“The Heart of California is a quickly moving history with unexpected adventure. There’s a little Joan Didion, James D. Houston, Gerald Haslam, Kevin Starr, and Mark Arax in these pages. Aaron Gilbreath’s observations are an extension of these writers and, I could argue, their equal.” —Gary Soto, author of The Elements of San Joaquin

“Without question, riding downriver through the San Joaquin Valley’s past and present with Aaron Gilbreath is one of the greatest and most unexpected journeys I’ve taken in a long, long time.” —Joe Donnelly, author of L.A. Man

"Aaron Gilbreath is an outstanding jazz writer, with a deep appreciation for the music's tradition and an engaging prose style." —Ted Gioia, author of The History of Jazz and Delta BluesTed Gioia, author of The History of Jazz and Delta Blues

"Aaron Gilbreath writes about Jutta Hipp and Miles Davis and Lee Morgan and Jackie McLean and others long gone with curiosity: he lines up the questionable historical record with what's knowable and provable, and finds out where the lessons are." —New York Times jazz and pop critic Ben Ratliff, author of Coltrane: The Story of a Sound and The Jazz Ear: Conversations over Music

"Everything We Don’t Know is expansive, obsessive, and consistently entertaining. Gilbreath’s inquisitiveness is infectious, and his misadventures are filled with a self-doubt that’s charming and all too relatable." —Portland Mercury

"What a great read! Aaron Gilbreath has put together as fine a book of essays as you're likely to find these days. At times I felt as if I could be reading a John Jeremiah Sullivan collection. Aaron Gilbreth's strong, candid, yet insightful first-person narrative is compelling, clearly honest, and frankly, it reminded me of many things I'd prefer to forget, yet did so powerfully enough to keep me coming back for more." —James Williamson, guitarist of Iggy and the Stooges