A tremendous achievement from music writer Aaron Cohen – a book that finally gets at the deeper, richer story of Chicago soul – the spirit of empowerment and pride that have always made us so honored to be part of the Windy City legacy! Cohen picks up where other soul writers have left off on Chicago – really looking at the shifts into the 70s, which included greater ties to the means of production, and an increased role in the social agenda as well – all part of an evolution in songwriting styles, production techniques, and the growing power of the full length album over the 7" single! Cohen looks at many key figures of the time – Earth Wind & Fire, Chaka Khan & Rufus, Curtis Mayfield, Phil Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble – and the very well-researched book is a delight to read throughout – easily the deepest work that Cohen's ever given us. 234 pages, softcover, with some black and white images – and a selected discography too. Book

Beautiful work from artist Ian Johnson – portraits of famous jazz, funk, and soul artists from the 50s through the 70s – served up in a mix of pencil and color, often with a very unique style! The cover image only hints at the pages within – which are often more detailed and iconic – as the portraits often take off from famous album covers or photographs, but then feature additional details added by Johnson – usually color touches around the black and white portrait at the core, which really creates a very vivid picture! Portraits include images of Herbie Hancock, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Eric Dolphy, Phil Cohran, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Andrew Hill, Thelonious Monk, and dozens of others – and book is 94 pages, full color, and hardcover. Book