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 much-needed look at a crucial chapter in the career of trumpeter Don Cherry – his overseas time on the European scene, where Don experimented with new organic music forms, alternatives to mainstream society, and a much larger cultural milieu than jazz! Cherry's organic music period has been captured on a few key recordings, but the larger activity of that moment spans a much wider space – finally given its full due here in a massive book that brings together writings, interviews, photographs, and countless pieces of artwork – most by Moki Cherry, whose creations you might recognize from some of Don's album Covers. The set is edited and introduced by Lawrence Kumpf, but also features work by Don, Moki, and Neneh Cherry – plus Alice Bailey, Keith & Rita Knox, Ben Young, and others – stretched out for almost 500 pages, with full color images throughout the entire book – drawings, paintings, posters, and lots lots more! Book

An incredible performance from the great Don Cherry – one that's maybe the most perfect summation we've ever heard of his ability to embrace a globe's worth of influences and make them his own! The set was recorded live at a French jazz festival in 1972, and it has a very compelling group known as the New Researches Ensemble – a lineup that includes Nana Vasconcelos on percussion and berimbau, Christer Bothen on ngoni and piano, Dodou Gouirand on soprano and alto, and Moki Cherry on tanpura – all working in a larger stage setting designed by Moki, with puppet theater as well! The most striking thing might well be the vocals – much more prominent here than on other Cherry recordings, and very soulful as well – blended with jazz expressions and global instrumentation, with a vibe that's almost like some of the best work on the Saravah label during the period. The whole thing's fantastic – a great lost chapter of a musician whose well never seems to run dry – with titles that include "Resa", "Butterfly Friend", "Elixir", "Amazwe", "Witchi Tai To", "Ganesh", "North Brazilian Ceremonial Hymn", and "Dha Dhin Na Dha Tin Na". CD

An incredible performance from the great Don Cherry – one that's maybe the most perfect summation we've ever heard of his ability to embrace a globe's worth of influences and make them his own! The set was recorded live at a French jazz festival in 1972, and it has a very compelling group known as the New Researches Ensemble – a lineup that includes Nana Vasconcelos on percussion and berimbau, Christer Bothen on ngoni and piano, Dodou Gouirand on soprano and alto, and Moki Cherry on tanpura – all working in a larger stage setting designed by Moki, with puppet theater as well! The most striking thing might well be the vocals – much more prominent here than on other Cherry recordings, and very soulful as well – blended with jazz expressions and global instrumentation, with a vibe that's almost like some of the best work on the Saravah label during the period. The whole thing's fantastic – a great lost chapter of a musician whose well never seems to run dry – with titles that include "Resa", "Butterfly Friend", "Elixir", "Amazwe", "Witchi Tai To", "Ganesh", "North Brazilian Ceremonial Hymn", and "Dha Dhin Na Dha Tin Na". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from an overlooked poet – one who takes up music as her subject matter throughout this collection of work – with individual pieces on Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, the Bad Brains, Thelonious Monk, The Art Ensemble Of Chicago, and other key figures in music from the farther side of the spectrum! The poems are wonderful – personal and immediate, and often not nearly as heady as some of the subject matter – which almost makes Davis' writing a great bridge to understanding, especially as the work is often delivered with this sense of immediate observation that historicizes moments of creativity, both hers and the artists within. It's a bit hard to describe the strength of this book in words, but the power leaps from the page right away – given some brief commentary in additional text from Tobi Haslett and Jessica Hagedorn. Book