This Is: Essays on Jazz

With an ear for the overlooked, Aaron Gilbreath chronicles the forgotten corners of the mid-century jazz scene. Shadowing the greats from Sonny Clark to John Coltrane, Gilbreath traces the tragedy of saxophonist Hank Mobley, unearths the story of self-exiled pianist Jutta Hipp, and pauses on the meaning of heroin for trumpeter Lee Morgan. He also revisits a few standards, like The Connection, an influential film with its own take on drugs and sobriety; the ten-year evolution of Miles Davis' "So What"; and the impact of record labels' vault archives. This Is: Essays on Jazz celebrates the joy, genius and struggle of jazz, in essays both intimate and deeply researched.

About the Author :
Aaron Gilbreath is an essayist and journalist whose work has appeared in Harper's, The New York Times, Paris Review, Vice, The Morning News, Saveur, Tin House, The Believer, Oxford American, Kenyon Review, Slate, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Threepenny Review, and Brick. He is also the author of the essay collection Everything We Don't Know (2016).

Review :
"The richness of the essays in Aaron Gilbreath's This Is is a fitting tribute to the richness of jazz itself. Gilbreath weaves unique insight with a profound understanding of the history of jazz. His crisp prose and diverse range make you want to turn the page and run to the record store in equal measure." ─ Roxane Gay, author of Bad Feminist "Aaron Gilbreath's writing about jazz is as friendly and welcoming as any you'll find." ─ Luc Sante, author of Low Life and Kill All Your Darlings "Aaron Gilbreath writes about Jutta Hipp and Miles Davis and Lee Morgan and Jackie McLean and others long gone with curiosity: he lines up the questionable historical record with what's knowable and provable, and finds out where the lessons are." ─ New York Times jazz and pop critic Ben Ratliff, author of Coltrane: The Story of a Sound and The Jazz Ear: Conversations over Music "Aaron Gilbreath is an outstanding jazz writer, with a deep appreciation for the music's tradition and an engaging prose style." ─ Ted Gioia, author of The History of Jazz and Delta Blues "In these vivid, affectionate essays, Aaron Gilbreath moves in pure and distinct prose among stories and histories, moments and decades, mystery and clarity. His account of Jutta Hipp is one of the finest pieces I've read on the forgotten fringes of the music industry. This Is is an essential read for anyone who loves mid-century jazz culture and wonders about the dynamics of expression." ─ Joe Bonomo, author of Sweat: The Story of The Fleshtones, America's Garage Band and Jerry Lee Lewis: Lost and Found "Aaron Gibreath's open, easy prose swoops into pockets of jazz--forgotten players, drug blighted scenes, classic tunes played and altered over legendary careers--with warmth and familiarity." ─ Elena Passarello, author of Let Me Clear My Throat "If you happened to wish, as I have, for a catalog of jazz writing to rival the Blue Note catalog of jazz music, maybe you're in luck, because This Is: Essays on Jazz would make a fine first installment." ─ Kyle Minor, author of Praying Drunk "Apart from being both historically versed and attuned to jazz at the level of texture, of vital nuance, Aaron Gilbreath knows how to exude enthusiasm." ─ Sven Birkerts, essayist, critic and editor of AGNI "Aaron Gilbreath's This Is: Essays on Jazz is a vital and entertaining collection, one of the finest books on jazz (or any genre of music) I have read." ─ David Gutowski, Largeheartedboy.com "The passion and fire Aaron Gilbreath commits to his writing on music is good stuff and big time contaminating on me" ─ Mike Watt, the man in the van with a bass in his hand "Get IN and FEEL IT!" ─ Russell Quan, drummer for The Mummies