Kahn Books

Kahn takes the reader right inside Columbia Studios at 207 E. 30th Street for the two sessions that brought us Kind of Blue. YOU ARE THERE, 'nuf said (as Stan Lee likes to write in his Spidey comics).

Listen: What's so great about this book is it fulfills and hits the mark where so many other books fall short. This book is about HOW THE MUSIC WAS MADE. I've only read a couple other books about musicians that actually manage to pull this off. For example, Lewis Porter's John Coltrane, His Life and His Music and A Love Supreme, The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Album. This book hits the mark where writers like Chambers (Milestones) Thomas (Chasin' the Trane) Zappa (The Real Frank Zappa Book) fall short. When I read a book about Miles, Trane, Zappa, The Rolling Stones, Hendrix. I want to read about the music, the process of discovery. Kahn's books (along with Lewis Porter's) are the only books I've discovered that actually "get" the point of even writing the book. I don't care about the musician's personal habits and debauchery, I want to learn about THE MUSIC.

I'm not going into a bunch of details about this book. I'm going to tell you that this book is very well researched, contains lots of pictures I have never seen - though I've read 1/2 dozen or so books on Miles and own darn near all of those Legacy & Prestige remasters and boxsets with the new liner notes and photos. It's just a beautiful presentation. A book I will keep for the rest of my life though I wish I had the hardback edition.

This is an impressive work, it sets the high-water mark for music journalism and literature, period. It does not flirt with hero worship and it keeps Kahn's personal views in check. You get the the back-story, story, and the epilogue (not literally... well yes, literally but that isn't what I mean) of the story of Kind of Blue.

Hands down, this is the best book about music I have ever read. It was a quick, entertaining read. I was sorry when I arrived at the last page I enjoyed reading is so much and I'm sure I'll re-read it many times during the remainder of my life.

I also highly recommend Khan's book on A Love Supreme (that one flirts with hero-worship but it's still a great book).

Next: Impulse, The House That Trane Built.

A Kahn Wish: I would love to read a book by Khan on the Miles Davis/Gil Evans partnership. There is plenty to write about, including the way Miles (whom I dearly love despite his human flaws) used and abused Gil Evans talent and failed to compensate him fairly and without Evans' begging for what he did get in some cases (Filles de Kilamanjaro for example). I'm such a fan of this guy's work that I tried to find a way to contact him to suggest such a work but couldn't find any contact information. Kind of Blue is an awesome book but Kahn has only scratched the surface of the life and career of Miles Davis. Here's hoping there is more to come.

In American recorded music, one of the true masterpieces is Kind of Blue by Miles Davis and his legendary sextet of John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, Paul Chambers, Bill Evans, Jimmy Cobb and Wynton Kelly (on one number).

From a unique perspective of research, author Ashley Kahn brings the important moment in music to life through a brief biography of Davis, the transcription & discussion of the two recording sessions which produced the album, unedited studio dialogue and rare photographs, with other gems located in the vast vaults of Sony Music.

The concise exploration by Kahn is rich in texture and beauty, as the album is brought to life through that layer of dust being brushed off the archives. And as if waiting patiently for its story to be told, the material has not lost any of its lustre after the years since 1959, and actually shines brighter by being bolstered through its timelessness.

This book is a completely stupid waste of money. It is utterly ridiculous to boil an artist of Davis's stature down to one recording. Davis did amazing stuff as a kid with Charlie Parker on Dial Records. He had a huge impact in his day with Birth of the Cool and then dumped it to do more amazing work for the Bluenote label.

Then we have the long tenure at Columbia where he hit home run after home run often defining trajectory of the idiom in his day until it began to move ahead of him.

Jazz books are generally terrible with a few exceptions like Ross Russell's work on Charlie Parker and Lewis Porter's work on Lester Young and John Coltrane. Duke Ellington's Music Is My Mistress is another steller work.

You simply cannot apply some medieval notion of 'quintessence' dreamed up by Aquinas to people of this stature as nearly everything they ever did is compelling and has merit. The same applies to Kahn's idiot work on Coltrane.

If you genuinely love this idiom, buy the recordings and BE VERY WARY ABOUT THE STUFF GLIB DOOFUSES TRY TO WRITE ABOUT THEM.

I remember being a kid in the early 70's trying to learn about this music and how disgusted I was by all the lame writing out there. Kahn surely continues the tradition of moron jazz writers no matter how much he claims to love it.

There are plenty of honest hardworking scholars like Porter or ace reviewers like Gary Giddins and Bob Blumenthal who will do a far better job on the background of the idiom than a dilletante who makes a living promoting Brittany Spears and VH1.

This extensively researched book opens a big window into a decade or more of American popular music, when Top 40 charts embraced everything from novelty songs to Elvis and Doris Day, and jazz performers commanded their own share of a vast audience. Sound recording technology had recently introduced LPs and stereo to consumers, and the music industry was booming. It was at this point, the late 1950s, that the young trumpet player Miles Davis stepped onto the stage and emerged as an influential innovator and eventual jazz giant.

Author Kahn traces the steps of Davis' early career, focusing on the man, the musician, and the jazz artists who were his contemporaries, including the six men who joined him in creation of the album "Kind of Blue." Then listening to the original session tapes he recreates the recording of this album in 1959 in CBS's 30th Street Studio in New York. He wraps up his book with an interesting account of the marketing and release of the album and an analysis of its impact on music and musicians who followed, as well as its continuing popularity among listeners.

Most interesting for nonmusicians among readers is his explanation of modal jazz and its implications for the jazz performer. Also fascinating is the account of how these gifted, strongly independent jazz musicians came together for a brief period of less than two years to perform as a group, culminating in this classic album. The book is illustrated with numerous photographs, many taken at the recording session, and it ends with a bibliography, discography, copious notes and ample index. Altogether it's a generous and informative appreciation of one of the great jazz recordings of the last century.

I love Kind of Blue but I'm less impressed with Kahn's book on its creation. Kahn uses the session master tape to recreate the sessions effectively and successfully. The transcribed commentary between the musicians on the session and the descriptions of the evolution of the music through various takes are fascinating. Kahn also does a decent job of fitting Kind of Blue into the jazz continuum of the late fifties and early sixties and provides some interesting insights into the music itself. For example, Kahn points out that while Kind of Blue was meant to be entirely modal, Adderly in particular uses a lot of bop chromaticism as does Evans. Miles was really the only musician to adhere strictly to the modal guidelines.
On the down side, Kahn bungles the explanation of modes and modal improvisation. The modal system can be explained clearly and succinctly; it isn't rocket science. But Kahn devotes quite a bit of ink to the subject and still never manages to even define precisely what a mode is. the author also makes some technical errors in his musical explanations and ignores some important areas of the music that he should have pointed out and explicated. For example, he says nothing about Evans's use of quartal harmony on the album, which was groundbreaking.
The biographical sketch on Miles is far too long and offers no information not already covered in his various biographies. Yes, some background info on Miles was needed but this was much too much.
Also, Kahn needn't have included the endless, breathless superlatives about the album by an endless list of musicians. We know how good the album is; we don't need this parade of people going on and on about it. It's redundant and serves no real purpose. Far less of this material and more in depth coverage of the session and the music itself would have made this a better book.

A far better book of this type is Geoffrey Haydon's Quintet of the Year, which describes how five of bebop's greatest practicioners met for the historical concert at Massey Hall in Toronto, which resulted in one of the most important bebop albums ever made. That book is everything that the Making of Kind of Blue might have been.

This was an interesting twist on the amateur sleuth -- a psychologist who writes an advice column. While the writing was fine, and the mystery was well-paced, I thought the protagonist was more than a little annoying. Her advice was obvious and way too pat to make me feel she was a deep and insightful therapist. And I saw the "whodunnit" coming a mile away. All the same, I will seek out more by this author because I enjoyed the twists and turns.

Deadly Advice by Roberta Isleib is a fast, page turning read. The protagonist is Dr. Rebecca Butterman who is a psychologist. She also writes an online advise column. Don't expect to read a story about a psychologist who has all the answers. There is so much more to Rebecca. Moving into the condo community after the divorce from her husband, Rebecca leads a busy life. When her neighbor next door is found dead, Rebecca is shocked and also feels guilty for not being friendlier and getting to know the woman who died, Madeline, better.

Madeline's mother asks Rebecca if she will help in finding out what happened to Madeline. The police are claiming suicide, Rebecca is not so sure. She begins her journey to find out who Madeline really was and enters the world of internet dating.

The author weaves an intricate story of deception and how events in ones life may affect them. My only problem with this book was there were too many psychological comments that could have been left out of a mystery novel. I recommend this book. I do not consider it a cozy but a unique mystery .

Wow! As an ardent mystery reader, GUPPY mystery writer, AND a Pyschotherapist, I loved this new series. I stumbled onto the first, Deadly Advice and then grabbed the next one. Rebecca rings true as a therapist who has relationship problems, both present and past. The writing is excellant and, while the plot has been done before, I didn't guess 'who done it' until the villian was revealed. And I usually see it coming. I can not wait for the next one. Thanks Roberta.

Author Roberta Isleib is a psychologist as is her heroine Rebecca Butterman in the mystery novel Deadly Advice. Dr. Butterman is also an advice columnist. This is the first in the Advice Column mystery series. The storyline has Rebecca in a quandary over her neighbor Madeline's suicide. As a psychologist, Rebecca feels guilty (even though she wasn't well acquainted with Madeline) because she didn't see the suicide coming. When Madeline's seeming frail mother tells Rebecca she doesn't believe her daughter committed suicide, Rebecca finds herself drawn into an investigation.

Everywhere she looks, Rebecca finds contradictory evidence. Her neighbors don't agree on who had been seen coming and going from Madeline's condo. The police declare the death a suicide and tell her not to be involved with a closed case. Yet Rebecca learns that they are still actively investigating the case. Madeline's brothers try to talk Rebecca out of searching for more clues. Family secrets cloud the issues. Rebecca finds a secret blog that shows another, darker side of Madeline and reveals her involvement in questionable singles' activities. It seems she loved to kiss and tell.

Add all this to an assignment from her editors to look into the singles' dating scene, and Rebecca finds herself in some interesting and somewhat dangerous places. Just getting over a divorce, Rebecca knows that this is the last thing she wants to do, but she can use the assignment as a guise to further her investigation of Madeline's life and death. The ensuing events involve both comedy and peril, and situations where Rebecca finds she doesn't know whose motives to trust.

At first, I found the story slow-moving, but I continued to read because I wanted to know how what came next. I concluded that the story wasn't slow but rather intricately crafted--a mystery that remained a mystery until the end. The plot had subtle twists and turns that hold one's interest.

Isleib portrays her main character as a skilled and compassionate professional who is, like all of us, human and flawed, dealing with the baggage of a recent divorce and a not-so-great childhood, and actually in therapy herself. Rebecca is a believable character, not a perfect cardboard caricature nor a bumbling incompetent. According to Isleib, this was a conscious aim: "...I have the chance to dream up psychologist characters who can help solve mysteries without stumbling too hard over their own personal issues, crossing ethical boundaries, or imploding with self-importance." When asked how her own profession influenced her writing, Isleib said "Believe it or not, the work of the detective in a mystery has quite a bit in common with long-term psychotherapy. You start with a problem, then follow the threads, looking for clues, and gradually fill in the big picture." (from author's website)

What is a natural progression for Isleib translates into a quite enjoyable read for mystery lovers.

by Susan Ideus
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Dr. Rebecca Butterman is used to helping people - she's a clinical psychologist and the author of an on-line advice column, so when Madeline, her next door neighbor is found dead from an apparent suicide, Rebecca wonders if she could have done something to help her. When Madeline's mother insists it couldn't be suicide, Rebecca agrees to look into the death. Rebecca soon realizes that Madeline was not all she seemed to be and as she investigates the on-line dating world for a writing assignment, she realizes the two are linked. The more she looks into both cases, the more she puts herself into danger, danger she may not escape from.

"Deadly Advice" is a well written and well plotted mystery. Rebecca is a nicely done, complex heroine, recently divorced and just starting to get her life back together. She is not perfect and her own personal therapy sessions help develop her character. While her advice column is interesting to read about, as were her attempts at on-line dating, what I liked best about the book were the details about her home life - her cooking, her taking in Madeline's cat, and her neighbors and the condo meetings they had. Rebecca's neighbors - especially Mts. Dunbarton, Peter Morgan, and Babette Fnster - are all well done. The mystery itself is well written and well plotted with plenty of red herrings and readers will have a hard time figuring out who the killer is. While author Roberta Isleib flirts with the almost standard mystery plot device of a romance between Rebecca and Detective Jack Meigs, she adds a welcome wrinkle to that formula. And, while the book seems on the surface to be a cozy mystery, it's a bit too gritty to fit that definition.

"Deadly Advice" is well done.

You can hardly go wrong reading a baseball book written by Roger Kahn. But The Head Game: Baseball Seen from the Pitcher's Mound barely rates as a quality start (in keeping with pitching lingo).

Kahn divides his work into two sections--essentially pitching prior to World War I and pitching after World War II (the modern era). The book is equally divided, but it doesn't come alive until page 140 when Kahn starts to write about Warren Spahn.

In the first half, Kahn writes about Hoss Radbourn, Cy Young, Christy Mathewson. He uses these three pitchers to talk about the history of baseball and the evolution of pitching. I didn't find much about "the head game" in the first half of the book. In the chapter on Young, Kahn mainly discusses the 1903 World Series and memories of author John Tunis. He also dwells on the World Series efforts of Mathewson, particularly the 1905 series. In discussing the 1911 World Series and Mathewson's role in surrendering a crucial home run to Philadelphia A's Frank "Home Run" Baker, Kahn conveniently leaves out the fact that Matty had previously criticized his teammate Rube Marquard (not a gentlemanly thing to do) for surrendering a homer to Baker on a fast ball. Matty made the same mistake the next day.

The second half of the book is worthy of its title and of its author. Kahn discusses Warren Spahn, Johnny Sain, Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Bruce Sutter and pitching coach Leo Mazzone. There are plenty of insights in these pages. Johnny Sain is perhaps the most interesting pitcher in the book.

Kahn's observations on Koufax are interesting. He wrote, "From 1963 through 1966, Koufax one of the three or four best starting pitchers ever. But to call him the greatest pitcher is silly, and to call him without reservation a great athlete is iron-headed."

If you're a novice baseball fan, read the entire book. If you're a long-time baseball fan, start on page 140.

A great read off the back of a sports journalist's life experience among both the baseball and sports writer's fraternity. Some great quotes and stories from hall-of-fame pitchers, and the pioneers of the modern game. Not just for those who like pitching, but a great book for all baseball fans who want to hear about spending a life studying the players and the game, and written by a well educated person who has spent his life writing about baseball without the ego of a player talking about himself.

The book The Head Game, is written by the famous author Roger Kahn. He is the author of the book The Boys of Summer. I think this is great book to read. The stories are incredible and describes something I could only imagine. The book goes beyond the game and contains exciting historical accounts. The pictures in this book are amazing. The Head Game taught me how to throw a curve ball. Overall this book is wonderful, everything you want in a book is in The Head Game.

Another homerun (although he would not like that analogy for this particular book) for Kahn. He is America's finest bard of baseball (some may disagree, but as Kahn would say, this is the writer's opinion). This is a fascinating look at pitching history through interviews (and historical documents) with the men who created it. From Ol' Hoss Radbourn (pitched over 600 innings and won 60 games in a season) to Christy Matthewson to Bob Gibson (who I wish had more than 10 or so pages) to Leo Mazzone, the book is wide in scope and stories. The book rambles a bit, but frankly the ride is worth taking. For anybody who loves the greatest of all games, this book will give you a new view of the men who make or break it. The pitchers.

Roger Kahn has given fans another winner with this revealing look at pitchers and their mental approach to baseball. Readers learn about life on the hill from ancient masters like Christy Mathewson, mid-Century stars like Warren Spahn, and modern artists like Tom Glavine. Along the way we learn about different pitches, grips, exercise regimens, and mental strategies. We also learn about their long hours of practice, varying exercises to reduce strain on the arm, and experimentation with the baseball. As many fans know, not every hurler "pitches by the book." Greg Maddux, for example, usually goes after hitters on 0-2 rather than waste a pitch because at 0-2 most hitters are back on their heels. The author also interviews Johnny Sain and Leo Mazzone, two very capable pitching coaches. I wish Kahn had gone further and interviewed catchers (a vital part of the battery), less talented hurlers, and maybe even some hitters. Still, this is a superb baseball narrative, highly informative, and worthy of a five-star rating.

Readers might also enjoy some of this legendary baseball writer's other fine baseball books like THE BOYS OF SUMMER, MEMORIES OF SUMMER, etc.

This book is meant for professionals working with many different types of animals. It contains a wealth of information which, although I am simply a dog owner, I have used in caring for my pets. However, a book meant for lay people that is easier to read and use might have been a wiser choice for me.

The Merck Veterinary Manual is a very good first hand explanation about basically every disease or disorder your animal may get. The down side for us non-veterinarians is that it is written for veterinarians so you may have to look up a lot of scientific terms and Latin names for bacteria ... You also have to know the diagnosis because you need the name of the disease or disorder to be able to find it in this book (you would have to know it by heart to be able to "diagnose" the problem yourself. But at the end of the book short - some pages long - descriptions and useful information for all kinds "domestic" animals is added so you may also find some basic information how to handle your "pet" very quickly.

Book is in good condition and really fast in delivery. Amazing Amazon ! Tons of better than E-Bay...

The Merck Veterinary Manual is a good reference esp. following a visit to the veterinarian and you want/need more information about your pet. The Manual answers questions that you forgot to ask.
I have used the Merck Manuals for years in the health care industry and do not hesitate to recommend any Merck Manual.

i use this book as a reference manual, hopefully to reduce my dependency on veterinary care. and it has already proved helpful.

this is not a travel journal as much as a history book. I will keep in my library because I love rome and will return again. Read this in advance of your trip and get a moons book for carrying with you. this is great advanced reading with great off the beaten path stuff but read ahead of time and take a more generic book with you and some notes rather than carrying this as extra weight. Also if you thinking about rome (why think...do it) read this to get excited about how rich in history and architecture this great city is then book your tickets and go.

I don't recommend this book for the average person. The type is teeny tiny and in pale greyscale against a vellum background; very artsy but impossible to read. The content is comprised of personal opinions by academics and artists.

City Secrets is a jewel. We enjoyed both the content and the style of the authors, all grant winners at the American Academy in Rome. The book directed us to sites and places to eat we would not have discovered otherwise.

If you're looking for a guidebook, this probably isn't the best choice. The book reads like a series of short essays and opnions about Rome sights, but doesn't provide much practical information. I wasn't able to get through the entire book even though it's small. The gray print makes it difficult to read in any less than perfect light. There may be some interesting facts in it. I just wasn't able to make my way through the payges to get to them.

This was a very useful guide. I would highly recommend it to those who hope to learn more about the Rome that larger tours would miss.

Absolutely love this book. Great ideas, instruction and illustration. For all of us creatives who want to expand our use of multi media.

As Visionary of The Blessing Project I'm always looking for new ideas for our gift products. When I got this magical book I immediately sat down and went through it page by page until the wee hours of the morning--I couldn't put it down. Her ideas are not only creative and beautiful but extensive. I was so impressed by her work that our Creative Director and I went to her next workshop and look forward to continuing work with her. Sherrill is very generous with her ideas and we were delighted to be able to show her how we have used her Angels in our art products. Now we still have the detailed instructions in the book to refer to back at home. Many blessings, Debra Aaron, CEO of The Blessing Project

Very well written, descriptive, and illustrated. Each subject has it's one descriptions and "gallery" so that you can see various applications and results. Plan on using many of the techniques, now that I have the visuals.

I love the book and the colors! There are organized chapters on Tools, Supplies, Techniques, Embellishments etc. Beautiful, wonderful pictures and galleries; Great instructions.
I would recommend this book to all levels of expertise. There are so many of the techniques I can't wait to try.

I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend, and I was not disappointed. I have worked on mixed media backgrounds, but this book took me to another level of using embellishments with my backgrounds.

I found this book to be entertaining to read, but think on useful information.

She's really funny, but I didn't appreciate her choice of language in some instances.

I have a six-month-old and this book has me in stitches. I keep re-reading it because the author has really captured that parenthood is a constant journey of the sublime to the ridiculous.

I found this book to be entertaining to read, but thin on useful information.

Shelton is hilarious. Working Mother magazine says she is "the true successor to Erma Bombeck's throne." Sorry, I cannot agree; Erma never cussed. I don't mind a little garden-variety cussing here and there, but Shelton really lets loose at times and pulls out the big ones--the offensive ones, that is. She did not end up using the F word, but frankly I don't know what stopped her; everything else was there. She really doesn't need the shock factor to be funny either. She's a riot. She's definitely been in the trenches, but she could take a lesson from Erma the Great. My rating for Shelton would have been a five if she had just cleaned up her act.

This book is THE cookbook for septic systems. If you want to do it yourself or want to do your homework prior to having one put in or if you just want to know everything you wanted to know about septic systems but were afraid to ask, this is the book for you. It is well illustrated and easy to read and understand. I have put in several septic systems and have found this to be the best reference guide out there.

Informative with basic information for those who have or are new to the world of septic tank maintenance. Could save you lots of money and headache over the life of your tank.
Fun chapter on history of waste disposal systems throughout the progress of civilization. Also, some political background if you are being forced to make a change in your system that works -- the septic tank. It's worth the price even though much of the information can also be found searching the Internet but who has that much time?

This book has been really helpful to me as a planning commissioner in trying to analyze our local ordinances as most of our county is rural with homes served by well and septic systems. It has been very helpful in allowing me to understand how it all works (or should work when all is well).

If you want to know what are the various kinds of septic systems and how they work, this is a good book. If you have a problem and want to know how to diagnose or solve it, you'll be disappointed. Overall message on how to maintain a septic system seems to be, "the less you use it, the better." Index is inadequate.

As a practicing Environmental Health Specialist and homeowner with an onsite sewage disposal system, I can say with some authority that these authors know their s***. As a former Bug owner I can also say that the drawings by Peter Aschwanden, who got you through your first VW repair in Muir's classic, don't hurt one bit. Somehow car repair and septic repair gets your hands really dirty, in a Zen-like way. But I'll stop there before I dig too deep.

It's all here for the novice: standard gravity fed drainfields, septic tank sizing, gravel-less trenches, alternative and gray water systems, frequency of tank pumping, what not to dump down the drain, designing your own system, and the history of septic systems.

For $6 used you'll learn enough to avoid the ultimate nightmare: a failing septic in the winter. And even if that occurs, you'll know how to keep from giving your hard-earned buck to that "Waste of Time" Septic Engineer in the yellow pages.

The book essentially degrades women, and has a loosely held together plot, with overdeveloped characters that have no role in the movie, and underdeveloped characters that have a huge role in the book. It appears that the protagonist of the book is the person the author wished he was and only wrote it due to a midlife crisis.

Larry Kahn has created a riveting plot of political conspiracy in the legal thriller, THE JINX. Ben Kravner is a truly likeable hero, a guy you really want to know. I love him.

Ben becomes entangled in an unbelievable conspiracy theory when he opens a sealed envelope and discovers a clue hinting at a 160 year old conspiracy against the presidency. Once the conspirators know he is onto their secret, Ben becomes their prime target. The intriguing sub-plots will keep you glued to your seat as Ben races to warn the White House of impending doom in the form of a civil war.

The speeches Kahn's politicians deliver are moving, and will make you think about what shapes the racial discourse in our society. Everyone can identify with hero Ben, and his inner turmoil - advancing his career and doing the right thing.

It is a cleverly written book that will keep you up well past your bedtime. A definite on the must read list!

The Jinx was assigned reading for our class at Georgia State University, and the author, Larry Kahn, was kind enough to visit as a guest lecturer. I recognized the comments of another member of the class who is hiding behind an Ohio address and find it necessary to respond. The Jinx is not Faulkner, but it's an interesting read with good characters and a plot the equal of most other legal thrillers. I disagree with my classmate's opinion that the book is degrading to women and in fact thought that the female characters were unusually strong--a tough reporter, the vice president's chief of staff (also an African-American), and a paralegal who takes matters into her own hands. Some of the characters are better developed than others, but overall I thought this was a very good book, especially for a first novel. I think my classmate has it in for Mr. Kahn for some reason, and I apologize to him for her comments. They are not representative of the rest of the class. I hope he writes another one!

Larry Kahn, a tax attorney from Atlanta, Georgia, took a year off of work to realize a long-long dream, avert a midlife crisis; or embrace it, and produce this smashing story. The Jinx is an intelligently written political espionage story that has at its roots the family and tradition. This alluring tale centers around a young up-and-coming estate lawyer named Ben Kravner, assigned the estate of a prominent publisher who was mysteriously murdered. Ben opens a sealed envelope containing an apparent nonsensical poem found among the publisher's papers. Ben quickly discovers the poem itself deals with a conspiracy/vendetta dating back 160 years, which just might explain the assassinations of presidents every 20 years. The final assassination is set for the millennium, and the co-conspirators call themselves "The Royal Order of the Millennium Knight." They communicate via an E-mail chat room, and Ben's computer savvy comes into play in tracking them down: "Ben did not want to contact the Knights as MasterBen. These were intelligent men. If Dean Frederick was one of them, they might already be suspicious of him. He signed off CyberLine, then logged on again using one of the other cyber-names he had reserved, CurvyCarol. He sent a message to The Doctor." Ben's investigation transforms him from a second year junior estate attorney with a long road to partnership to a Top-Ten Wanted Criminal on the F.B.I.'s list. The Knights are determined to squash him before he exposes their conspiracy to the world. Their goal is to create the Second Civil War and emerge as the new Nazis...in control of the U.S. government. Larry Kahn makes clever use of modern-day power careers to carve a story that began with slavery and political aspirations. His characters are politicians, lawyers, paralegals, and advisors. They represent the upper echelons of our society, but the underlying story is one of hatred, bigotry and revenge. Kahn weaves the issue of race relations throughout the story to send a clear message to his readers. Not only are we enjoying a tightly knit story, but we are thinking and learning every step of the way. Kahn has produced a first-rate novel that ranks with John Grisham and Frederick Forsythe.

Shelley Glodowski, Reviewer

Not even five years out of Harvard Law, Benjamin Franklin Kravner works at an eminent New York firm, working in the Trusts and Estates Department. When his mentor Fritz Fox suffers a heart attack, he is placed in charge of the non-money making cases.

Ben takes over the estate of the recently deceased renowned Adams Thompson. Among the papers, Ben finds an envelope addressed to Fritz as the trustee. Questionably opening the envelope, Ben finds an interesting poem inside it. The words imply that a group calling itself the Royal Order of the Millennium Knight has caused the deaths of presidents since 1840. Apparently, the descendants have enacted vengeance ever since Harrison killed one of their own. Ben soon learns that a special scenario using a race war is planned for the current election that will bring this group to power. Ben ponders the probability that seven presidents serving on the even number ending in zero in a row die in office. Of the remaining presidents, only one dies in office, but that one is a rather healthy charismatic Taylor who might have had the strength to stop the Civil War.

Is THE JINX a far-fetched tale for X-Files buffs or has Larry Kahn proved these deaths are not just a cosmic coincidence? Mr. Kahn provides an entertaining, often winking tale that makes the conspiracy seem plausible because his main hero is bumbling and human while his villains contain self-effacing humor. Is the story line a stretch? Absolutely, but it is fun to wander down that road as Mr. Kahn writes an exciting political thriller.

What can be said about this album?; on this book are mentioned details about this historic spiritual session that any music, jazz fan must indeed know. Read it and grow.

I love stories of how things come to be. There is always a story behind EVERYTHING in the world of form. Things don't just "appear" out of sheer nothingness...there is always an originating point...a seed, if you will and sometimes those seeds that seem so tiny and insignifigant bring forth blooms that are so beautiful and so bright that their beauty seems to echo an eternalness about it.

When I bought my first copy of a Love Supreme on vinyl, I think I was about sixteen or seventeen years old. I heard stories about this fabled record. I heard that it could drive a relatively normal man, crazy with fever. I heard that once you heard it, you would forever echo with a buzz...a hum...that would affect every bit of your life. I wanted to take my chances and as soon as I got home a stripped the cover naked of its celophane dressing, I carefully placed the needle and the shiny, black surface and within moments I had a realization within me that all those stories were true.

I was never going to be the same.

I bought this book because I needed to know more about the magic behind the magic. A lot of people think that words are the end all and be all of creation. Words are symbols. Words can only convey things up to a point. Words are NOT Truth...but they can guide one to the Truth but in the end, one ultimately has to have their own experience with what we so feebly call "Truth". That is why religion fails miserably and why an individual spiritual experience is ultimately necessary.

Ashley Kahn, however, does a remarkable job of articulating his message. A Love Supreme is an open acknowledgement of the Divine...it is a Love Song to God...and even though I really didn't have a clue in my seventeen year old brain of what this musc was ultimately about, I knew on some level I was transcending the mundane. I also believe that I didn't come to the music, the music came to me...somehow from the realms of my unconscious, I was summoned and to tell you the Truth, I still feel very lucky to have been one of those who have been called.

This book has an energy all its own. Just like the recording, the story behind the music vibrates at a very High Frquency. After reading it, it simply validates that NOTHING IN THIS UNIVERSE is ever by accident. There is some kind of beautiful orchestration always taking place and isn't that Love Itself just meeting/greeting Itself in and through and as EVERYTHING?

You are reading this review because something within you called it forth. I really recommend this incredible book for people who love Coltrane as well as for those who just don't understand what the big deal is about Coltrane's music. All I ask you to do is just STAY OPEN and one day, without warning, it'll come to you and you'll remember.

A must have book!

Peace & Blessings,
john, 'the Light Coach'

You KNOW the music. Now learn about the events in the life of John Coltrane that lead up to the pinnacle, the mountaintop of his career.

First of all, let me explain that I have a substantial library on jazz music - mostly about Miles and Trane. I found this book to be very insightful, regardless of what anyone else has written in their review. I don't want to be disrespectful of those reviews but I fail to see how some arrived at a mediocre or low opinion of this book. Not at all! In fact, I've learned so much and enjoyed this book so much that I'm definitely going to purchase Kahn's Making of Kind of Blue and Impulse the House That Trane Built. Personally, I can't wait to read 'em!

Kahn provides first hand accounts of both the December 9 & 10 sessions at Rudy Van Gelder's studio from Archie Shepp, Art Davis, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Bob Theil, and of course Rudy himself.

The book tells us what made recording at Rudy's so special, he describes the studio and even gives a high-level look at Van Gelder's methodology (the details are Rudy's closely guarded secret).

There is a title by title analysis of the suite in layman's terms but he & Ravi Coltrane DO give the listener some sign-posts to listen for each time you listen to the suite. I know that as a semi-professional jazz musician, I've learned new things about this music that I can actually apply to my own playing.

The description of how Impulse started, how they packaged and produced the recordings and took them to market was fascinating (to me anyway). I learned some things that I'd always wondered about. There is some discussion on Billboard and how the news about this fantastic work of art quickly spread 'round the USA.

There is a chapter toward the end "The Unbroken Arc of A Love Supreme" where I felt like Kahn was flirting with becoming trite and a little over-the-top but thankfully, he didn't quite go there... but it was close. That is my only criticism of this book. He just goes a little over-board with the reverence for this music, i.e., he sort of hits the reader over the head again and again with it. Ok, I get it. This is a special recording. Of course, we already KNOW that otherwise we wouldn't be reading a book devoted to a specific recording. Duh? It's not an annoyance but some reader may begin rolling their eyes, let's put it that way.

This book is perfect for the non-musician and a great read for musicians. The only downside (if you can call it that) for musicians is that there really isn't a detailed analysis of the music - no transcripts. If you are a musician you will want to purchase Lewis Porter's John Coltrane: His Life and Music. That book will give you transcripts galore. In fact, Porter is cited often in this book & this book is cited often in the Porter book. I enthusiastically recommend both books and of course, the deluxe edition of A Love Supreme. Buy them all, I guarantee whether you are a musician or just a jazz lover, you are going to learn something.

"A Love Supreme" was already one of my favourite jazz record before I read this, but after having read the book, now I listen to the music in a totally different way.

I'm not a spiritual or religious person at all, but the book helped me understand what was probably going through Coltrane's mind (from a spiritual point of view) when he composed and recorded "A Love Supreme".

Kahn's stellar research for this volume on Coltrane's best known album, "A Love Supreme," is undermined by sloppy prose and lack of focus. Kahn does a great job showing just how powerful the album has been for generations of listeners, from Wayne Shorter to Bono. The biographical material on Coltrane is very good, but profoundly impersonal, skipping over key aspects of his life. The best part of the book is his meticulous documentation of the December 9 & 10, 1964 sessions that resulted in this album. Kahn describes the music with vivid language, and includes details about where Elvin Jones' drums were placed and how Rudy Van Gelder lit the studio to create a Jazz Club atmosphere for the performers. After that, Kahn's book loses focus. It's as if he had a 100 page manuscript, but then the folks at Penguin asked him to make it 250, and he had scratch around for any extra material he could find. His assessment of Coltrane's career post-"A Love Supreme" is very tepid, and the chapter on the legacy of the recording, especially from the vantagepoint of JOWCOL publishing, shows promise, but ultimately goes nowhere. Kahn's major problem here is that he doesn't know who his audience is. Is it for die-hard Trane-iacs, or is it for the casual listener that has "A Love Supreme" and no other Coltrane album? Some of this might not be Kahn's fault, as the content suggests this is for experts, but the formating of the book, with its wide margins and coffee-table book size, make it seem as if it's simply for show and tell in some bourgeois apartment. The book could have been better organized, more historically contextual, and filled with glossaries and footnotes for the more casual fans. Also, Kahn's lack of historical grounding makes it seem as though "A Love Supreme" was the only album released in 1965, and that jazz was the most popular music at that time, which is far from the case (just as it is today). Here, his homage to this wonderful album bleeds over into the realm of adulation. If this was a book for the "experts," it would be more critical of the album, instead of an all-out gush-fest. But Kahn's research must be commended (especially since he seems to be responsible for getting the December 10th performance of "Acknowledgment," with Davis and Shepp as added musicians, unearthed and onto the Deluxe Edition reissue of "A Love Supreme).