Thurston Moore, co-founder of Sonic Youth, has written a new book, Now Jazz Now: 100 Essential Free Jazz and Improvisation Recordings 1960-80, aiming to demystify free jazz for a broader audience. Co-authored with Byron Coley and Mats Gustafsson, the book counters what Moore calls 'dry and academic writing' on the subject, instead offering enthusiastic, accessible prose. It includes a foreword by Neneh Cherry, stepdaughter of trumpeter Don Cherry, who describes free jazz as 'a commitment and a necessity, such as food'.
Free jazz, which emerged in the 1960s, is characterised by its departure from standard rhythms and phrasings, often described as challenging and far-out. Moore, who first encountered the genre through the New York loft scene in the late 1970s, compares it to noise and art rock, noting its roots in musical tradition while allowing for open experimentation. Despite its historical significance, free jazz has often been critically derided as 'noise, or nonsense'.
The genre's commercial struggles are exemplified by Jimmy Giuffre's 1963 album Free Fall, which was a complete failure, leading Giuffre to disband his trio and take a decade-long hiatus. Similarly, Joakim Haugland, founder of Oslo-based label Smalltown Supersound, admits he 'almost always play[s] free jazz in hiding, alone', because others find it impossible to like. Haugland's label, known for dance music, also releases free jazz out of personal passion rather than commercial success.
Moore's book, published by Ecstatic Peace! Library, aims to revive interest in a genre that has long been marginalised. He describes free jazz as 'a soul music, both political and spiritual', and hopes his enthusiastic approach will attract new listeners. The book features entries on seminal artists such as John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy, Sun Ra, and Ornette Coleman, who coined the term 'free jazz' with his 1961 album of the same name.
