First published in 1977, this book captures as a time and a place that I don't think exists in jazz anymore or in this world anymore, I don't think. The subjects of this book (out there free jazz cats) were trying to make a living at jazz within the confines of the record industry as it coexisted with popular cultural. Those days are long gone it seems and this book hinted at the direction that jazz musicians at the time were taking, education. There was quite a list of jazz musicians who made their livings through college positions in this book - a sign of what was to come. Now, jazz exists mainly along side classical music (European or whatever) as a product of cultural or educational subsidization, but not as an art form that lives and breaths and exists on its own with consumers keeping it alive. An excellent book discussing free jazz musicians who were trying to "make it" and their engangement with society, this is highly recommended as not only as a guide to some historical music figures, but as a description of a slice of life that is no longer here.
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