Music in the Air: The Selected Writings of Ralph J. Gleason [Hardback]

"Gleason didn't review art or life from the sidelines; he wrote from inside the moral, political, and artistic crises of the times, and he perceived them clearly and understood them passionately. His standard of critical practice and his model of critical responsibility are awe-inspiring."-Richard Brody, The New Yorker -- Richard Brody The New Yorker "Readers will yearn for Gleason's musical analysis and insights, which set a path for modern music journalism."-Library Journal Library Journal "A godsend to folks like me who already know and admire [ Gleason's] work - and a standard setter for those who should know him."-Felix Contreras, NPR Books -- Felix Contreras NPR Books "The kind of righteous combination of sociocultural theory and radical politics that, today, you might find on Mark Fisher's K-punk blog, or in the odd article Ben Watson is able to sneak past editors. In 1970, Gleason wrote "If there is no way to change this world without killing half of us, then fuck it. I'll do my best to have a ball and go out swinging." The world still needs changing. We still need writing like this."-Daniel Spicer, The Wire -- Daniel Spicer The Wire "A fine start to what should be a shelf of books on Gleason and his achievement."-Beyond Chron Beyond Chron "Two important new collections ... both make for absorbing and instructive reading, in quite different ways."-Nate Chinen, Jazz Times -- Nate Chinen Jazz Times