Miles Davis

Sometimes the best gifts for the jazz fans on your list are not the music itself but images and words about the music and the artists who create it. And throughout the year, when the opportunity arises, your favorite jazz aficionados will appreciate gifts about their favorite subject, even when you are stumped as to what new or classic CD is not already in their collection. Some favorites among works published in the past year: 

The Miles Davis Reader (Frank Alkyer, Ed Enright & Jason Koransky, Eds., Hal Leonard Books, 2007). Downbeat Magazine inaugurates its “Hall of Fame” series in grand style with this indispensable collection of its Miles Davis archives.  Starting off with the relatively short news items published from 1959, we are treated to the multi-perspectives of feature articles and interviews as well as an extensive collection of record reviews. While there are numerous tomes on Davis, most notably his autobiography, the Down Beat collections provides a unique and comprehensive look at one of the seminal and most controversial figures of modern music. Because this is a collection from diverse contributors, we are given a an invaluable multi-dimensional picture of the man and the artist, in his own words over time as well as in the words of his critics and followers, musicians and friends, confidantes and bystanders. What emerges is perhaps the most balanced presentation of Miles yet, one that carefully traces his origins in bop and his journeys away from its core, his impact on other musicians and on the development and popularity of jazz in general, his personal struggles and philosophies.  Also included are reproductions of Downbeat covers featuring Davis and classic photos.  

Alive at the Village Vanguard: My Life In and Out of Jazz Time

Improvising: My Life in Music (Larry Coryell, Backbeat Books, 2007). Anyone who has followed the amazing career of guitarist Larry Coryell will be fascinated by this candid autobiography. Coryell provides detailed accounts of his introduction to jazz; his long list of collaborations, tours and recording sessions; his battle with addiction and ultimate recovery; and a collection of his educational columns for Guitar Player magazine.  Larry also provides a CD of audio lessons that he created to accompany the book, making this an ideal gift for anyone interested in jazz guitar as well as anyone interested in an inside look at the life and career challenges of a successful and revered musician. (Click here for a review)

Improvising: My Life in Music

PoPsie: Popular Music Through the Camera Lens of William PoPsie Randolph (Michael Randolph, Hal Leonard, 2007). You might have to wait til New Year’s Day to find this one, but it will be worth the wait. On the entertainment scene in New York from the 1940s to early 1970s, “PoPsie” Randolph was a prolific photographer of jazz, Broadway, and rock ‘n roll, from Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra to Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. This is a “coffee table book” in that is has a large format and stunning black and white reproductions. However, through PoPsie’s son Michael Randolph, we are treated to far more, from the biographic portraits of the photographer to excerpts from the original publications to the informative captions that adjoin each photo. Thus Michael Randolph creates a loving portrait of his father’s career while at the same time providing brief insights into his subjects. A considerable array of jazz musicians are included, such as Nat King Cole, Marian McPartland, the Dorsey Brothers, Count Basie, Erroll Garner, Benny Goodman, and ending with a 1973 portrait of Basie with a young Billy Taylor. These are not static portraits but views that could only be captured by someone who lived with the music and gained the trust of his subjects. 

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