A work of fiction, but one that dives deep into the mind of Miles Davis, its main character – in a tale that begins with a police assault outside Birdland one night in August of 1959, then follows Davis as he reacts the the experience – moving around the city, and ruminating about his role in jazz and the impulses that have brought him so far. Author Wesley Brown takes a lot of liberty with dialogue and thoughts that might have been going through Miles' head – and romantic interest Frances Taylor figures strongly in the story as well. Some might argue for the opinions uttered by Davis in the story, and the tone he takes when speaking – but that's also part of the compelling quality of the book, and the risks it takes – imagining internal and external modes amidst a framework of actual events. 65 pages, hardcover. Book

A surprisingly cool little book – even though you probably hardly need a guide to record collecting! That's the main framework of the book – but the contents inside are a lot more intriguing taken bit by bit – as the volume features all sorts of little sections on the rarest records of all time, a history of recorded formats, a look at quality bootlegs, unreleased projects, unusual collaborations, and lots lots more – all presented with plenty of photos and other details that are super-interesting if you're as into record collecting as we are. There's even a look at 30 different record labels – and countless other bits of useful information along the way – in a heavy softcover volume that's almost 300 pages, fully illustrated, and a lot of fun on a day when you can't make it out to the record racks for shopping in person! Book

A great book that looks not just at the music of Sun Ra, but also the theory behind it – the special take on reality, and interstellar philosophy that made Ra as important a thinker as he was a musician! The music is approached from a theoretical framework that's extremely illuminating – especially if you only know some of the Arkestra records at face value, and not in the larger context of Sun Ra's ideas – and the author includes plenty of history to illuminate the ideas, but in ways that are nicely different than some of the previous books on the subject. The whole thing is a really great look at the transformative power of the music of Ra – that quality that's always made him far more than just another avant jazz musician, and instead a figure of inspiration and social change to decades of listeners who have followed his sound. Very well researched, with copious notes. Paperback, 372 pages. Book