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Thread: Announcing a Forthcoming King Crimson book...from me!!

  1. #1

    Announcing a Forthcoming King Crimson book...from me!!



    Hi everyone!

    Well, I've been intimating at a project that's been occupying my time over the past few months, and today I can finally announce it. This is the press release that will be released tomorrow at All About Jazz:

    ==========================
    All About Jazz Senior Contributor John Kelman is pleased to announce, after nearly fifteen years associated with the website, his first book, currently in progress and expected to be released sometime next year by Panegyric Publishing. The book revolves around his vast amount of writing about King Crimson, one of the founding fathers of progressive rock though, 50 years on, the group prefers not to be saddled with what has become a reductionist term.

    The book will repurpose his AAJ writing about the band, from CD and box set reviews spanning the group’s entire career to live performance coverage and interviews with members of the current seven-piece lineup and more. The AAJ content will be revised and upgraded/updated, giving John the opportunity to improve upon what he has already written. There will also be new content written as “connective tissue” to tie everything together.

    The book’s purview will include all of John’s articles about King Crimson, solo projects by KC members, past and present, and a “one degree of separation” philosophy, to extend things a little further So, since Bill Bruford worked with guitarist Allan Holdsworth and keyboardist Dave Stewart, for example, in the former Crimson drummer’s first group as a leader, Bruford, a select group of articles about both artists will also be included. Similarly, since Crimson guitarist/keyboardist Robert Fripp has worked in a duo with Theo Travis, some of John's writing about the saxophonist/flautist will be brought into the book.

    “Needless to say, I’m thrilled that my very first book will be published by the publishing arm of King Crimson’s longtime label, Panegyric Recordings,” says John. “I’m also happy that, depending upon how well the Crimson book does, Panegyric Publishing has expressed potential interest in possible future books that collect some of the other 2,843 articles that I have published at AAJ since 2004 into similarly ‘themed’ books.

    “I’m already thinking ahead,” enthuses Kelman. “A potential second book would similarly collect all of my writing about ECM Records, with the addition of 15 interviews, conducted back in 2001/02 for a project that never came to pass, and which have never before seen the light of day. A third book might collect all of my writing about the Norwegian music scene, culling CD reviews and live performances from here in Canada, but also drawing on my many visits to various locations across the country, from Kristiansand in the south to Svalbaard in the far North, between 2006 and 2014.

    “But, of course, one step at a time,” John says, cautiously. “First, I need to finish the King Crimson book and hope that it will do well enough to encourage Panegyric’s interest in publishing a second title. In the meantime, I’m just plain excited to be working on a project that I think will interest many King Crimson fans (and, hopefully, others too!). Being published by the group’s label will not only help get the word out in a big way, it’s simply an opportunity that I never thought would come to pass when I first started thinking about this book in 2019.

    “I will not be writing for AAJ while I work on the book,” John explains, “but in between books (assuming there will be future titles of course!), I will, of course, be back to writing for the site that has truly made all of this possible.”

    Kelman has just started a dedicated Facebook page, where interested Crimson fans will be able to follow the book’s progress. “They might even help me select a title for the book, as I’ve already got about ten potential ideas right now, and expect more to come.” So please follow Kelman on Facebook at jkelmanbooks. The initial content is relatively light, but more will be added, hopefully once per week. It will also allow interested people to connect with John and engage in discussions about the project.
    =============

    While I'll try to periodically update here at PE and elsewhere, I hope folks understand that I need to make that Facebook page my primary place for updates. Given I'm already spending a lot of hours each week working on the book (and considering I'm doing this while still struggling with chronic fatigue syndrome/M.E.), I won't have the kind of time to be all over the web. I plan to try and update things once per week - and, for those of you who don't use Facebook, I believe the page is made entirely public, so you don't need a Facebook account to see it.

    Thanks everyone. Back to work!
    John Kelman
    Senior Contributor, All About Jazz since 2004
    Freelance writer/photographer

  2. #2
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Cool, John. Good luck!
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  3. #3
    Member FrippWire's Avatar
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    Cool. I'm always up for another Crimso book. I also look forward to the aforementioned ECM book. Not enough of ECM related books!

  4. #4
    Wonderful News!! I'm sure John's upcoming book about KC will do well.

  5. #5
    Thanks for sight of that, John - sounds like it'll be a very good place to gather your careful, detailed work together: I'm looking forward to it already!

    One query: does "book" mean a physical thing made of paper, or is it made of electrons?

  6. #6
    Member chalkpie's Avatar
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    Congrats John
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  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by 2000jw View Post
    Thanks for sight of that, John - sounds like it'll be a very good place to gather your careful, detailed work together: I'm looking forward to it already!

    One query: does "book" mean a physical thing made of paper, or is it made of electrons?
    Yup. It's going to be a hardcover initially (but we are talking about a subsequent ebook also). With Panegyric publishing it, a "hard media" book was a guarantee.
    John Kelman
    Senior Contributor, All About Jazz since 2004
    Freelance writer/photographer

  8. #8
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    Hi John, I noticed you posted what I assume is something involving this to a couple of FB groups yesterday, but I guess it's not marked public because some/most people can only see that you posted something, but not what that something is.

  9. #9
    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    I don't know if I'm a big enough Crimson fan to purchase the final product, but I hope that this is a successful venture for you, John.

  10. #10
    It's a problem that I have yet to figure out as I make all announcements, including this one, public. If people can let me know which shares wing seen I can do what I've done in the past: repost it inline. Thanks for the heads up!
    John Kelman
    Senior Contributor, All About Jazz since 2004
    Freelance writer/photographer

  11. #11
    Estimated Prophet notallwhowander's Avatar
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    Bravo! I look forward to this.
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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by moecurlythanu View Post
    I don't know if I'm a big enough Crimson fan to purchase the final product
    Heresy!

    but I hope that this is a successful venture for you, John.
    Me too and plan to buy it.

  13. #13
    I'm here for the moosic NogbadTheBad's Avatar
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    Congrats!
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  14. #14
    Just a quick word of thanks to those who've posted congrats, they're much appreciated!
    John Kelman
    Senior Contributor, All About Jazz since 2004
    Freelance writer/photographer

  15. #15
    Member lazland's Avatar
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    Congrats. I will definitely get this, and if it is half as good as Sid Smith’s effort, then it will be great.

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    Nice!

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by lazland View Post
    Congrats. I will definitely get this, and if it is half as good as Sid Smith’s effort, then it will be great.
    Well, it will be different, as a compendium of articles originally published at All About Jazz, but revised to improve the writing, bring some needed consistencies across all the articles and more, plus the new material, which is more "connective tissue" to introduce or tie articles together. But it IS a compendium, so different than Sid's book (hey, with his insider perspective, he had/has access that I could never have).

    If you've read any of my reviews of the mega Crimson box sets and like those, then you'll like the book, at least that would be my guess.
    Cheers!
    John
    John Kelman
    Senior Contributor, All About Jazz since 2004
    Freelance writer/photographer

  18. #18
    Oh, and here's a link to the official press release, from yesterday.
    John Kelman
    Senior Contributor, All About Jazz since 2004
    Freelance writer/photographer

  19. #19
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    That’s fantastic news, John. I had realized we’d seen very little of you around these parts in recent months. Now we know why! Looking forward to this compendium of your KC writing.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by jkelman View Post
    Well, it will be different, as a compendium of articles originally published at All About Jazz, but revised to improve the writing, bring some needed consistencies across all the articles and more, plus the new material, which is more "connective tissue" to introduce or tie articles together. But it IS a compendium, so different than Sid's book (hey, with his insider perspective, he had/has access that I could never have).
    So will your book include your (very good) review of Sid's (very good) book? Or would that be the serpent eating its own tail?

    Seriously, well done (again) on this: I look forward to its publication.

  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by 2000jw View Post
    So will your book include your (very good) review of Sid's (very good) book? Or would that be the serpent eating its own tail?

    Seriously, well done (again) on this: I look forward to its publication.
    I will, indeed, include that view... 😅😎
    Many thanks!!
    John Kelman
    Senior Contributor, All About Jazz since 2004
    Freelance writer/photographer

  22. #22
    Member Gizmotron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jkelman View Post


    Hi everyone!

    Well, I've been intimating at a project that's been occupying my time over the past few months, and today I can finally announce it. This is the press release that will be released tomorrow at All About Jazz:

    ==========================
    All About Jazz Senior Contributor John Kelman is pleased to announce, after nearly fifteen years associated with the website, his first book, currently in progress and expected to be released sometime next year by Panegyric Publishing. The book revolves around his vast amount of writing about King Crimson, one of the founding fathers of progressive rock though, 50 years on, the group prefers not to be saddled with what has become a reductionist term.

    The book will repurpose his AAJ writing about the band, from CD and box set reviews spanning the group’s entire career to live performance coverage and interviews with members of the current seven-piece lineup and more. The AAJ content will be revised and upgraded/updated, giving John the opportunity to improve upon what he has already written. There will also be new content written as “connective tissue” to tie everything together.

    The book’s purview will include all of John’s articles about King Crimson, solo projects by KC members, past and present, and a “one degree of separation” philosophy, to extend things a little further So, since Bill Bruford worked with guitarist Allan Holdsworth and keyboardist Dave Stewart, for example, in the former Crimson drummer’s first group as a leader, Bruford, a select group of articles about both artists will also be included. Similarly, since Crimson guitarist/keyboardist Robert Fripp has worked in a duo with Theo Travis, some of John's writing about the saxophonist/flautist will be brought into the book.

    “Needless to say, I’m thrilled that my very first book will be published by the publishing arm of King Crimson’s longtime label, Panegyric Recordings,” says John. “I’m also happy that, depending upon how well the Crimson book does, Panegyric Publishing has expressed potential interest in possible future books that collect some of the other 2,843 articles that I have published at AAJ since 2004 into similarly ‘themed’ books.

    “I’m already thinking ahead,” enthuses Kelman. “A potential second book would similarly collect all of my writing about ECM Records, with the addition of 15 interviews, conducted back in 2001/02 for a project that never came to pass, and which have never before seen the light of day. A third book might collect all of my writing about the Norwegian music scene, culling CD reviews and live performances from here in Canada, but also drawing on my many visits to various locations across the country, from Kristiansand in the south to Svalbaard in the far North, between 2006 and 2014.

    “But, of course, one step at a time,” John says, cautiously. “First, I need to finish the King Crimson book and hope that it will do well enough to encourage Panegyric’s interest in publishing a second title. In the meantime, I’m just plain excited to be working on a project that I think will interest many King Crimson fans (and, hopefully, others too!). Being published by the group’s label will not only help get the word out in a big way, it’s simply an opportunity that I never thought would come to pass when I first started thinking about this book in 2019.

    “I will not be writing for AAJ while I work on the book,” John explains, “but in between books (assuming there will be future titles of course!), I will, of course, be back to writing for the site that has truly made all of this possible.”

    Kelman has just started a dedicated Facebook page, where interested Crimson fans will be able to follow the book’s progress. “They might even help me select a title for the book, as I’ve already got about ten potential ideas right now, and expect more to come.” So please follow Kelman on Facebook at jkelmanbooks. The initial content is relatively light, but more will be added, hopefully once per week. It will also allow interested people to connect with John and engage in discussions about the project.
    =============

    While I'll try to periodically update here at PE and elsewhere, I hope folks understand that I need to make that Facebook page my primary place for updates. Given I'm already spending a lot of hours each week working on the book (and considering I'm doing this while still struggling with chronic fatigue syndrome/M.E.), I won't have the kind of time to be all over the web. I plan to try and update things once per week - and, for those of you who don't use Facebook, I believe the page is made entirely public, so you don't need a Facebook account to see it.

    Thanks everyone. Back to work!
    John!
    So THAT was the secret! This is wonderful news. I am 100% crazy-interested.
    I want one of the first copies!!!

  23. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Gizmotron View Post
    John!
    So THAT was the secret! This is wonderful news. I am 100% crazy-interested.
    I want one of the first copies!!!
    Being released by Panegyric, I'm assuming (hoping) the book will be available through their usual haunts (Amazon, too, but these would be more supportive), like Burningshed, DGM.

    Of course, I still have to finish the book (hopefully by the end of the year) and they have to edit, design and get it manufactured. I'll keep people posted as best I can but, because my main focus is, of course, the book, I'd love it if folks would follow my new Facebook page, where I'll be posting all updates and maybe even a poll or two (like on some ideas I have for the book's title). It's totally public, so I believe you don't have to be a Facebook member but I could be wrong.

    Anyway, here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/jkelmanbooks.

    Thanks so much - to you, and everyone who has been so kind! - for your interest and support!!
    Cheers!
    John
    John Kelman
    Senior Contributor, All About Jazz since 2004
    Freelance writer/photographer

  24. #24
    AB83DA8E-096B-4206-853C-B7B87D0110CB.jpg

    Happy Saturday, everyone! As part of Indonesia's largest jazz festival (and more), and its 20th anniversary, I've been invited to participate in an interview tomorrow, August 2, 2020, at 9pm EST. The poster (Click on it for a larger version) provides the details, but once it's over, I'll post a link to a place where you can watch it after the fact.

    I'll be talking about a number of subjects, ranging from how I came to jazz, All About Jazz, and my forthcoming book revolving around King Crimson. I've known Agus Setiawan Basuni for, gee, a decade or so, but haven't seen him in some time, so this promises to be a lot of fun!

    Check it out tomorrow if you're around, or afterwards, if not!
    John Kelman
    Senior Contributor, All About Jazz since 2004
    Freelance writer/photographer

  25. #25
    For anyone interested, I'm going to be posting news about the book periodically, hopefully every couple of weeks. While I'll post them here as well, I'm really hoping folks will be willing, if you use Facebook, to "like" or "follow" my new Facebook page, which you can find at https://www.facebook.com/jkelmanbooks. This first post is a bit about how I am going about things, but I plan to poll folks for possible book title ideas (I've got about a dozen, but the more the merrier!), probably next week, as well as provide the first draft of the table of contents, so you can see everything that will be in the book - though I expect there to be more added as things progress. Anyway, that'll come in the next couple weeks also.

    In the meantime, here's my Facebook post from yesterday (including the images I posted - the Belew photos were taken by yours truly in Germany, 2010, when I covered a master class followed, the next evening, by a Power Trio show with Julie Slick and Marco Minnemann), which you can also read here:

    kc1.jpg
    kc2.jpg
    kc3.jpg
    c4.jpg
    kc5.jpg

    Sorry for not having posted sooner, but I've been up to my eyeballs revising and (hopefully!) improving my All About Jazz articles for the Crimson book. I thought folks might be interested in my progress, as well as occasional revelations and, maybe even, a poll or two. Those will arrive in the coming weeks....

    These days, amongst the many things I am up to, when it comes to revising my existing articles, are:

    1. Introducing consistent conventions about which I was a little lax before. Of course, these are articles written over a 14-year period so, for example, all King Crimson albums where I include (Record Label, Year) now all read (Panegyric, Year), rather than the multitude of labels that have released the band's albums over the decades (and in different regions). Given Robert Fripp spent years and many, many pounds to regain the rights to his music (including Crimson), it seems only right to reflect it. I'll be explaining certain conventions in an introduction to be written later;

    2. Improving readability. Anyone who's read my work knows that I have a nasty tendency towards run-on sentences and sentences that are far too information dense. I've been working really (really!) hard, in recent years, to retain all the information density I'm known for (!) while, at the same time, making the articles easier to read. What I've discovered, going over the writing, is that I can improve even more recent articles. Fear not: all the information will be there, just in a (hopefully) easier to digest form, along with the occasional new insight or thought;

    3.I have always strived for accuracy but, well, the truth is that occasional gaffs have slipped through into my articles, so I am taking this opportunity to even more diligently fact check, so hopefully these revisions will be the definitive versions of every articles I've written on the subject.
    I'm doing more, including merging certain articles where it makes sense (like the Bruford Rock Goes to College DVD and CD reviews), and writing section and/or article introductions, also where it makes sense. All of this takes a lot of time and concentration, so it's slow going, but so far I'm very happy with the results thus far. One of my harshest critics, my lovely wife Rio (!), has been helping by providing suggestions as to how I can make certain sentences or paragraphs even more readable, not to mention adding some much appreciated feedback on flow, as well as the occasional encouragement about, say, a particularly effective paragraph or sentence. This really helps. Of course the book will go through editing with the publisher, but Rio's help really will ensure that I provide the best and cleanest copy to them when I'm finished with the first draft.

    FYI and FWIW, I've taken all of the articles and organized them into folders by artist...and, sometimes, subfolders within. So, for example, under Bill Bruford I've got subfolders for Bruford, Earthworks, Bruford/Moraz, etc. All of this to say that I'm working through things alphabetically (except that I plan to save my direct King Crimson articles for last, as they're the meat of the book and I want to have established any and all conventions and approaches for when I get to them).

    So, good progress being made, with Adrian Belew and Allan Holdsworth done, and I'm about halfway through the great many articles I've written about Bill Bruford's solo career. I hope to be done with Bill in about two weeks' time, if all goes well.

    So, that's where things stand at the moment. Much, much more to come...and, as always, I'd appreciate, if you've not already done so, I'd appreciate it if you would follow/like my new Music Journalist John Kelman page (https://www.facebook.com/jkelmanbooks). I'd appreciate it if you would click on the link and like/follow my page...not just like my post (though that's nice too!).

    In the meantime, in coming weeks I will be posting a poll for possible book titles, as well as an early draft of the Table of Contents. While I expect that to change considerably as the book progresses, it'll give y'all a good idea as to what you can expect to see, more or less.

    That's it for now. Back to work!
    John Kelman
    Senior Contributor, All About Jazz since 2004
    Freelance writer/photographer

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