A much-needed look at the amazing
underground jazz scene in LA – the richly creative spiritual and avant
underground that flourished strongly in the 60s, 70s, and 80s! Although the city's best known for its cool jazz
of the 50s, there's an even greater amount
of left-field jazz that's come from LA – work that rivals
eastern scenes like the AACM in Chicago or loft jazz world in 70s New York – but even more righteous and spiritual overall! The book does a great job
of laying the groundwork for this scene to emerge – and offers an incredible amount
of detail on its evolution – with an especially focused look at Horace Tapscott and his Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, as well as some
of the artists who recorded for Nimbus Records. Plus, this updated edition does a wonderful job
of showing the continuing legacy
of the music well into the 21st century – and also includes an appendix by Roberto Miranda, for a larger volume running well over 420 pages!