As Serious As Your Life

This work celebrates jazz with passion and conviction, evoking a revolutionary era that inspired generations of music. Tracing the roots of "new jazz" from 1960-1972 Wilmer dissects the musical careers of the famous names from John Coltrane, Miles Davis et al.

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As essential now as when it was first published in 1977, As Serious As Your Life celebrates jazz with passion and conviction. Covering the dynamic period 1960-1976, Valerie Wilmer powerfully evokes a remarkable revolutionary musical era that continues to inspire generations of musicians. Valerie Wilmer evaluates the musical careers of both the famous names of the time - Albert Ayler, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Sun Ra and Cecil Taylor - and those of less well-known artists. It is her unique approach - placing the 'new jazz' in its political and social context - that makes As Serious As Your Life a classic of jazz criticism.