My TEN Favourite BOOKS on Music 

I have updated the video description with links to these titles. Walter Kolosky: Power, Passion and Beauty Dave Lewis Celebration II Colin Harper Bathed in Lightening Jazz-Rock: A History - Nicholson History of Progressive Rock by Paul Stump The Jazz Book by Joachim-Ernst Berendt Miles: The Autobiography : Troupe, Quincy, Davis, Miles Electric Don Quixote: The Story of Frank Zappa Coltrane: Chasin' the Trane by J.C. Thomas + Get Your Kicks on the A456 John Coombe

I would also go with the Jaco Pastorius book by Milkowsky.

Miles Davis' autobiography with Quincy Troupe is the #1 Jazz autobiography. That book perfectly describes the "social conditions" of the era, the evolution of jazz and key figures of the music, record label politics, street life/drugs and the origins of Popular music (Rock, Pop, Soul, Funk, Hip Hop). You walk away more informed with greater appreciation of the man and his bandmates, influences and colleagues. Hampton Hawes accomplished something similar with Raise Up Off Me.

Miles Davis's autobiography on audible books with Miles as the narrator is great

Elegant People by Curt Bianchi about Weather Report; Crazy Fingers by Annette Carson about Jeff Beck; Reckless Daughter by David Yaffe about Joni Mitchell; Light and Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page by Brad Tolinski…all books were referenced in great detail. Excellent reads.

Three books which aren't in your usual area of interest which you might find interesting -- How Music Works by David Byrne, A musican's look at the internals of music and how technology affects it. Fattening Frogs for Snakes by John Sinclair. Early history of the blues in poetic/lyric form. Bowie in Berlin by Thomas Jerome Seabrook. A deep dive into Bowie's mental state and how it influenced/created some of his best music.

Absolute historical moment; at 32:21 we have an Andy Edwards edit. Production values galore

Quincy Troupe is a significant figure in modern poetry. I have seen him perform his work and he's amazing.

"The Jazz Book" by Joachim Berendt was the first book on jazz that I bought back in the mid-80s. Wonderful book. I would also recommend: 1. "As Serious as Your Life" by Val Wilmer which is about Free Jazz. 2. "Lee Konitz: Conversations on the Improvisors Art" by Andy Hamilton and 3. "Do you Know…? The Jazz Repertoire in Action" by Robert Faulkner and Howard S Becker which is actually written by two ex jazz musicians turned sociologists.

So many books. “Shout, Sister, Shout! The untold story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe.” The godmother of Rock-and-roll as per Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley etc. Too flamboyant, female, black, gospel for the mainstream. Wicked electric guitar. Where does she fit on your Prog index, Andy?

Really enjoyed your video as usual. The Miles Davis book is a book I couldn't put down. On a different note Keith Richards 'Life' is a good read and hilarious at times. Keep up the good work.

Bill Bruford's autobiography is essential reading. He sticks it to Al di Meola in the nicest possible way. 23:02

Best jazz book I ever read is called "Four Lives in the Bebop Business" by AB Spellman. Another that was meaningful for me was Mingus' weird, audacious autobiography "Beneath the Underdog". As far as an overview of jazz history, Ted Gioia's book stands out as an incredible achievement.

Miles - the authorised autobiography is superb - doesn’t pull any punches. Divided Soul - the Lives Of Marvin Gaye by David Ritz is also excellent. I’d also recommend A Cure For Gravity - A Memoir, by Joe Jackson - charts his early life and career. Last one is Louis Armstrong - An Extraordinary Life - which is a really engaging life story of Satchmo.

Around Philadelphia in the early 70's a term that was used to describe Prog and other unexplainable music on the radio was Art Rock.

Hi Andy, watched it right to the end, thanks.

My reading choices for the last month have come about by watching your videos. The Nick Mason one was OUTSTANDINGLY good. Thanks for your presentations, assessments and summaries.😶

A Wizard / A True Star, Todd Rundgren in the studio by Paul Myers and Anger is an energy by John Lydon.

Jazz Anecdotes is a great book for any jazz fan

I really enjoyed the book the hammer of the gods. Can't remember any of it now though.

in France we have Mr Christophe Delbrouck a writer who wrote 3 volumes on Frank Zappa, updated reissues are made. the bio ends in 93. it remains to comment on the edited archives, I recommend its three volumes in French in the text.

2 books by Jerry Coker, Improvising Jazz and Listening To Jazz, 1965

Daniel Levitin ‘This Is Your Brain on Music’ & ‘The World in Six Songs’. Neuroscientist and musician explains how music works. Whitney Balliett ‘The Sound of Surprise’. Collection of essays from longtime New Yorker critic. Wonderful writing from a great appreciation & understanding of jazz and it’s creators. Ralph J. Gleason ‘Music in the Air’. Essays from the co-founder of Rolling Stone. And likely writer of liner notes (remember them?) featured on a surprising number of your LPs. Greil Marcus ‘Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock n’ Roll’. Marcus is a wonderful, if uneven, writer and this is superb. Geoff Dyer ‘But Beautiful: A Book About Jazz’. Just about the best fictional writing about jazz I know of. Frederic Dannen ‘Hit Men: Power Brokers and Easy Money inside the Music Business’. Great reporting. The music business is even more toxic than you thought.

Great video, Andy! You've inspired me to read a lot more. There are 2 books I'd add: 1) Bigotry and the Afrocentric "Jazz" Evolution" by Karlton E. Hester, and 2) Beneath the Underdog by Charles Mingus

Added a few to my want list with this. My addition to this list: Really the Blues by Mezz Mezzrow A fascinating character who was deep into the foundational jazz scene - amazing insights into music and characters of the scene, but also a really deep dive into the culture and conditions that nourished jazz.

Hi Andy, greetings from Dallas, Texas… Wow! You are the Man, what a jazz collection. I truly enjoy your channel..I’d love to hear your thoughts on the late great “Gene Ammons” thank you so much for all of your educational videos.

I was just about to request some links to these books. Really loved this video. I love these kind of books and I find myself reading more stuff like that then fiction books. Have you had a video about fiction books? I can't remember, but you might have. I couldn't recall. Anyway, lots of luv from this part of the globe.

Not really a traditional book but the ebook, "Innerviews:music without borders" is an excellent exploration of the creative process in music, it includes in depth interviews with a host of great musicians, including Zawinul,Stanley Clarke, David Torn,Bill Bruford,Bela Fleck,McCoy Tyner,Eberhard Weber,Chris Whitley,Bill Laswell,Ralph Towner,Zakir Hussain,Michael Hedges to name but a few, well worth seeking out. Looking forward to the presentation!

Incredible. I'll buy your recommendations about Zappa and Davis. All that knowledge shines through all of your videos. Love it.

I don't subscribe to the maxim that "writing about music is like dancing about architecture". I've discovered a wealth of great artists by reading about their lives and their art. A good book about music is as much about the joy of creativity as a transcendent series of notes and/or an ear-catching lyric. Thank you for sharing ten (or more) of such books. May you be inspired to do ten (or more) in the future! Do I have ten books I've swallowed whole or gone back to on a regular basis? Let's see... Ian MacDonald's REVOLUTION IN THE HEAD [song/recording analysis of The Beatles written with precision, context and flare; a valuable resource for anyone who thinks they know about The Fabs]; Clinton Heylin's BOB DYLAN: THE RECORDING SESSIONS [controversial and strongly opinionated but a model for hearing the song; it ends in 1994 so where's the sequel?!!!); Eric Tamm's BRIAN ENO HIS MUSIC AND THE VERTICAL COLOR OF SOUND [the first of what has become a cottage industry focussed on this musical polymath; another way of hearing the song as sound] Geoffrey Haydon's QUINTET OF THE YEAR [the story of five jazz legends who came together for a one-off show in Toronto, how they got there and where they went after that; really, the story of jazz in the middle of the 20th C.]; Dave Bidini's ON A COLD ROAD TALES OF ADVENTURE IN CANADIAN ROCK [Bidini's the guitarist/songwriter from the band Rheostatics but also the author of a number of excellent books; this one includes interviews with the famous and the faded from an epic era when bands drove through snow storms to play gigs in Thunder Bay, Didgy and Saskatoon]; James Gavin's DEEP IN A DREAM THE LONG NIGHT OF CHET BAKER [a sobering book, a compilation CD, maybe even a weird documentary called LET'S GET LOST... the underside of creativity and addiction in the jazz era]; Ian Carr's MILES DAVIS THE DEFINITIVE BIOGRAPHY [an immersive entry into a life made up of many lives and a music that seems to have no end]; Jan Swafford's JOHANNES BRAHMS [considering how long ago Brahms lived and how hard he tried to cover his own creative tracks, a detailed and loving survey of his life through his music at a pivotal time in history; my "lockdown" read]; Don & Jeff Breithaupt's PRECIOUS AND FEW POP MUSIC IN THE EARLY '70s [I became a teenager during the fleeting period between a time when music was important and when it started to become irrelevant; the radio in the first half of the 'Seventies was a joyful 'united nations' of big stars, fat fakers, sexy subversives, and classic one-hit-wonders; this book is a humorous love letter to innocence and naked commerce]... ... and the next book I pick up on music!

I can imagine Andy sometime in the 80s in Kidderminster Library taking out 'The Observer Book of Jazz' and 'The Observer Book of Sexually Transmitted Diseases' and the lady librarian stamping them out with a knowing look.

Jazz saxophonist Art Pepper's autobiography-my favorite book EVER (not just favorite 'music' book). I'm never without it. Already bought it twice and if the 2nd copy wears out i'll buy it again. P.S. I"m pretty sure the Miles 'bio' was ghostwritten. When being interviewed once shortly after the book came out, the interviewer asked Miles about something he had written in the book. Miles answer was along the lines of 'I haven't read that far into the book yet'.....

A recent favorite is "The Birth of Loud" by Ian S. Port, telling the story of the electric guitar and electric bass. In particular, it's the story of individual craftsmen like Les Paul as well as early innovators like Gibson Guitars and Leo Fender. I'll also mention "Genesis: Chapter & Verse" which tells the tale of the innovative British band through interviews with just about everybody connected with them. Their relationship with The Famous Charisma Label & Atlantic Records is quite fascinating. It also covers Genesis' influence on live music performance through their work with Showco.

@Andy Edwards I heard Quincy Troupe tell a great story about meeting Miles before they wrote the Autobiography together. I looked for it on RU-vid - no luck. Short version: Quincy meets and has a great hang with Miles at a NYC party - Quincy’s on cloud 9!. Days later he runs into Miles walking up the street and says hi, but Miles walks past completely ignoring Quincy. That was the last time they met until later when Quincy was tapped to do the book. On their first book meeting Miles reaches out to touch Quincy’s corn row hair and Quincy smacks his hand away saying “Who the f**k said you could touch my hair?!” Miles responds - “Are you still burned about me not talkin to you on the street?” ;^)

Jazz-Rock by Stuart Nicholson and the Tony Adams series of books on Jazz in the Americas and Europe. He has also produced specific guides on Eastern Europe during the Socialist era and Scandanavian jazz.

A very interesting book on music is by Szymon Laks and it has been very influential for me. Why? Because music becomes a very odd thing in a concentration camp. It's called Music from Another World and Laks was a prisoner and an arranger/composer in a concentration camp. Fascinating and horrifying.... Also in a completely other place, Anthony Braxton's Tri-Axiom writings is like nothing else and I keep digging through it...it's almost like Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson as Composer

Black Music; Four Lives by A.B. Spellman is an amazing book. It profiles Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Jackie McLean and Herbie Nichols but it covers the entire musical world for the time it covers. I have been intrigued by Ben Watson's idea of pairing Zappa with Adorno, especially because Adorno was a socialist and Zappa loathed socialism. But some Socialist thinkers were very experimental through the years. Vygotsky was a revolutionary learning theorist whose ideas were only "discovered" in the West in the 1950s; Shoshtakovich composed The Nose in 1925, after the Communists gained power and was forced into a more conservative style during the Stalin years; and Adorno held (unlike later composers like Cardew in the 1970s) that music must be experimental to encourage change in society. Henry Cow seemed very influenced by his thoughts. So, Zappa's reaction to socialist music was based on what he saw in socialist countries when he was there. But he also didn't like the trend in Europe in the early 70s to tie all music and art to politics. We are seeing this trend repeat now in contemporary society. The problem with this is that, inevitably, all art is subsumed to a political agenda, which inherently inhibitive.

wonderful, inspiring, you are a joy 2 listen 2, here: another drummer/pianist who loves similar music, studied music and just bought power, passion and beauty! truly love what you are doing, keep it up!

Great subject! Definitely deserves further featuring/an update every once in a while. 🖖

Andy, thanks for this informative and entertaining video. Like you, my general jazz book is Berendt's book and for prog my choice is also Paul Stump's book. For free jazz, I like The Freedom Principle: Jazz After 1958 by John Litweiler. For an extraordinarily inclusive study of British jazz (includes Graham Bond, King Crimson, Gong, Joe Harriott, SME, etc) you can't beat Innovations in British Jazz Vol.1 1960-1980 by John Wickes. Improvisation: Its Nature And Practice In Music by Derek Bailey also deserves a mention.

I like that you did the interview with. That drummer dude and that other drummer dude. The rest of your videos its just you talking to yourself. Funny though lol

This was excellent! Thank you. I'm looking forward to reading these on my summer vacation. I want to mention 2 music books. The first is a book someone else in the comments already mentioned. Art Pepper's autobiography "Straight Life". Mother of god. It starts off with his matter of fact tale about how he got drunk and raped a woman in a cemetery in London because he got annoyed that after spending all day drinking with him, she wanted to go home to bed. And it gets more shocking from there. The 2nd book is Ted Gioia's "Jazz Standards". I'm trying to teach myself how to play jazz. And this book is an incredible resource. It goes through the source material that is jazz describing 300 jazz standards. It lists about 10-20 versions of the standards to listen to. It has helped me understand these songs tremendously. Plus, it has hipped me to music that I never would have found without it. I think if you really want to understand jazz, you need to understand the "standards" and to understand the standards, you really need this book! Thanks again for the list!

"Chronicles Vol. 1" belongs on here given Dylan's status, the quality of the writing and its depiction of the American musical landscape at a pivotal point as seen by the foremost practitioner of the "American Aesthetic."

I see Miles' autobiography. Classic. For general info: I like JAZZ-ROCK: A HISTORY (Stuart Nicholson) & JAZZ STYLES (Mark Gridley). More Miles...MILES BEYOND: THE ELECTRIC EXPLORATIONS OF MILES DAVIS (Paul Tingen). I have read a couple of Miles books on Kind Of Blue (Ashley Kahn & Eric Nisenson). IIRC, the "backing" musicians were paid union wage (?) + cartage (Paul Chambers & Jimmy Cobb woulda picked up a couple extra bucks). Anyone else recall reading that?

I buy and love reading proper books every day. Many of which are music related. I enjoy autobios but enjoy second hand bios of my favorite musicians. I`ll most certainly check out your favorites

Any by David Toop in there? I enjoyed those... Keep cranking out the interesting vids, Andy. You're better than Rick, he never talks about the things you do

Cracking stuff Andy, really enjoyed that and learnt plenty along the way. Keep up the great work !

Hi Andy, greetings from Poland. On a side note, personally, I would also be interested in what are your favorite books in general, not necessarily within the music realm.

I just watched this (7 months later). It is strange to me that Ian Carr (1933-2007) is mentioned as the writer of Miles Davis's biography, but his band 'Nucleus' was not! I like 'Nucleus', especially the first two albums, "Elastic Rock" and "We'll Talk About It Later" (both 1970). 'Nucleus' was a pioneering jazz fusion band. It would be great if a video considering 'Nucleus' music is made available. 😀

Bill Bruford’s autobiography Footprints (Wayne Shorter), No Beethoven (Peter Erskine) and Elegant people (Zawinul/Weather Report) which all somehow mingle The Big Note, where almost all Zappa albums are broken down, will certainly lead to a new appreciation of the classical/synclavier albums Soft Machine Out-bloody-rageous John Lurie’s History of bones (at some points he’s a real prick… but an honest one) Yet THE most important book about music/improvisation I’ve encountered is “Free play” by Stephen Nachmanovitch: it’s not about how to do it but instead focuses on what (psychologically) blocks you from flowing… 🤯

Anything by Richard Williams is brilliant. This includes "The Blue Moment: Miles Davis's Kind of Blue and the Remaking of Modern Music ", "Miles Davis: The Man in the Green Shirt", among others. He had great columns on the Musical Express.... he was a big King Crimson, Soft Macine, and Mah Orchestra fan. (He also has great books on sports.... particularly football).

Thanks for another wonderful presentation. Love all your videos. Re John Mclaughlin, in April 2003 in Pretoria I met Johnny Fourie who played guitar at the wedding reception for British lead singer in our covers band. Fourie played with McLaughlin earlier in his career in the 60s and with Tubby Hayes. I read he once roomed with JM. I just started reading Led Zeppelin by Bob Spitz and think you might enjoy it. When I lived in London in mid-70s, I saw Gentle Giant, Renaissance, Gryphon, and Mick Abrahams in a trio setting, among others. I very much appreciate your wit and wisdom on prog, jazz-rock, and music in general. Keep up your great work!

I read that Sid James biography last year! Recommended. Oh yes and for music books I rate White Bicycles by Joe Boyd.

Very enjoyable video. i remember buying Solid Bond by Graham Bond 1970 that captures that London era with the '63 Bruce Baker and McLaughlin live set and very different '66 sessions with Hiseman and Heckstall-Smith. I really enjoyed ''Mama said there'd be days like this' by writer photographer Val Wilmer about her life and encounters in jazz.

I'm a fan of Crouch/Marsalis/Burns, and my Jazz tastes veer toward their traditionalist view. However i accept that innovation (some i like, some i can't stand) are what keeps the genre alive. The UK Jazz scene in the past decade has produced some great artists and recordings, much of it infused with global influences. As a book choice, i'm a fan of "A History of Jazz in America" by Barry Ulanov from 1952.

Thanks, Andy. Wrote most titles down...do have the Zappa Book. There are so many interesting books on music out there. I just finished "Master of Time and Space" on Leon. Found it eye-opening on how much music he influenced or participated in. And his demise seemed a very stereotypical rock star ending. I also enjoyed "White Bicycles" by Joe Boyd, and...thanks again

Julie Coryell's 'Jazz Rock Fusion' was my Bible throughout the 70's. (Personal biased plug: 'Right To Rock; The Black Rock Coalition and the Cultural Politics of Race' by Maureen Mahon)

Hey Terry Bozzio! I used to see him a lot in the late eighties at ******* *******. I have a pic of John Coltrane in 1967 playing shakuhachi on an airplane. I can send you a copy f you have an email. A shakuhachi is the traditional Japanese bamboo flute, end blown. You know it if you hear it.

Rafi Zabor's novel The Bear Comes Home has an exceptional first few chapters about playing and the NY scence in the late '70s, the chapters which were serialized in Musican magazine. Has anyone else read it? I'm also surprised Val Wilmer's work has been overlooked.

Great video Andy, thank you. Plenty of excellent books already mentioned. Some others are 1. "Jazz in Search of Itself" by Larry Kart. 2. "Beyond Jazz - Plink, Plonk and Scratch: The Golden Age of Free Music in London 1966-72" by Trevor Barre. 3. "That Devilin' Tune: A Jazz History 1900-1950" by Allen Lowe. 4. "As Serious As Your Life" by Val Wilmer. 5. "Freedom and the Arts" by Charles Rosen (Classical pianist, written many excellent books/articles) 6. "Music Lessons" by Pierre Boulez. Keep up the good work, cheers!

I bought Ben Watson’s “Negative Dialectics…” when it came out. I thought it was awful, self-indulgent, claptrap. My opinion on the book hasn’t changed but he redeemed himself as a writer, for me, with his excellent biography of Derek Bailey and the British free improv movement. Awesome book. Also love Conversations on the Improviser’s Art with Lee Konitz. Never tire of reading them.

Superb ep, Andy, especially the personal connection you have to the history via the area where you live and through family, with Peter Wynne. I got to meet Duffy Power once while doing a play about Dickie Pride, and my mate James Hunter recorded a few 4-Track numbers with Duffy that I have on cassette (unreleased stuff). The John McLaughlin and Mahavishnu Orchestra books are now on my list! Cheers, Ian

⚛⚛⚛ Bravo Andy. GRAVITY'S RAINBOW. Into the Narnian Jazz Closet. I'm expecting the TIME BANDITS to pop out.

I've watched many of yours and this one is my favorite!

some others to mention are "The Guitar and the New World" by Joe Gioia, "Moondog" by Robert Scotto and "Electric Red (Weather Report) by Ken Trethewey.

Been Here and Gone by David Dalton is my favourite music book...specifically about the blues.

I’m sure this has been mentioned in the 150+ comments already, but A power stronger than itself by George Lewis was introduced to me at uni and is incredible, all about the AACM in 60s chicago. Graham Locke’s biography of Anthony Braxton is amazing too

This is like the "more cowbell!" skit but with John McLaughlin instead of a metal clanger. Seriously, though, interesting list. And if you need to have a hero JM is an excellent choice.

that's the most excited I have seen you in ages :) I've read some diabolical rock star autobiographies, Marc Almond's is the worst, closely followed by Phil Collins. The Tracy Thorn and Ben Watt stuff is great; +1 for Annette Carsons book on JB; Mick Fish's book about Cabaret Voltaire is hilarious but not really about the music so much as the scene. Bowie in Berlin by Thomas Jerome Seabrook is pretty good. Nick Kents the Dark Stuff has some good moments if you can forgive the massive egos all round.

Great stuff Andy, especially the info on John McLaughlin which gives me something to bite on.Extralipolation (?)is one of my favourite albums. Tony Oxley deserves a book by himself! On Zappa, yes "The real " cannot be ignored I've not read Neil Slavens book but will now. However Ben Watson I have massively avoided and unfortunately left the room during his talk at the Barbican. Believe you me ,I'm one of the biggest Zappa nuts! All the Best 👍 Ps when I last visited Liverpool I noticed that the Brian Epstein statue is made by Andrew Edwards 😀

Xenography Andy, that's the word you were searching for regarding the Ben Watson 😂

Straight Life by Art Pepper…read it as a teenager and it’s well **** ing harrowing..stayed with me.

When you say 'I've always wanted to do that,' about inserting David Lewis's message, isn't what you really want to do is to appear on This is Your Life? It's a yearning that goes back much further than the internet age. Eamonn Andrews has gone, along with those days, and the things that seemed so glamourous back then.

Lets do a list of movies about composers. Oh also loooove ian car and keith tippet albums

What video was it where you mentioned the band Oregon? I checked them out and am v much hooked on their sound and virtuosity.

I certainly have reservations about the Paul Stump book, Colin Harper's Bathed in lightning is brilliant though, as are both of Walter's (my copies, signed by the man himself). My favourite book on music is Captain Beefheart by Mike Barnes, which I have read and re-read to death. For humour 'Can't stand up for falling down' by Allan Jones, detailing his years as a cub reporter for Melody Maker to it's editor is one of the funniest books I've ever read.

Do a show on your father in law. It would be great.

Great list. Mine would include "Ways of the Hand" by David Sudnow, and "Thinking in Jazz" by Paul Berliner -- two amazing books about the actual experience of improvising music.

My favorite book is - Bird Lives! by Ross Russell

Well done. Thumbs up for your mates Dave and Walter too.

Not sure which is a better ending a Rant or a Grumble. Both are good but different. Hmm?

All those books books look excellent

Tunesmith, Inside the Art of Songwriting by Jimmy Webb is one of the best books I've read about songcraft. Straight Life by Art (and Laurie ) Pepper and The History of Bones by John Lurie (Lounge Lizards) were 2 autobiographies I just finished and highly recommend. William S. Burroughs & the Cult of Rock n Roll by Casey Rae filled in some dots that needed filling about WSB's broad influence. The best book on The Rolling Stones first decade is David Dalton's Unauthorised Biography. All Gates Open by Irmin Schmidt (Can) is a good accompaniment to the doco Can and Me. Incredibly Strange Music Vol 1 and 2 by Juno & Vale are essential for collectors of the genre. As a huge fan, I was slightly underwhelmed by Beneath The Underdog by Charles Mingus. Not quite the masterpiece I was expecting, but but still worth reading. A couple of others, like myself, recommended Art Pepper's Straight Life. Its definitely right up there as one of the greatest autobiographies ever written and brutally honest.

Always cool. Thank you. P.S. Fun book on Zappa - "No Commercial Potential." Peace on earth.

Wonderful Video Andy. You are more knowledgeable on Jazz and Prog and Zappa than anyone I have ever known. Thanks for sharing. I am curious if you know of a book on Sonny Rollins? I heard him on the radio as a young 9 year old and loved his playing ever since. Finally got to hear him live about 14 years ago in NYC. For me he is one of the pillars. Curious on your take.

"Waiting for Dizzy" by Buck Clayton. Awesome read!

It took me quite some Time to finally get Stuart Nicholson‘s Jazz Rock History. I once thought it might be translated into German and French. It sure would have helped to keep Jazzrock in the Musicclubs. Eventhough I am not a Fan of 70ties Jazzrock. My „Problem“ with the Book is the near Emission of Scandinavian Jazzrock in the late 60ties. There is nothing about the very big Importance of Japan for Jazzrock Fusion. Masabumi Kikuchi, Terumaso Hino, Sadao Watanabe and many more belonged to the early Inventors of Jazzrock Fusion. Many Masterworks of American Jazzrock Fusion were released in Japan and only available in Europe and the USA through expensive Direct Imports. Beside these Quibbles the Book is absolutely Important for the Knowledge of US American and British Jazzrock Fusion.

The ian Carr book on Miles was, i believe, one of the first critical takes on Miles to really appreciate and take seriously the electric period. Great book!

Yes i loved zappas the real zappa. More recently loved pauline butchers fly on the wall book. Interesting time when he transitioned breaking up first band. The rest is history

The Miles book is really good, could not put it down.

Thanks for this great list! (I always enjoy perusing the "Recommended Reading" and "Recommended Listening" bits at the end of music books.) Looking at my own shelf, a couple of titles that jump out to me as exceptional: - "No Commercial Potential: The Saga of Frank Zappa" by David Walley - "Space is the Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra" by John F. Szwed

Ooh Andy you naughty man 🤓

It seems there’s a book on your grandfather, Chapel of Dreams - is it an auto written with Dave Lodge?

I will buy Any jazz encyclopedia that doesn't leave out raymond scott !!!!!!!

0:54 I was actually saw the Mahavishnu Orchestra live in I believe, early 1973. They were extremely impressive. Was it life changing? No (Ornette Coleman in 1971 was life changing for me; King Crimson in 1973 was; the first time I saw Larry Coryell and Alice Coltrane, yup). Sun Ra? Cecil Taylor? Oh yeah! Every time... Allow me to give some context...yes, people were still dropping acid to go to concerts (a practice that I would not advocate) but there was an enormous uptick in spiritual interest in the early 70s. TM was huge; there were gurus popping out of the trees pretty much everywhere. This, drugs and everyone's obsession with the fastest guitarist in the West also fed a great deal of the interest in MO. Now, this is not to diminish their music. Everything about them seemed magical, including everyone except Cobham dressed in white (as a keyboard player myself, I honestly found Hammer the least impressive member of the band! I remember thinking, rightly or wrongly, in my megalomania, I could have done what Hammer was doing ! I know you love him Andy, but that was my honest reaction...I was doing Hendrix songs on a keyboard in 1973-1974. I am NOT saying I was as good as Jan Hammer (I am not delusional; Hammer was an accompanist to Sarah Vaughn; I am nowhere near that caliber as a musician), but it's not a miracle for a keyboard player to do that, even on a crappy Ace Tone organ, especially with a wah pedal) But MO was a unique blend that did change music (I don't really like it when a band becomes too successful, because too many people feel inclined to copy that success- I think it had a negative impact, especially in the 1970s, on creativity as everyone copies success. I think they were an incredibly important band and opened the door for a lot of music I liked. The presentation, playing, especially from Goodman, McLaughlin and Cobham was absolutely top notch! It was an extremely impressive show and the audience loved them. But, believe it or not, I saw similar reactions to Alice Coltrane! I remember being bowled over by the concert, but the impression lasted for about a week (longer than most bands I saw, but I am still bowled over by Ornette, 50 plus years later. I was more stunned by Shakti than MO. That's just my humble opinion. They were definitely a game changing group. But, oddly enough, I have to remind myself I saw them live. I never have to remind myself I saw Cream, Magma, Henry Cow, Captain Beefheart, the Mothers, the Nice, or any of the other groups or numerous jazz musicians I saw live. So, though they were an extremely important band, and were incredible live, they didn't impact me as much as most of the musicians I mentioned above. I agree they were a phenomenon. Very popular band. But they didn't have a lasting impact on me personally. That doesn't mean I hate them... not at all. But I did see them. It's important to remember I think, that 1970-1974 or so was an embarrassment of riches in music. That might be why I was not as gobsmacked by them at the time, although they were very impressive.

Just ordered Bathed In Lightening, didn't know that one....thanks Andy!! Also recommend Elegant People and Thelonious Monk by Robin D G Kelly....probably my favourite jazz biography ever.....I love everything about Monk so I am probably biased!!!

who the hell is McGloflin?

I second CHASIN' THE TRANE. Bios on Bird, Trane, & Miles all connect the dots. I really like Milkowski's JACO. Such joy, initially... then the darkness. Quite sad.

Loved this!, thanks Andy

Have you read Perfecting Sound Forever? A cracking good history of recorded music which includes the amazing story of how tape recording was stolen from the Nazis. Kid you not. In terms of new jazz can I pitch you Julian Lage. INCREDIBLE