Throughout his life as an artist of increasing renown, William Parker has always made it a point to shine light on those who do not as often receive recognition for their work, and from whose work Parker has found resonance with & received inspiration from. There have always been song dedications and odes to their inspiration on his albums. And, on a larger scale, there are now four extant volumes of his indispensable 'Conversations' books which, through relaxed & in-depth interviews, allow the artists to speak readily and freely in their own words. This is the second volume of Parker's beautifully produced & printed 'Voices In The First Person' books, which use a similar approach, but also include extensive reproductions of artwork, poetry, photographs created by the four featured artists. Looking through this new volume, and again through the first, they bring to mind issues of Wax Poetics books on my shelves. Deep illuminating explorations of exceptionally gifted and multifarious artists, with the difference here being that the vast bulk of the text is, =yes=, in those artists' own voices & words. Volume 2 features Alan "Juice" Glover, Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson, Steve Swell, & Christopher Collins. Interviews, artwork, poetry, music scores, essays, & more.

From William Parker's introductions to each chapter:

Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson (trumpeter, composer, improvisor): "Jalalu was born with a special gift: the ability to hear his dreams. And translate them into Sound, words, and images...Wherever he is, the joy of music follows...Dancing into the horizon, constantly interacting with beautiful worlds of Sound and silence. Jalalu is unique in his vision of creativity."

Alan "Juice" Glover (saxophonist, composer, improvisor, activist, filmmaker, historian): "I met Alan in 1973 and began training in advanced music rooted in the tradition of being oneself. Alan is a multidimensional renaissance person, improviser, composer, inventor, photographer, and filmmaker who has moved through several phases of creativity...He continues to explore the many manifestations of enlightenment."

Steve Swell (trombonist, composer, improvisor, painter, poet): "Steve is a trombonist and composer. In this book, he shares another side of himself; we get a glimpse of his poetry, visual art, and musical composition. He has been consistently productive for the past forty-five years, soaring above America's anti-artist environment to allow beautiful things to flow through him."

Christopher Collins (poet, painter, essayist, wood sculptor): "Christopher was a human being who loved nature. On its terms. He acknowledged the majesty of trees, streams, and back roads. He knew how to bring out and show the beauty of simple things...Poet and philosopher visual artist, he danced to his inner song living on the edge for eighty-five years as a reluctant divine.