klarwein – an artist with a very colorful style of painting nude bodies! Mati's artwork has graced many albums over the years – not just work from Miles Davis, but records by Buddy Miles, Jerry Garcia, The Chambers Brothers, and many others – all of which are presented here in a really well-done book – filled with vivid, colorful reproductions of the album covers in full 12" square size! The original package was put together in a limited pressing by a French gallery – but this version is much more affordable, and also features English notes as well – but all without sacrificing any of the printing quality at all. The book is 184 pages, full color, and with nice heavy covers – and it's just the right size to stack nicely next to your classic Miles Davis records! Book

A Japanese book, but one with a very deep dive into urban soul from the 70s onward – mostly American and European records that together represent a whole new wave of cool, sophisticated R&B! This isn't the deep soul of the 60s – although many of the singers still have a wonderful vocal range – and the disc guide looks at rare LP releases and titles in other formats from different spots in the western hemisphere – tracing an evolution of soul music style across hundreds of individual entries for records – each of which are listed with a full color cover image, English language details on the dates, labels, and titles – and a small review in Japanese! You can read the review using a translate feature on your phone – but even without that, the book is a great guide for digging – and is especially helpful for tracking soul records of the past few decades that you might have missed. Almost 200 pages, softcover, with hundreds of entries and images in color! Book

One of the deepest explorations of the disco era we've come across from author Peter Shapiro – not at all a nostalgic look back, really more of a cultural study that looks into the music and the world around it. Shapiro does a great job of putting it all into perspective, from the social factors leading to the growth of the music, to the technological and artistry behind it, from the dawn of the sounds, to full blown pop culture fad that exploded it and sunk it back underground later in the decade, and how it survives in the new millennium. Softcover edition is 346 pages, and features a new epilogue, a timeline, and helpful appendix details! Book

The music of Robert Wyatt often comes across with a surprisingly poetic quality – one that finally gets its due here in a well-presented book that mixes words from his songs with images and other writings – most done in collaboration with Wyatt's longtime creative partner Alfie Benge! The book's got much of the appeal of Robert Wyatt album covers and CD booklets over the past few decades – many of which have Benge's contributions too – and the artwork is just in just the right balance next to the words, which are further illuminated by some non-lyrical passages that are a great addition to the book. Hardcover volume is 191 pages, with black and white images scattered throughout! Book