Read: On The Snap

For any budding young arts journalist it will always be helpful to get an insight into how some of the great writers in the field have gone about their business throughout the years and to have such a magnificent figure such as Brian Case spin incredibly honest yarns like there's no tomorrow makes for one of the most enjoyable reading experiences I've had in years.

Case gives a snapshot of his experience interviewing such legendary figures as Al Pacino, Miles Davis and Michael Caine without ever getting too caught up in the fact of who his interviewees were. His down to earth approach makes for a book that's significantly more likely to have you rapidly flicking through the pages than a mere sycophantic telling of these stories. There are plenty of peculiarities in store, such as Case meeting Al Pacino while carrying a worryingly large amount of bullets, interviewing Miles Davis in the dark and countless stories of drugs and prison. Forget rock'n'roll, jazz seems to be the genre to delve into if you enjoy being a little reckless.

Each individual recollection provides an interesting short story in itself, the running theme being Case's unflappable approach to some of the music industries most memorable figures. The encounter which stood out for me, perhaps mostly due to my own adoration for the man, was Case's conversation and seemingly mutual admiration with Ian Dury. The way that they discussed rhyming slang and how Case talks of how Dury's death genuinely moved him.

With each insight, Case provides us with stories that other may not bother to tell while his attention to detail will paint a more accurate representation of all these scenes than any photograph ever could. Equipped with wonderful illustrations from Joseph Ciardello, you could easily devour the whole thing in one sitting and you simply won't be able to stop turning the pages.

On The Snap is out now via Caught by the River. See Brian Case in conversation with Richard Williams on 22nd June at The Social.