Now now, hold on a minute there. If Fire! Orchestra’s recent, critically-acclaimed output has gotten you all in a tizzy over the less-straightforward forms of jazz, it’s important to keep an eye… obviously toward present developments, but with a mental acknowledgement of its “free” fore-fathers and mothers! The whole pursuit is rather intimidating to me. There are people literally breathing and eating jazz, emptying their spit valves for added flavor into their morning bowls of cereal, who still haven’t exhausted all that there is to know about the genre — to say nothing of its more experimental offshoots. If only there were a comprehensive literary overview to get us all started — specifically, one that comes in a Geltex cover and forces me to learn the conversion rate between the Norwegian Krone and the US dollar.
$1.00 US = 6.132 NOK, FYI. Likewise, Rune Grammofon has just announced Free Jazz And Improvisation On Vinyl 1965-1985, a 128-page overview of 60 independent labels and their releases of free jazz during that period. It’s a time frame that more or less ends with the advent of the CD, with freelance art historian (and author of Free Jazz) Johannes Rød surely appreciating the benefits of a narrowed but in-depth focus. Each label is presented with an intro and a discography (complete, or of Rød’s choosing), alongside 64 sleeve illustrations. Plus there’s some textual commentary from Swedish saxophone player Mats Gustafsson and Rune founder Rune Krisotffersen.
Everyone hold hands and wade into the deep end! The book’s out July 11.
• Rune Grammofon: http://www.runegrammofon.com
