"ECM - A Cultural Archaeology"

My mother, Monica Rumsey, who runs her own editing company (Scholarly Editing, Inc.),  just gave me her copy of an incredible book that she copyedited called ECM:  A Cultural Archaeology.  

 Anyone who loves Jazz  -- especially the late 70s experimental stuff that musicians like Keith Jarrett, L. Shankar, Stanley Clarke, Jan Garbarek, Steve Tibbets, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Art Ensemble of Chicago, and so many other legendary artists created on the ECM label (Edition of Contemporary Music) -- should definitely pick up a copy of this book.   (As far as fancy art books go.. for 50 dollars it's certainly worth the price in my opinion.)     

One of the Editors of this book is Okwui Enwezor, Nigerian-born American curator, art critic, writer, poet, educator who specializes in art history.  You can read about him in this article announcing that he will curate the 2015 Venice Biennale.   Over the years, I've become a fan of many of Okwui Enwezor's publications (my mother has worked on a number of his recent ones)  including Contemporary African Art since 1980 - also an absolutely incredible book - which he put together with Chika Okeke-Agulu.

Other authors of ECM: A cultural Archaeology are Markus Mueller (Editor), Diedrich Diederichsen(Contributor), Kodwo Eshun (Contributor), Renée Green (Contributor).     

BUY IT HERE

Art Ensemble of Chicago - 1979

Pat Metheny Group

Paul Bley - 1970s

By the way,  one of my favorite records of all time, and the album that made me really start paying attention to ECM, was "Bye Bye Safe Journey" By Steve Tibbets.  

 Highly recommended... you can buy it here (or via emusic or itunes) ... but I personally suggest the vinyl!)