A fascinating criss-cross of cultural moments in the UK – as the writer begins with the fact that the first James Bond film and the first Beatles single were issued on the same day in 1962 – and looks at the way both cultural juggernauts shaped identity in the years to come! John Higgs traces issues of class, sexual identity, and cultural politics as they intertwine on the larger scene in England during the 60s – beginning with pre-Bond/Beatles years, running strongly through the 60s and 70s – then tracing some surprising moments of intersection in later years too. Hardcover edition is 515 pages. Book

The mighty Sun Ra is on the cover, and also famously named a record Magic City – which was also the nickname of his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama – a city that gets plenty of coverage here for its long musical legacy! Birmingham was given the "magic city" nickname late in the 19th Century, when it was experiencing a great economic boom – one that helped attract folks from all over the south, and made the city a cultural crossroads for many years to come – especially when it came to jazz, where Birmingham was one of the most important scenes in the south for part of the 20th Century. In addition to the relationship between the city and Sun Ra, the book also features a long lineup that includes Joe Guy, Teddy Hill, Erskine Hawkins, Fess Whatley, Avery Parrish, and others – in histories that criss-cross, overlap, and extend with influences far past the city. This softcover edition is 340 pages, with some very nice black and white images. Book

Images of the Caribbean in many styles – from the striking color image on the front, to vintage black and white shots throughout the book – all at a level that really illuminates the criss-crossing cultures of the island scene! The book's got a wonderfully sharp sensibility – as it mixes images of vacation paradise with rural poverty, American tourists with ongoing slavery, local ritual with political overthrow – all in a series of wonderfully well-chosen photographs! The book was put together by Stuart Baker – who's done so many other great books and records for Soul Jazz – and text is by Paul Gilroy, author of There Ain't No Black In The Union Jack. Book is hardcover, super-heavy, LP-sized, and full of glossy pages! Book

The music scene in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is one that's had an undeniable impact on cultural activity in recent decades – yet it's also one of those scenes that initially happened without most folks taking place – that is, it was a real artist and musician's scene, and not the kind that was easily open to outsiders until many years later! In this really well-done book, Cisco Bradley (who also gave us a great volume on William Parker) digs deep into the earliest days of the Williamsburg scene – that late 80s moment when Manhattan and other spots had become too expensive for the truly creative – and the other side of the East River emerged as a great place to move, live, and continue to make music. Bradley really gets at the criss-crossing elements of the scene at the time – and follows it well into the 21st Century, to a time when the changing real estate market in Brooklyn, and subsequent zoning changes, started to give Williamsburg the same creative fate as Soho, the East Village, and other important New York scenes in previous decades. Different initial chapters look at key spaces as forces – warehouses and lofts, clubs and galleries, and even pirate radio – and later chapters look at the larger forces causing change in the 21st Century. A really hefty book, as well-researched as it is well-written – 388 pages, softcover, with some black and white images. Book