In April, DownBeat magazine published a review of the book launched as part of the celebrations of the 30th Edition of Jazz em Agosto, held in 2013.

Arrivals/Departures: New Horizons in Jazz was commissioned by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation to celebrate the 30th edition of Jazz em Agosto.

According to the critic John Ephland, the book by «Three established writers – Stuart Broomer, Brian Morton and Bill Shoemaker – tackle the durable but highly innovative and unpredictable festival’s history». The book presents a selection of 50 artists and ensembles who «represent the crème de la crème of the jazz and improvising musicians who have performed at Jazz em Agosto since the festival’s inception in 1984». He adds: «The artist bios serve as short histories, with references to the festival and an informed list of recommended recordings.»

The American magazine’s critic also highlights some graphical aspects of the book: «With a page layout that lets the text breathe, plus great festival photos and reproductions of album covers, Arrivals/Departures adds up to a handy, dandy thesaurus of what’s been hep – and what’s still hep – in the world of international jazz.»

As for the style chosen for the book, John Ephland comments: «Some readers may find the writing stilted, attractive only to academics, zealous fans or serious music followers. Enough! Arrivals/Departures is a festive and ingenious way to celebrate the work of an important European jazz festival».

He concludes by praising Lisbon: «Like so many cities on the continent, Lisbon is a grand meeting place, a crossroads for adventurous music-making, and Jazz em Agosto encapsulates this spirit. Arrivals/Departures is a portable reimagining for the dedicated listener and reader.»

Arrivals/Departures: New Horizons in Jazz is available in two versions, English and Portuguese.