Product Description

“The fandom driving the magazine is infectious, and the best pieces are simply essential.... A large part of Anthology’s draw, as with Wax Poetics the magazine, is how gorgeous it looks: Many pieces come with lovingly reproduced album covers and 45 labels, arrayed neatly like so much recordcollector porn.”
—The Onion A.V. Club

Wax Poetics Anthology, Volume 1, the first book from the esteemed music journal showcasing everyone from jazz and Hip Hop heavyweights to soul and funk musicians, gathers articles from their first five issues into an attractive hardbound edition filled with vintage photos and album art. Including profiles of the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, funk drummers Clyde Stubblefield and John “Jab’O” Starks, Wild Style director Charlie Ahearn, the late jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus, and many more, this first installment of the Wax Poetics Anthology is a must-have for record collectors and music connoisseurs alike.

First published in December 2001, Brooklyn-born Wax Poetics hit newsstands with a new vision for music journalism, creating a bridge between the past and present of Hip Hop, jazz, funk, soul, reggae, disco, and Latin music. Although originally created for a concentrated market of music aficionados, the magazine’s audience has grown exponentially, making musical anthropologists out of average music listeners and spawning a soul renaissance, complete with comeback tours and sophomore efforts. Wax Poetics illuminates the dark corners of our sonic past, while also striving to give new and innovative artists the credit they truly deserve.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #844275 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-01
• Released on: 2007-11-01
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.25 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 238 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Dedicated to highlighting lesser-known musicians and artists, primarily in the hip hop, jazz and blues fields, Wax Poetics magazine has gained a strong following among music obsessives for its in-depth interviews, informed writing and concern over musical minutiae. This compilation of "favorite" articles from the hard-to-find magazine's first five issues is a must-have for anyone with a deep interest in American music and the culture surrounding it. Interviews include two of James Brown's most famous drummers-Jab'O Starks and Clyde Stubblefield, the latter of whom is behind "Funky Drummer," one of the most-sampled pieces in hip-hop-as well as the the Beatminerz, who discuss their never-ending quest for new and groundbreaking samples, and more usual suspects like Prince Paul, Diamond D and RZA. Andrew Mason offers a detailed guide to the Ultimate Breaks and Beats series, a classic source for turntablists, and Karl Hagstrom Miller's story of stumbling across a rare Charles Mingus album ("Make Checks Payable to Charles Mingus") is alone worth the cover price. Though many of the figures and themes may be too obscure for casual listeners, vinyl collectors and OCD-style music fans will find an illuminating treasure trove in the first of what promises to be an essential series.
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About the Author
“The fandom driving the magazine is infectious, and the best pieces are simply essential.... A large part of Anthology’s draw, as with Wax Poetics the magazine, is how gorgeous it looks: Many pieces come with lovingly reproduced album covers and 45 labels, arrayed neatly like so much recordcollector porn.”
—The Onion A.V. Club

Wax Poetics Anthology, Volume 1, the first book from the esteemed music journal showcasing everyone from jazz and Hip Hop heavyweights to soul and funk musicians, gathers articles from their first five issues into an attractive hardbound edition filled with vintage photos and album art. Including profiles of the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, funk drummers Clyde Stubblefield and John “Jab’O” Starks, Wild Style director Charlie Ahearn, the late jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus, and many more, this first installment of the Wax Poetics Anthology is a must-have for record collectors and music connoisseurs alike.

First published in December 2001, Brooklyn-born Wax Poetics hit newsstands with a new vision for music journalism, creating a bridge between the past and present of Hip Hop, jazz, funk, soul, reggae, disco, and Latin music. Although originally created for a concentrated market of music aficionados, the magazine’s audience has grown exponentially, making musical anthropologists out of average music listeners and spawning a soul renaissance, complete with comeback tours and sophomore efforts. Wax Poetics illuminates the dark corners of our sonic past, while also striving to give new and innovative artists the credit they truly deserve.