‘Texts and numerous interviews pay tribute to a truly extraordinary figure in 20th-century American jazz. This volume unpacks the cultural legacy of musician, spiritual leader, wife and mother Alice Coltrane. Accompanying the eponymous exhibition at Los Angeles’ Hammer Museum (running till May 4), the book takes its title from Coltrane’s 1977 autobiography and devotional text, Monument Eternal, in which she reflected on her newfound spiritual beliefs and the path to healing and self-discovery. Coltrane was ‘ahead of her time,’ as her son, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, says: she was ‘one of the first people to move outside the mainstream, and certainly one of the first female, Black, American jazz musicians to record her own music in her own studio, and to release music on her own terms.’ Alice Coltrane, Monument Eternal explores themes including spiritual transcendence, sonic innovation and architectural intimacy. The project juxtaposes works from nineteen contemporary American artists with pieces of ephemera from Coltrane’s archive — including handwritten sheet music, unreleased audio recordings and rarely seen footage — to honor her cultural output and practice.’
Cloth hardcover with debossing. 12.6” x 9.8”. 192 pages.

‘This non-academic essay is the first book from Permanent Draft, an all-female record label and micro-press founded by musician Valentina Magaletti and poet and novelist Fanny Chiarello, dedicated to promoting contemporary female, non-binary and transgender artists.
‘Essentially a huge, though non-definitive overview of 2,371 womxn in the global experimental sound and music scene: written in playful and compelling prose, and stylishly presented with photos, illustrations, and discographies.’

‘Not just sheet music but a multifaceted compendium, richly designed and beautifully produced, with photos, writings, and sketches. More than two hundred works ranging from raw sonic materials to conceptual musics, fragments, suggestions, itineraries, and completed compositions.’
‘An inspiring and varied collection of music by a true maverick, always ahead of the curve’ (John Zorn). ‘What a great thing! Alvin is one of the individuals who have illuminated the path in music for my whole life’ (Evan Parker). ‘Something for everyone’ (Arnold Dreyblatt).

This stylish, devoted, two-hundred-plus-page book is based around a deep, fascinating interview, covering the work in detail, but with naturalness and directness; also Radigue’s life, milieux, aesthetics and methods, politics, and so on. There are numerous choice photos; a few precious sketches, flyers and diagrams. The oeuvre is listed, with commentaries. All texts are in both English and French, beginning with her prose poem The Mysterious Power of the Infinitesimal. Pretty much indispensable, if you’re at all interested.

‘Eliane Radigue and I decided to resume our conversation and come up with this expanded second edition of the book. Much had happened since the first edition that deserved to be explored in more depth, in particular the development of the Occam Ocean cycle. But I also took the opportunity to ask her questions about her earlier work that had not been addressed previously. The first four parts of this new edition remain unchanged, but they are now followed by an epilogue. The lists of works and publications have also been updated and extended’ (Julia Eckhardt, December 2023).

‘From recording for Brian Eno’s Obscure Records imprint in 1975 and co-publishing the radical music magazines Musics and Collusion, to developing music programming for the BBC and releasing his own recordings of Yanomami Shaman rituals — from working with artists like Bjork and Prince Far-I — Toop has experienced one of the most interesting careers in contemporary music. Musician, listener, scholar, reporter, humanitarian, parent, iconoclast — David Toop brings his own life in music to focus in a remarkable, engaging read.’

This fine American-Grain poet digs Elmo Hope as badly as he does Lucia Berlin (and he’s sniffy about Tom Waits). His prose here is clear as a bell, ranging from Bach to the Louvins. Warmly recommended.

‘A rousing counter-narrative to the usual depictions of Krautrock, which paints a vivid picture of the old Federal Republic of Germany, with all its contradictions. What is now celebrated as Krautrock emerged in this environment, as an attempt to provide the revolution with a soundtrack. This is a vivid, fly-on-the-wall account of the squats, demos and first concerts of bands such as Cluster, Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel; also a judicious consideration of the influence of minimalist composers such as Steve Reich and Philip Glass, the origins of many Krautrock musicians in jazz, and the role of the synthesiser.’

Great reviews: ‘compelling,’ says Mojo; ‘passionate and revealing,’ says Record Collector.

Photos from the ramshackle mobile photo booths run during the 1930s by the Massengill family of rural Arkansas.
Compelling, sharply poignant glimpses of the Depression-era South, alongside essays, remembrances and diary transcriptions.
‘June 18, 1939 Mr Pennington drowned today. We went home about 4:00 o’clock and made cream at mama’s.’
180 pages, beautifully done.

‘Deben Bhattacharya (1921–2001) was a highly influential field recordist, poet, filmmaker, musicologist and amateur ethnomusicologist, based in Calcutta and Paris. He produced a vast number of LPs, CDs, videos and radio shows of traditional music from India, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.
‘Never before published, Paris To Calcutta features over four hours of music and is Deben’s impressionistic account of a 1955 journey overland, in a converted milk delivery van, from France to India, collecting and exploring music along the Desert Road.
‘With four CDs of recordings, photographs, Deben’s original recording notes, musical transcriptions and more. An amazing glimpse into a time long gone and essential listening for anyone interested in folk and world music traditions.’

A lavishly illustrated and elegantly designed hardback; full of gorgeous gear. Early days but a lovely Christmas present.

‘The design, history, and cultural impact of turntables and vinyl technology… the early decades of turntable design and vinyl technology from the late 19th century to the 1940s will set the scene, followed by chapters dedicated to the best turntables of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and the 2000s… includes 300 illustrations from the world of turntables, from affordable to high-end, and everything in between.’

A worthy catalogue raisonne of the JA recordings of this almighty genius at his peak.
A year-by year discography, with more than eight hundred label images, a heap of wonderful photos (including Adrian Boot’s classic images of the Black Ark), and spotlights on key players like Bob Marley, Junior Byles, Augustus Pablo, Junior Murvin, and Yabby You.
Sumptuously presented in full colour throughout 280 pages of coated paper, 297x210mm, with a classy soft-touch cover.
It’s a must.

‘Over 200 full-colour pages documenting Dodd’s vinyl output during the first six years of Jamaica’s new urban music — from Boogie Shuffle to Ska. Presented imprint by imprint and illustrated with over 900 label scans. With sections on Dodd’s Sound Systems and businesses as well as the musicians he used and the live scene in Jamaica.’

‘An extraordinary gift. Maxine Gordon’s rigorously researched, jazz-inflected, genre-bending account of the many dimensions of this prodigious life provides an occasion to appreciate Dexter’s resounding musical genius as well as his wish for major social transformation’ (Angela Davis).

Fastidiously designed facsimiles of two pamphlets which accompanied early Sun Ra albums; and two substantial publications more than a decade later by Infinity Inc./Saturn Research.
Issued in 1957 by the Boston-based Transition label, his debut LP Jazz By Sun Ra contained a beautiful booklet, now as prized as the LP itself, with rare photographs and a selection of poems and proclamations, as well as the personnel and recording credits.
Ra’s Jazz In Silhouette was released two years later on Saturn Records, coming with a mimeographed, folded, unstapled booklet. The CvsD version folds this slim pamphlet of poetry into a slipcover with a classic photo portrait of Ra by Thomas “Bugs” Hunter on the back.
Perhaps Ra’s best known book of poetry, The Immeasurable Equation is restored after the original Infinity Inc./Saturn Research version, published in Chicago in 1972, and distributed widely by the Arkestra, often from the bandstand. It features more than sixty of Ra’s poems.
Finally, perhaps the rarest of Ra’s poetry books is Extensions Out: Immeasurable Equation Vol. II, which was also published by Infinity Inc./Saturn Research. This 8.5 x 11-inch book is a massive compendium of more than 130 poems, very much in step with the mimeo poetry publications of its era — simple staple binding, one-sided pages — featuring three photographs of artwork by Ayé Aton, a close ally of Ra’s in this, the period of the Arkestra classic Space Is The Place, on which Aton plays percussion. Great care was taken to reproduce the special textured cover of this highly sought after book.

A terrific, insider, pocket-book survey of the artwork of cassettes and records of 80s experimental electronic music — industrial, noise, new wave, minimal, drone, sound art, ambient and more. Out typography and wild lay-outs; free-hand drawings and scans like hauntings, magic, infections; Xerox lovely Xerox.
132 pages; recycled natural paper; some colour.
Beautifully done. Very warmly recommended.