A dearth of books beyond the stultifying atmosphere of academia has existed for years now on jazz figures big, small, life changing, or especially, where the most powerful mystique of all often resides, resolutely cult.

The news that a book on none more cult than pianist-composer Mike Taylor has surfaced given this fact comes as a shock.

Known for his work with the New Jazz Orchestra and his own trios Taylor is the subject of a new book just published called Out of Nowhere written by Italian ‘underground’ author Luca Ferrari. Taylor drowned in the Thames near Leigh-on-Sea in January 1969, having become homeless and forgotten, the ravages of drug addiction blighting his career and life. Yet what the pianist left behind achieved during his brief career, notably the albums Pendulum and Trio, has fascinated jazz fans interested in the period and the mysterious part he played in it ever since.