Ashley Kahn

Few albums in the canon of popular music have had the influence, resonance, and endurance of John Coltrane's 1965 classic A Love Supreme-a record that proved jazz was a fitting medium for spiritual exploration and for the expression of the sublime. Bringing the same fresh and engaging approach that characterized his critically acclaimed Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece, Ashley Kahn tells the story of the genesis, creation, and aftermath of this classic recording. Featuring interviews with more than one hundred musicians, producers, friends, and family members; unpublished interviews with Coltrane and bassist Jimmy Garrison; and scores of never-before-seen photographs, A Love Supreme balances biography, cultural context, and musical analysis in a passionate and revealing portrait.

Jazzsaksofonistien kuningas John Coltrane (1926-1967) eteni lyhyeksi jääneellä urallaan Miles Davisin ”korkeakoulusta” omalle tielleen, jonka viimeiseksi tärkeäksi etapiksi muodostui A Love Supreme -albumi. Klassikoksi noussut musiikkiteos edustaa Coltranen sprituaalista myöhäiskautta ja on toiminut esikuvana paitsi myöhemmille saksofonistisukupolville myös muille jazzin ystäville kaikkialla maailmassa. Musiikkijournalisti ja -kirjailija Ashley Kahn yhdistää teoksessaan tasapainoisella tavalla Coltranen elämäkerralliset tapahtumat teoksen musiikilliseen analyysiin ja sen syntyhetkien kulttuurihistorialliseen kuvaukseen. Aiemmin häneltä on ilmestynyt suomeksi kirja Miles Davisin klassikkoteoksesta Kind of Blue.

A deeply researched and beautifully illustrated study of saxophone legend John Coltrane's signature album. Written with the full co-operation of the Coltrane family and featuring the voices of musicians, producers and writers of the 1960s, Kahn has also unearthed rare, unpublished interviews with Coltrane and bassist Jimmy Garrison. The book also features commentary from contemporary music stars including Carlos Santana, Bono, Phil Lesh, Patti Smith, Ravi Shankar and Steve Reich.

The intimate and long-awaited memoir of guitar legend Carlos Santana.

The definitive story of the making and legacy of Paul Simon's Graceland In 1984, Paul Simon was at a professional and personal low. His marriage was failing, his career was in danger of declining and the music scene was shifting to a world of synths, drum machines and music videos. But a chance encounter with the sounds of South Africa created a spark, recalling the joy of the early rock and roll days and inspiring a bold new direction. Simon travelled to Johannesburg in 1985 which would become the first step on a musical journey that would lead him to New York, Los Angeles, Louisiana and London, culminating in Graceland, a global phenomenon that won multiple Grammys, sold millions of records and helped redefine popular music. Days of Miracle and Wonder is the first book to tell the full story, offering a richly detailed account of artistic collaboration, technical innovation and cultural exchange, alongside the controversies that the album raised and which remain today. It sheds light on a rare cultural moment when America opened its doors to global sounds and a masterpiece emerged from a complex and divided world.

George Harrison on George Harrison is an authoritative, chronologically arranged anthology of Harrison’s most revealing and illuminating interviews, personal correspondence, and writings, spanning the years 1962 to 2001. Though known as the “Quiet Beatle,” Harrison was arguably the most thoughtful and certainly the most outspoken of the famous four. This compendium of his words and ideas proves that point repeatedly, revealing his passion for music, his focus on spirituality, and his responsibility as a celebrity, as well as a sense of deep commitment and humor.

In the early spring of 1959, six musicians went into the 30th Street Studio in New York. Nine hours later, they had recorded one of the finest albums of the twentieth century. Kind of Blue traces Miles Davis's development into an artist capable of making such a masterpiece, and explores the careers and struggles of the musicians who shaped him and played alongside him. Using interviews and pictures, studio dialogue and outtakes, the great jazz historian Ashley Kahn follows Miles and his group into the studio, to show precisely how the greatest jazz record of all time was made, how it was introduced to the world, and how it changed music forever.

Noted jazz author Ashley Kahn brings to life the behind-the-scenes story of Impulse Records, one of the most significant record labels in the history of popular music. Kahn mingles engaging stories of corporate politics with insider accounts of music-making and anecdotal takes on particular albums. His history of Impulse is also the story of the genesis of an American art form and the evolution of the record industry through the tumultuous 1960s and will compel readers to seek out this label s masterful albums, says Publishers Weekly in a starred review. Kirkus Reviews calls the book a swinging read, adding that Kahn covers all the aesthetic, business, social, and historical bases with crisp economy. Don t miss the exciting inside scoop behind some of the most enduring masterpieces of jazz!"

Don Cheadle directed, co-wrote, and stars in the film Miles Ahead , which will be released by Sony Pictures in April 2016. This acclaimed tribute to the most popular jazz album of all time is now available in a beautiful 50th anniversary edition, complete with a new afterword by Ashley Kahn. Featuring transcriptions of the unedited session tapes in-depth interviews with musicians freshly discovered Columbia Records files never-before-seen photographs, and more, Kind of Blue is a vital piece of music history-and will be essential for fans and scholars for years to come.