Books

Compact discs are generally the gift of choice for the jazz enthusiast, but books and videos on jazz can be provocative and informative alternatives. Here are some of the year’s top books and videos, as selected by members of The Times’ jazz staff:

“Sitting In: Selected Writings on Jazz, Blues and Related Topics, An Expanded Edition,” Hayden Carruth, University of Iowa ($12.95). Best known for his sharp-eyed poetry, Carruth here mixes prose and prosody in the kind of definitive ruminations that anthologist Meltzer rails against. Still, Carruth’s wit and insight goes deep into our attraction for sound and improvisation, while his writing, unlike Meltzer’s, shows that the written phrase can be just as beautiful and meaningful as music.