Behop and Nothingness: Jazz and Pop at the End of the Century

I always look forward to Davis's essays in 'The Atlantic.' He goes his own way and he's open to a lot of music that the neo-classical crowd shrugs off, such as John Zorn and Don Byron. His takes on musicians like Benny Carter and Art Pepper are unique and well thought out. More important, he's a great prose stylist. Sometimes I disagree with him, e.g., his opinions about hip-hop, but even then I find him pretty thought provoking. Check out his essay on Michael Jackson and Prince--Davis is a sharp observer of pop music, too. I wish they'd bring the rest of his books back in print.