Los Angeles Times
March 27, 2005

JAZZ BOOKSHELF

By Don Heckman, Special to The Times

Straight Ahead: A Comprehensive Guide to the Business of Jazz; Marty Khan; Outward Visions Books (available exclusively at http://www.outwardvisions.com ): 432 pp., $60 incl. shipping

The subtitle to Khan's primer on the too-often-overlooked problem of how to make a living in jazz is "Without Sacrificing Dignity or Artistic Integrity." And that, of course, is the rub. But if anyone can offer useful, competent advice, it's Khan, who has been producing concerts since the late '60s and managing and producing some of the jazz world's thorniest artists.

"Straight Ahead" is a musician's lifesaver, a vehicle to aid safe passage through the shark-infested waters of the music business. Khan covers everything in detail, carefully illuminating each aspect of the process: the artist's team (manager, agent, attorney, publicist, etc.); the business (the labels, the executives, the staff); performance (clubs, concerts, bookers, etc.); contracts; publishing; funding; strategies.

The list goes on. This compendium should be on the bookshelf of every musician (and not just jazz musicians), a guide that will fascinate anyone who retains the belief that all it takes to get to Carnegie Hall is practice, practice, practice.

Reprinted with permission of Don Heckman

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"Straight Ahead"