Ashley Kahn: The House That Trane Built
Kahn, Ashley. The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records (New York: Norton, 2006)
On the basis of Ashley Kahn's books about two of the greatest jazz albums ever--Miles Davis' Kind of Blue and John Coltrane's A Love Supreme--his book on the jazz records label Impulse! seemed likely to be a good bet. Kahn does not disappoint.
Two-page spreads highlighting classic Impulse! releases are interspersed throughout the text, which does a fine job explaining the history of Impulse! and of Coltrane's contributions to the label--and to jazz itself. There's a separate four-disc box set of CDs to accompany the book, which would have made excellent background music for reading Kahn's book--but I settled on Coltrane's Live at the Village Vanguard set. Whatever music you choose, The House That Trane Built is a great read for jazz buffs.
Kahn's book on Blue Note, Somethin' Else,
was originally scheduled for release in April, but it seems to have disappeared. Based on the strength of The House That Trane Built, I'm looking forward to it--whenever it arrives.