Music Downtown: Writings from the Village Voice

Kyle Gann's Music Downtown is a highly intelligent collection of contemporary essays on the experimental music scene of 1980s and 1990s New York City, with a focus on "Downtown" Manhattan artists. If nothing else, Gann's book is an important historical record of several obscure/forgotten musicians: La Monte Young, Morton Feldman, Richard Maxfield, Rhys Chatham, Conlon Nancarrow, and many more. The introduction includes a useful summary of recommended recordings.