Various Artists - Liberation Music: Spiritual Jazz And The Art Of Protest On Flying Dutchman Various Artists

A white 47 year-old fan of swing music may not have been the most likely proprietor and driving force behind a radical independent jazz label, but that is a fair description of Bob Thiele. As a teenager he hung out at all the latest jazz joints in New York City, letting his studies flounder as he indulged his love of music. He started his own record label and magazine before going on to be a successful A&R man for Coral and Brunswick in the 1950s, working on many pop hits before signing Buddy Holly and Jackie Wilson. It was in the 60s that his reputation became fixed when ABC Records asked him to head up their Impulse jazz label and become the producer of John Coltrane. Out of touch with the latest developments in jazz, working with Coltrane was initially a shock, but the pair developed a friendship and understanding that allowed Coltrane to realise his greatest artistic statements on record.