A fantastic side of the many talents of Joseph Jarman – best known as a key member of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, and a saxophonist whose talents were crucial to the formation of the AACM – but also a very strong writer, as you'll discover in this book! This version is the full 1977 version of Black Case – and brings together material from the original self-published version in 1974, plus other writings that Jarman had done over the years – some of which later turned up as texts on a variety of albums! The book is a mixture of poetry, free verse, and some prose – sometimes personal, but also very political – maybe even more so than the work of the AEOC. The whole thing is a fantastic revelation, and a representation of Jarman's connection to a much richer cultural world in Chicago – and the book is beautifully done – blue text on white pages, with some images sprinkled throughout – very much a facsimile of the original. 146 pages, softcover. Book

A fascinating slice of work from the legendary Johnny Otis – the longtime LA bandleader who had such a strong role in the worlds of jazz, soul, and R&B – and who also turns out to be a hell of a writer too! The book is Otis' answer to the Watts riots of 1965 – a mixture of memoir and social action that originally grew out of a letter written to a friend after the riots, expanded here to a book that's a tremendously strong read – a side of Johnny that we never knew before! There's definitely some aspects of the book that resonate strongly with other jazz autobiographies we've read – but Otis has such a strong connection to the LA scene, and really understands its politics – and comes across here with a sense of clarity and mission that are really striking. Book is softcover, 242 pages, and features a new introduction by George Lipsitz. Book

A fantastic volume put together by bassist William Parker, and one that shows his larger connection to cultural activity in general – as it features Parker interviewing four key artists, most of whom are represented here in ways that go far beyond music! The subjects within include trombonist Steve Swell, saxophonist Alan Glover, writer/painter Christopher Collins, and artist Jalalu Kalvert Nelsen – each of whom is interviewed in a very insightful way by Parker, in sections that also feature some of their non-musical creative work. The book features poetry from both Swell and Collins, both of whom are represented by visual artworks – as are Nelsen and Glover. Book features a mix of color and black and white images throughout! Book