Book Description
"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. . . . I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened." In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.
Customer Reviews:
Offensive to jazz fans!.......2007-09-30
Donald Miller, I'd like you to take out the sheet music of Mood Indigo, which I'm sure you've studied extensively, and show me where it doesn't resolve--I think that harmonically it's one of the perfect all time pieces of music, and it resolves better than a lot.
Maybe he's talking about free jazz or bop or post bop or modal jazz or something, but I'm not sure he actually knows what those terms mean. It sounds to me like he's heard a couple of jazz songs at some point and decided that this makes him an expert. Yeah, man, he was turned on to this stuff by Tony, his beat poet buddy, man. Oh, that is so hip!
But even if you're saying on a technical level that jazz music, in some of its more far-flung explorations, abandons established notions of harmony, melody, rhythm and tonality, it can always be explained. You can always notate it, analyze it, study it, and explain it. You can break it down to vibrations traveling through the air and you can know exactly what those vibrations are doing.
You can't do that with Christian spiritual notions, because they're based on assertions of faith that require you to abandon the desire for statements of fact to be proved. It's cute, Donald Miller, for you to say that you're just not interested anymore in the intellectual/theological aspects of Christianity, but it's stupid and ignorant for you to use jazz as a point of comparison. Jazz musicians know exactly what they're doing and they can explain it to you in minute detail, and yes, they could write it down if they wanted to. It's not just getting up in front of people and blowing some BS through your instrument. That's what YOU are doing in your spirituality. Jazz music requires training, education, rigorous practice and relentless creativity. What you do requires a huge capacity for BS and evasive, circular arguments. Guess which one I respect more.
Any jazz solo can be studied note for note, analyzed, and explained. And the person who performed that solo can you tell what choices they made at every point and why, and they can base that on established musical concepts. Once you get to that point, it isn't mysterious anymore, but it is beautiful and special in a way that your unfounded, frightened faith can never be.
Friendly conversation over coffee.......2007-09-25
I don't read a lot of "spirituality" themed books because after a few chapters I feel like the author is trying to convince the reader that his views are right and the reader's are all wrong. This was given to me as a gift and I really did enjoy it. The author didn't seem so much as if he was throwing up his thoughts on you as the reader, but more talking to you about them in a coffee shop conversation. I'm a decently fast reader, but I took some time with this one, reading and re-reading passages and often whole chapters so as to really chew on what the author had to say. The author has a lot to say but says it in a digestible form. Not once did I feel like he was talking over my head. I rarely purchase books for myself unless the book strikes a personal chord with me and I know I will want to read the book several times over; however, I'm glad to play hostess to this book on my shelf.
5th try........2007-09-13
I am on about my 5th try to finish this book. It is hard for me to make it past the first chapter.
I agree that in some ways his approach can be entertaining and "honest," but that does not make it edifying.
I think Miller is sadly confused with many of the vital doctrines of Christianity. Yes I know the word doctrine has come to have some rather poor connotations, yet there is truth Christianity is defined by. I'm not even talking doctrines that are usually debated.
Miller seems to make no importance of sin, and I am still hard pressed to know how serious he is when he says boys usually begin sinning when they are 10, and girls when they are 23. Has he ever even seen a child?
Miller tells of a time when he had a "slot machine god" where he would just screw up, pray, and hope for something good. Though he admits this was wrong, It seems like he is still playing the same slots. Now he is just taking his confusion and using culture he adapts it to the things that he says "make no sense."
Yes, Christians need to be relevant, but we are more importantly to live as new creations, people of a heavenly culture. We are not supposed to ascribe our culture to God, we are to ascribe ourselves to Him.
Anyone confused about this I recommend (lovingly) to read the book of Romans, and if you can't commit to the whole book chapters 6,7, and 8.
Very good, but not great.......2007-09-03
This book was highly recommended by several of my friends and I particularly liked the idea of reading up on "Christian Spirituality". This book had several funny stories in it, and also a few others that were really touching and made you think.
However, there were a few times where Miller decided to go on a tangent about Republicans and how heartless and selfish they were and how churches are puppets for the Republican party (i.e. Ch.12, titled "Churches"). It just really left a bad taste in my mouth which is why I didn't give this 5 stars. I wanted to read a book with anecdotes about Christian Spirituality and not get randomly bombarded by irrational and irrelevant political speech that was aimed at bashing Republicans.
I really hope this wasn't the main motivation for him becoming an advocate for Christian Spirituality or else this book will really lose a lot of credibility in my opinion. It's not because I am a Republican (because I'm actually a Libertarian), it's because political slamming is completely out of place in the book and is really in poor taste considering this meant to be about Christianity and not George W. Bush.
Blue Like Jazz.......2007-08-28
In the book, Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller seeks to address Christian spirituality in a nonreligious manner. He relies on experience rather than obscure religious doctrine to convey spiritual truths relating to life, God, community, friendship, love, and the like. In the way Miller relates stories and anecdotes the book is reminiscent of a memoir, but unlike many memoirs Miller's stories have a point and teach a lesson. He does not write simply to entertain, but also to teach and inform.
Miller was born in Houston, Texas, and left at the age of twenty-one to travel around the country until he ran out of money in Portland, Oregon, where he now lives. He published his first book, Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance, in 2000. Two years later he published Blue Like Jazz. He continues to write books and also teaches a class at Summit College outside Toronto.
Miller's perspective is refreshing and convincing. Even when he writes about the importance of giving to charity or going to church he avoids coming across as preachy and condescending by backing up his beliefs with personal anecdotes and experience. Instead of relying on Bible verses or well-known evangelists and ministers, he quotes Christian friends and hometown ministers. He expresses the same truths Christianity and other religions present by drawing on rich personal experiences and memories to show the reader his views.
Miller opens the book by saying that in order to love and appreciate something you must sometimes first see someone else loving it. Miller attempts and succeeds at showing the reader how important the words he writes are to him. The philosophies he presents are ones that he has lived by. While Miller writes specifically to a Christian audience, this is a book that cuts across specific religions to appeal to anyone who believes in a higher power.
Average customer rating:
- Terrific biography of Glenn Gould
- A Worthy Biography
- The Enduring Fascination of Gould
- Well-balanced biography of a phenominal artist
- the mysteries of a perfect art
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Wondrous Strange: The Life and Art of Glenn Gould
Kevin Bazzana
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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ASIN: 0195182464 |
Book Description
When Mikhail Baryshnikov defected in Toronto in 1974, he admitted that he knew only three things about Canada: It had great hockey teams, a lot of wheatfields, and Glenn Gould. In Wondrous Strange, Kevin Bazzana vividly recaptures the life of Glenn Gould, one of the most celebrated pianists of our time. Drawing on twenty years of intensive research, including unrestricted access to Gould's private papers and interviews with scores of friends and colleagues, many of them never interviewed before, Bazzana sheds new light on such topics as Gould's family history, his secretive sexual life, and the mysterious problems that afflicted his hands in his later years. The author places Gould's distinctive traits--his eccentric interpretations, his garish onstage demeanor, his resistance to convention--against the backdrop of his religious, upper- middle-class Canadian childhood, illuminating the influence of Gould's mother as well as the lasting impact of the only piano teacher Gould ever had. Bazzana offers a fresh appreciation of Gould's concert career--his high-profile but illness-plagued international tours, his adventurous work for Canadian music festivals, his musical and legal problems with Steinway and Sons. In 1964, Gould made the extraordinary decision to perform only for records, radio, television, and film, a turning point that the author examines with unprecedented thoroughness (discussing, for example, his far-seeing interest in new recording technology). Here, too, are Gould's interests away from the piano, from his ambitious but failed effort to be a composer to his innovative brand of "contrapuntal radio." Richly illustrated with rare photographs, Wondrous Strange is a superbly written account of one of the most memorable and accomplished musicians of our times.
Customer Reviews:
Terrific biography of Glenn Gould.......2007-05-14
This is a wonderful biography on one of the world's finest and beloved musicians. The writing is detailed and articulate but never boring. However, if you do not have a background in music, the writings on classical music could be difficult to decipher for the layman. An excellent read!!
A Worthy Biography.......2007-03-19
I can't exactly put a nail on why I have read so many biographies on Gould, but I dare say the story of his reclusiveness, isolation and his pursuit of his art has always intrigued me. Up to this point my favorite biography on Gould had been the Otto Fredrick "A Life in Variations", so I had a pre-conceived notion that this book may just have been be a re-telling of all the stories and interviews I heard in the past.
Bazzana appears to set himself apart here in that he was not asked to write a biography on Gould as he described in the book. There are many snippits of things I've allready knew about Gould here, but Bazzana also tries to put another angle on some of the eccentricities most have heard or read about prior. He encapsulates many different views of Gould, so much so that I feel that I have a bit more insite here. Also, Bazzana appears to set some of the record straight for other biographical sources such as Andrew Kazdin's work called "Glenn Gould At Work, Creative Lying" which is another book I gained knowledge from and did enjoy. It may not be entirely possible to have a true biographical account of Gould, but I still appreciate this additional account of his life although I am only giving it 4 stars because I feel there will never be a complete biography of an individual due to different sources and views, but this one is generally well researched. It does re-hash some of the other interview material, sources etc, but within the book there does appear to be an attempt here to rationalize his behaviour and give a better look beyond the stereotype.
The Enduring Fascination of Gould.......2007-02-18
What is it about Glenn Gould? He's been the subject of books, dvds, and one odd movie made up of a mosaic of short films. Gould's life and music has captured the attention and imagination of people who otherwise would not venture anywhere near classical performers.
"Wondrous Strange" doesn't delve deeply into opinions, or really attempt to explain why people were (and are) so affected by Gould--it simply lays out Gould's life in block-like sections, marking his attitudes and approaches to both music and life. The result is a thick book full of Gouldian lore, with many fascinating passages, that doesn't cohere quite as well as it could have. Bazzana develops themes, drops them, and then revisits them a few chapters on. Pages could have been trimmed where Bazzana is busy repeating himself. It's as if the book were trying to envelope Gould, like an octopus settling on a lobster.
Does it succeed? Mostly, yes. With repeated gleanings, Gould emerges to the reader as something of a "mutant"--a person slightly ahead of his time. He was a reclusive person, who came to hate concert limelight, and found great comfort in the controlled technology of the studio. He (probably correctly) discerned that an artist usually communicates better, and certainly more intimately, through recordings than through concerts.
Gould's belief in the classical music performer's right to interpret and reimagine great works of music put him at odds with many critics, as did his tendency to "sing" wordlessly as he played. These things only served to reinforce Gould's singularity, and mark him as a modernist. Like James Dean, or the Beatles, Gould transcended his time. He was a dreamer who continues to captivate and to inspire dreams in his legion of followers.
Well-balanced biography of a phenominal artist.......2006-09-27
This is a very well-balanced, thorough biography of the Canadian pianist/musician/composer Glenn Gould. Very well written, a joy to read (and a lot easier to read then most of the stuff Glenn wrote himself...)
Having read this book I feel I understand more about Glenn Gould the artist and the person.
A first-choice-must-buy for all interested to know more about Glenn Gould.
the mysteries of a perfect art.......2005-04-05
This unstoppably heartrending biography of Canadian pianist Glenn Gould unveils the mysteries of a perfect art more cogently and beautifully than has any other artist's biography I've ever come across. Kevin Bazzana has opened up Gould's eccentricities and placed them where finally they must sleep - merely deep in the natural whole of one of the inescapable musicians of the 20th century. Those lucky enough to know the meaning of the art of Glenn Gould will always be grateful for that achievement.
This is a tremendous book. The moments when Bazzana's utterly secure love for Gould's art shines through are the most extraordinary aspect of a completely worthy biography. With deep and glistening writing Bazzana evokes every aspect of looking-at-Gould with the same sound character found in Gould's playing - it's an amazing experience! This is biographical literature extensive and schooled, and even wise; reading is like gliding on glass, so perfect is the author's determination, and Gould lives on every page. What could be better?
Was ever a pianist's art more wonderful? Gould's playing is always extraordinary by every standard, and beyond. And not only the playing, of course; his mind, his understanding of music, his humor - these form the scaffolding of a remarkable artistic vision. For all his reclusion, his is the most giving human art, reaching to infinity. Art of the gods obtains dimensions the proof of which can be heard in everything he played. It's a consuming art, yet so freeing. The wondrous thing about it is how Gould kept so much of himself even as he spent lavishly on Bach and Byrd and Schoenberg. Music never overtook Gould - that task inevitably fell to Gould himself.
By literature of this kind, the sadness that still lingers around Gould's death seems entirely transformed. This is a great book that ends too quickly and lingers too pervasively. Afford yourself the wealth.
Book Description
Donald Miller's fresh and original voice may change the way Christians view the "status quo" faith and build a bridge to seekers who believe that organized religion doesn't meet their spiritual needs.
"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. . . . I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened." In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.
Book Description
No music is as individual as jazz. And no writer is as deft at bringing out what is individual in each jazz artist as W. Royal Stokes. As a reviewer, feature writer, public radio host, and author, Stokes has spent three decades covering the jazz scene. Now he draws on that rich store of knowledge and friendship to introduce us to the jazz life. In some forty interviews with saxophonists, pianists, singers, composers, and string, brass, and rhythm players, Stokes illuminates the lives of the artists and the sheer pleasure of the sounds they create. Stokes paints a vivid portrait of jazz musicians--bringing to life their influences, their careers, and their art. We hear firsthand how they became interested in jazz and how they emerged onto the jazz scene. Stokes ranges across the globe in his interviews, introducing us to vaudeville stars, blues musicians, and a dozen women instrumentalists--like the acclaimed violinist Regina Carter--from the many who now shine on a stage where they were once limited to vocals alone. From legendary veterans Jackie McLean and Louie Bellson to such rising stars as Diana Krall, Cyrus Chestnut, and Ingrid Jensen, Stokes gathers together the brightest lights in the jazz firmament, capturing not only the life of the musician, but how the musician gives life to jazz.
Customer Reviews:
A Must For Researchers.......2007-05-18
As Continental forces and Virginia militia units were engaged in winning independence, American quartermasters and provisioners struggled to provide these units with all the necessities of life, from meals and guns to meat, fodder for horses, the horses themselves, firewood, and every other type of material. Much of this was requisitioned from the civilian population and certificates were issued payable in either continental or state funds, depending on the units supplied, upon presentation to court authorities. Thousands of these certificates issued to Virginians were duly entered by the courts, and they provide a fascinating insight into the period of the Revolution. These "Publick" Claims booklets contain interesting and useful information about the contributions of ordinary people to the Revolutionary War. They provide some details of people's service in the militia or as guards for prisoners of war; they indicate where some bodies of troops were at particular times; and they identify providers of horses, wagons, cattle, grain, or other supplies. Much of the information in these booklets cannot be found anywhere else, which makes the surviving records particularly valuable. Also remarkable is the fact that records survived from virtually every county in the state at that time with the exception of the newly formed Kentucky counties. This makes the collection even more valuable in covering areas which heretofore in this time period have suffered from a lack of personal data. The "Virginia Publick Claims" are published by counties. In addition to a faithful transcription by Janice Luck Abercrombie and the late Richard Slatten, a complete index is provided for each county booklet. This series is an extremely important genealogical tool for searchers in Revolutionary-era materials.
Amazon.com
In the early '50s, Clifford Brown was one of the most dominant trumpeters of the Hard Bop period. Nick Catalano, professor of literature and music at Pace University, has written the first book on this important artist, and it's a winner. "In addition to his artistic achievements, Brown exuded virtue and magnanimity," Catalano writes. "He wasn't just a 'nice guy'; he was much more than that." At a time when jazzmen where generally portrayed as drug addicted hustlers, Brown was the exception. He was college educated, rarely smoked or drank, and was a positive role model to other musicians. Had he not been killed in a tragic car accident at the tender age of 25, he may have altered the future of jazz. As it is, he has left a lasting impression on the art form.
Beginning with his nurturing childhood in Wilmington, Delaware, Catalano chronicles Brown's extraordinary rise as a Dizzy Gillespie-inspired upstart, to a seasoned professional who continued to practice and play R&B dates despite terrible pain from a near-fatal car accident. Catalano highlights Brown's work with heavyweights like Lionel Hampton, Quincy Jones, John Lewis, and Art Blakey, and his analyses of Brown's crisp trumpet style and compositions, including "Joy Spring" and "Dahooud," are detailed and entertaining. At the summit of his career, while co-leading a trailblazing combo that featured Max Roach and Sonny Rollins, Brown perished on the rain-soaked Pennsylvania Turnpike on the way to a gig in Chicago. Catalano shows that, even in death, his influence lives on in trumpeters like Freddie Hubbard and Wynton Marsalis, and in the Tony Award-winning Broadway play, Sideman. If there is such a thing as a jazz saint, Clifford Brown was it. --Eugene Holley Jr.
Book Description
Although he died in a tragic car accident at twenty-five, Clifford Brown is widely considered one of the most important figures in the history of jazz, a trumpet player who ranks with Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis, and a leading influence on contemporary jazz musicians. Now, in Clifford Brown: The Life and Art of the Legendary Jazz Trumpeter, Nick Catalano gives us the first major biography of this musical giant. Based on extensive interviews with Clifford Brown's family, friends, and fellow jazz musicians, here is a fascinating portrait of a remarkable musician. Catalano depicts Brown's early life, showing how he developed a facility and dazzling technique that few jazz players have ever equaled. We read of his meteoric rise in Philadelphia, where he played with many of the leading jazz players of the 1950s, including Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker; his tour of Europe with Lionel Hampton, which made him famous; and his formation of the Brown-Roach Quintet with prominent drummer Max Roach--one of the most popular hard bop combos of the day. Catalano also shows that Brown was a remarkable individual--he grew up in a middle-class African-American home in Wilmington, Delaware, attended college, was a skilled mathematician, and had wide cultural interests. Moreover, in an era when most jazz players were either alcoholics or addicts, Brown was clean-living and drug free. Indeed, he became a role model for musicians who were struggling with drugs and had great influence in this area with one prominent colleague, tenor sax player Sonny Rollins. Clifford Brown not only provides a colorful account of Brown's life, but also features an informed analysis of his major recorded solos, highlighting Brown's originality and revealing why he remains a great influence on trumpet players today. It is a book that anyone with a serious interest in jazz will want to own.
Customer Reviews:
The Best History of Clifford Available.......2006-11-29
To my knowledge, this is the only full biography of Clifford Brown ever written. It covers his entire life, from his birth, through his Blue Flame days, all the way to his historical work with Max Roach. The book also includes 8 or so pages of pictures in the middle, which is great for those of you whom haven't seen brownie, and a nearly complete discography in the back of the book. Simply put, Clifford Brown is one of the best jazz trumpeters of all time (my favorite, personally), and quite possibly the most tragic loss in jazz history. Any jazz musicians, Clifford fans, or general jazz aficionados should check this book out if they are looking to learn about one of the greats.
Clifford Brown-Maybe The Ultimate 'Tough Sell' Book'.......2006-01-05
Clifford Brown really was 'too good to be true'...didn't drink,do drugs...incredible jazz musician.Nick Catalano really
does an "impossible job" in telling the story of the great trumpeter who died tragically way before his time-and Catalano's anaysis of Brown's recordings makes the case that Brown is a man who "coulda been king"(even though he sorta was anyway).
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Brownie.......2005-10-22
Clifford Brown had one of the most beautiful trumpet tones in all of modern jazz, and technique that other players would die for. He was not your "typical" (as portrayed to the masses) jazz musician - he didn't drink, smoke, or use drugs; he had a family and a good marriage; he worked hard at his craft. The tragedy is that he was killed in a car crash at the age of 25 at the height of his powers. Even by then though, he had recorded a number of albums establishing himself as one of the greats in the business.
Catalano's book competently traces Brownie's life, from the beginnings in Wilmington, Delaware, to his days with the Lionel Hampton band, early sideman dates in NYC, gigs in LA and Chicago, and finally the formation of the Brown-Max Roach Quintet with Harold Land and then Sonny Rollins on tenor. Catalano is a musician so is able to analyze Brownie's performances and recordings, which he does well, but the life history of the man is told somewhat blandly. We finish the book with a good skeletal outline of Brown's life and career, but much of the meat seems missing.
Sensitive portrait of the trumpet's most tragic talent.......2002-02-17
I read this modest little work last summer in a cottage in the lakeland region of central Finland. The silence around me allowed me to think about Brownie's playing -its purity and clarity- uncontaminated by other music or noise. Of course the first thing I wanted to do when I got back to my records was listen to Brownie over and over again. Catalano paints a sensitive portrait in an approachable, occasionally shoddy style. Clifford Brown's music doesn't quite come alive, perhaps, but Catalano expresses the lucidity of the trumpeter's musical vision and astonishing melodic gift with some agility. It's not a penetrating insight, but there is no other book around (as far as I know) that tells the poignant story of the great trumpeter's short life, so this is an essential purchase.
Dull Account of Life of Super Trumpeter........2000-09-13
Catalano's book about Clifford Brown fails to convey much more than lame summary. The reader receives a readable account of the trumpeter's short life, but the writing itself leaves much to be desired in that it's unpolished, redundant, chatty, and rarely profound. (And it's got typos to boot!) How about this telling detail of Brown's stint in an R&B band? "Clifford Brown and Vance Wilson were quite close and got the kind of education that only comes from being on the road. One time, recalled Wilson, 'We were in Wildwood [New Jersey]. Clifford had never eaten raw clams and neither had I. So we dared each other. We went over to this counter where they were serving them, but we didn't know how to eat them.' They proceeded to put sauce on the clams and started to chew them, failing to notice other eaters who were 'slurping' them. Their exaggerated chewing made everyone laugh" (Catalano 62). Catalano's choice of quotations, in my opinion, is very suspect throughout the entire book. It's as though he's a high-school-essay-writing-novice trying to round out a paper and show that's he read a thing or two or interviewed someone or another, as the case may be. Ok, the book does contain some analysis of Brown's music, and provided that not much else has been written of the trumpeter, I suppose the book merits a cursory glance. But be prepared for some dull, over-accessible, easy-reading.
Book Description
Chet Baker (1929-1988) was a star by the age of twenty-three, winner of all the jazz polls as singer as well as trumpeter. His early promise was frustrated by involvement with drugs, however, and by a popular shift in taste away from the Cool Jazz of the west coast. But, except for a brief period of inactivity, Chet continued to perform for over thirty years--increasingly overseas, and sometimes in poor condition--but always remaining faithful to his original, lyric style. Some of his finest recordings were made shortly before his death. Since then his reputation has recovered and continues to grow, thanks to his colorful life no less than his beautiful music.
Here, for the first time, is the complete story about Chet Baker, from his upbringing in Oklahoma, his introduction to jazz (and junk) in Los Angeles, his early success with the Mulligan Quartet--through the horrific years of addiction, muggings, endless wandering, and jail sentences on both sides of the Atlantic. In between we learn of Chet's marriages and his erratic behavior--but also about his fitful brilliance as a musician, and diffident charm as a man. The author, Jeroen de Valk, dispels persistent myths about Baker, making the case, for instance, that he continued to develop musically throughout his career, however chaotic the circumstances.
The book includes interviews with Chet himself as well as his wife Carol, his manager, and fellow musicians like Lee Konitz, Bud Shank, and Russ Freeman. It includes two up-to-date discographies: a select, narrative one devoted to Chet's best releases, and a complete catalog of his 200+ recordings, rated from one star (Chet's bad days) to five (Baker classics). The text is enhanced by over 40 photos of Baker and his associates.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book about Chet.......2007-06-06
Very Good biography. Concentrates mainly on Chet's wonderful music, and not on his drug abuse, etc. Extensive and descriptive discography included. I give it at least 5 Stars!
THE TRUTH, AS OPPOSED TO GAVIN'S FICTIONALIZED DIATRIBE!.......2004-09-28
The most crucial element in any non-fiction work is original research and an honest reporting of the results of such work, and that is exactly what Jeroen de Valk has done in his excellent biography of the legendary jazz genius Chet Baker. This fascinating and balanced picture of one of the greatest jazz artists of all time stands in stark contrast to the tragically flawed Gavin work, which has been decried by all but one of the Gavin interviewees as distorted, utterly false and omitting much of what was told to him in one-on-one encounters with musicians who had played with Chet, and with those knew him. It is telling that Interviews with some of Chet's closest friends were completed omitted
Thankfully, Mr. de Valk scrupulously investigates the life of his subject, and with great integrity, paints as complete a picture of Chet as possible, accurately recounting interviews with those who had known and had worked with the artist. Especially revealing is the transcript of Jeroen's meeting with Chet and Diane Vavra.
Since the most prevalent question in the minds of so many regarding the artist is what actually happened to cause the demise of Chet, the author begins with the end of Baker's life. This seems the logical approach. The myriad theories that have been put forth since that dark night in May of 1988 seem to be put to rest with de Valk's careful investigation of the circumstances revolving around Chet's death. Witness the author's going directly to the criminal inspector who covered the case to ascertain the facts,as an indication of his painstaking research, rather than repeating hearsay as has been done so often by others.
In addition to reporting with great integrity, Jeroen has included exhaustive and descriptive discographies providing something so extremely valuable to all of us who are purchasing Chet's cds --- ratings !!!
Mr. de Valk should be highly commended for this superbly researched and excellently written insight into one of the most gifted and most misunderstood jazz artists ever!
A good focus on the music aspect of Chet Baker.......2002-11-27
There are two types of biographies about Chet Baker: One type catagorizes Baker as a fantastic trumpet player who was partially responsible for the "cool jazz" sound, and the second type, a steadfast junkie who was completely over-rated as a trumpet player let alone a jazz musician.
This bio falls in the earlier catagory and rightfully so. Chet Baker played with such greats as Gerry Mulligan, Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Paul Desmond and more. You don't get to sit in with geniuses if you can't play, and Chet Baker could play. What both biographies do agree upon is that Chet Baker was incredibly handsome, had innate talent for the horn, and had loads of opportunities to elevate himself both morally and historically but failed to do so out of selfishness towards his drug habit which ultimately played a part in his death.
As to the book addressing his herion habit: Though the book chronicles it very throughly, it focuses more on his music accomplishmnets and personality rather than his addiction. (Chet's happiest moment in life was buying a Jaguar and racing it around all day long. It's my belief that Chet had a textbook case of Attetion Deficit Disorder and was proably self medicating himself so he could focus.)
The book has wonderful time-lines in it for both his life and his albums. There are loads of interviews with those on the sidleines who witnessed both his greatness and not-so-greatness. The grammar could be criticized once in a while but it is a good read.
Thus, this book is not only a god bio, but a great reference as to Chet Baker's accomplishments and history he helped create
Read this, not Gavin.......2002-10-20
This is a well-meant and partly successful effort. De Valk likes or at least judges his subject with restraint. After reading James Gavin's depressing, bloated, and thoroughly jive claptrap (as detestable as the equally bogus "Let's Get Lost") this book was a welcome remedy. Not great, by any means, but it's terse and direct. His biography just 'gives us the facts, ma'am', and trusts our intellect to do the rest. De Valk's annoted bibliography also reveals a true jazz fan/scholar's desire to inform and share about Chet Baker the MUSICIAN.
He's nicer to the people in Baker's life, too.
Worthwhile.
another review from Boston Ma........2002-09-26
I found the book most helpful in learning about Chet Baker. Grateful for the reviews of the music, it steered me right to incredible finds. If it loses something in the translation to english, the information is there for those interested.
Book Description
A fitting tribute to the troubled genius who revolutionized electric bass playing and bridged the gaps between jazz, RandB, rock and funk. From his early days in RandB club bands through his international stardom with fusion group Weather Report and on to his solo career and tragic death at age 35, this book portrays the life and music of Jaco Pastorius, the self-proclaimed "world's greatest bass player." This special anniversary edition features new interviews with Jaco's childhood friends, prominent bass players of Jaco's era and afterward, and girlfriend Teresa Nagell, who was with Jaco in the last few years of his life. Some incidents from the first edition have been further researched and expanded to become full chapters. Exclusive to this edition, the CD features newly revealed music tracks from Jaco's early years along with spoken testimonials from Jaco's friends and colleagues. The book also contains new, never-before-seen photos acquired from the Pastorius estate.
Customer Reviews:
Entertaining, but is it accurate?.......2007-07-19
First off, the title is great. There is no doubt that Jaco is one of the most (if not the most) gifted bass players of all time. The book documents his life as a young boy who picked up the bass (after he could not play drums any longer because he broke his arm), his career and his later years when he suffered from mental illness and died at 33. I bring up the question of accuracy as it has been raised by others as well.
One criticism about the book has been that it sensationalizes Jaco's destructive behaviour and takes away from his legacy. This is a point made by Metheny (who was a friend and a fellow musician) in the liner notes of Jaco's debut album. Also I have asked the opinion of (via a short e-mail) Jaco's second wife. Her website that details some minor inaccuracies that exist in the first edition.
That being said the book is well written and gives insight into Jaco's life. Milkowski (who is a music journalist) portrays Jaco as an extremely gifted, hard working and narcisisstic man who self destructs at the end due to bipolar disease. The clues to Jaco's illness are evident from his early years. He plays tirelessly and at times seldom sleeps. At the end of his life he self destructs due to a number of reasons including refusal comply with treatment for his illness,drugs and drinking.
One has to wonder what it says about our society that no one helped Jaco when he was clearly suffering towards the end. I posted the same question to Jaco's wife and her answer was that one has to be willing to accept help.
Mental illness is still misunderstood my most of the world. People who suffer from it can be hard to deal with and be around. I hope that if the same scenario plays out today, with better understanding of mental illness, the outcome would be different. But I am not an optimist.
David.......2006-11-02
This book is a well done biography worth reading. Unfortunately it focuses mostly on the sensationalism of Jaco's life. Looking back what you remember is story after story of his out of control behavior, and attempts to explain it by blaming the negative people in his life. I would have liked to have heard more of his successes. It is an excellent book for musicians, but even better for anyone in the field of mental health.
This extrodinary man had serious mental health problems. It seems the only time he had a chance was when he was arrested and put in Bellevue psychiatric hospital. Unfortunately he always convinced friends to get him out. Even the author admits to this mistake.
This without a doubt one of the saddest books I have ever read especially since I know and love his music and talent. But also because had he lasted another 10 years, new drugs may have helped.
However there were too many hangers on and bad influences. It reminds me of the old Rodney Dangerfield joke in which he states,"I appeal to people who can do me absolutely no good."
In this book there is plenty of blame to go around.
A different type of read.......2006-08-21
This book reads at times like a hagiography of Jaco. Yeah, Jaco's flaws are enumerated, but there is an obvious worship of Jaco by the author. Having said that, it is still a good book. It is a very thorough biography. It is a little different, in that it helps to have a knowledge of the intricacies of music, e.g., specific chord changes are mentioned. Yo, I took piano, so I don't know a D chord from a G chord on a guitar. Still, I enjoyed the book and learned a lot.
The 40 minute CD that comes with the book, is a real nice bonus by the author. Thanks.
An Outstanding Biography.......2006-08-09
I remember Jaco Pastorius through several great concerts with Weather Report and a sizzling show with Word of Mouth at the Cleveland Agora.
For those who had the chance to appreciate his music live or for so many that are grooving to Jaco many years after his death, the updated biography - with a CD that includes additional material - by Bill Milkowski is the best way to piece together the complicated rise and fall of the brilliant musician.
Milkowski has exhaustive interviews with musicians, family members, media, friends and lovers that are split in chapters to coincide with his years as a musician with a dream, the height of musical achievement and then leaving Weather Report, and the controversial years after leaving the group that found Jaco spiralling out of control personally and musically.
That Jaco was a musical genius cannot be denied. The book will leave you wondering why Jaco - as with too many artists - took his gift and tossed it into the abyss of "what could have been."
jaco lives.......2005-12-24
Well i would like to state that this book is a great read but also to tell you all the my father acually grew up in Ft. Lauderdal a few house down from where him, and was a close friend of his until my dad was drafted into the army. When he came back he lost contact. So he was the one who first told me about him, so i decided to pick up this book. I recommed it to anyone who want to learn about this master of the bass.
Customer Reviews:
Good book but...............2007-07-20
Though it was a bit too focused on the political and sociological climate of the time, I thought that the book was good given the fact that the author's intention was obviously to write a contextual biography. The validity of some things written might be questionable, and there are things left out, but at least someone stepped up and made the effort to write a biography about Lee-this should have been done long ago.
who's more important here Lee Morgan or the author?.......2007-04-15
I must admit that I did learn a bit of factual information about Lee Morgan From Tom Perchard's book, but what I really came away with was the author's sociological theories about race, drugs, and growing up in the jazz music business in the 1950s & 1960s. This was fascinating and intriguing reading for a few pages but by the end of the book I really had more of an idea about the author's viewpoints than any sort of idea about what Lee Morgan was actually like. Maybe someday we'll get a biography about Morgan that's actually more about Morgan and less about the author's sociological insights.
DenseLee.......2007-04-15
This book left me a bit disturbed. There is very little of the Lee Morgan I got to know. I appreciated Tom Perchard's research in his attempt to find out what it was in Lee's background that made him the musician he was to become. However, his time would have been better spent trying to find out what was in the water they were drinking in Philadelphia that produced all those great musicians, Clifford Brown, Trane, Tyner, Timmons, the Heath brothers, Ray Bryant, Charlie Persip and Dizzy, or he could have attributed his talent to the famous "Jess Grew".
The Lee Morgan I got to know was a fun loving young musician. When I saw him with Dizzy's big band(late 50s) at Sparrows beach in Md. That band had Quincy Jones, Wynton Kelly, Charlie Persip and Joe Gordon. When I arrived at the beach the first thing I saw was Lee and Persip running out of the water with inner tubes trying to get on the bandstand before Dizzy started to play. Several years later I was in a bar next to Birdland (60s) and Philly Joe Jones was telling Art Taylor that he had just saw Lee sitting on the curb without any shoes on so he went back in the house got his bedroom slippers and gave them to Lee. My next vivid experience with Lee(late 60s-until he died) came when as business manager for the Left Bank Jazz Society, we presented Lee in concert on Howard's campus. At that concert before a sold out auditorium Lee received a standing ovation before a single note was played. That concert was reviewed by the late Ralph Matthews in the Washington Afro-American and contains some the quotes about Lee that Perchard uses in his book. Booking Lee Morgan kept the LBJS afloat for about 3 years. His concerts always sold out thus providing us with seed money to book other artists. I once offered to increase his fee for future shows but he said, "everything is cool as is, just keep the other bands coming". As a trumpeter player Lee had a lot of fire, and was a crowd pleaser. He was also a very good band leader who took care of the business side of things, was always on time for the shows made sure he got deposits before the gig and always had first class musicians performing with him. The tragedy of his death, like so many others of his era, was that he had gained all this life experience,good and bad, and musical knowledge at a very young age, had given a lot back to the music, and still had so much to share.
Great Lee appreciated.......2007-04-02
This is a really good book; I strongly recommend it. Perchard provides an intellectually and academically robust situating of the great Lee Morgan - the man and the music - in sociocultural, and historical context. He does this in lucid and frequently exciting prose. So doing I believe he raises the bar for jazz music history. Of course not everyone will agree with everything the author says or how he divides his attentions. But this is a book for now in which we have many things gone viewed anew, plus things new to think about aplenty.
barely has anything to do with lee.......2007-03-19
Ditto to what "Hardbopper" said. This book has barely anything to do with the great Lee Morgan - there is biographical information, yes, but even the author admits himself amid one of his many political discussions that "this is not the definitive Lee Morgan biography." He goes into several tangents about racism, blacks, politics, culture, etc, which is great, but why slap the name "Lee Morgan" on the title if it barely has to do with his life or music? You could get more information on Lee by reading the liner notes to one of his albums, for instance. This is just a guy trying to make a name for himself by blathering on for hundreds of pages about social issues.
Will someone out there write a TRUE biography of one of jazz's most tragic figures?
Book Description
Jazz fans get the inside story of New York's legendary club. At age 83, Lorraine Gordon is a jazz icon who has lived more than a few lives: downtown bohemian, uptown grande dame, music business pioneer, wife, lover, mother, and finally - at a point when most women her age were just settling into grandmotherhood - owner of the most famous jazz club in the world, the Village Vanguard. The trajectory of her journey has been remarkable. The details are a Jackson Pollock-like swirl of fierce colors shot through with larger-than-life creative figures: not just jazz figures but luminaries from every point on the political, social and entertainment spectrum: from Mike Nichols, Elaine May, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk to Lenny Bruce, Norman Mailer and Barbra Streisand. - The legendary Village Vanguard has been an international jazz mecca since 1935. According to New York Magazine, "A musician hasn't truly arrived in the jazz world until he's played at the 'Carnegie Hall of Cool,' the Village Vanguard." - There have been over 100 "Live at the Village Vanguard" recordings by premier artists from John Coltrane to Wynton Marsalis.
Customer Reviews:
A 'must' for any avid jazz fan who relishes a 'you are there' experiential survey........2007-02-06
Alive at the Village Vanguard: My Life In and Out of Jazz Time captures the life of jazz artist Lorraine Gordon, who knew virtually all the big names of jazz. She was not only a business woman and mother, but owned the most famous jazz club in the world, the Village Vanguard: this is the story of the rise of that club, her encounters with Miles Davis, Monk, and more, and vignettes of their personalities and encounters. Black and white photos blend with music history and cultural insights to make for a lively survey of the Village scene and the artists who made up the jazz world. A 'must' for any avid jazz fan who relishes a 'you are there' experiential survey.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Alive at the Village Vanguard.......2007-02-01
Very interesting and informative. An honest woman, dedicated to jazz and jazz musicians.
Mildly interesting from a history of jazz/ philosophy of jazz point of view.......2007-01-25
Lorraine Gordon has led an interesting life and one well worth reporting. She does an admirable job in this autobiography. If, however, one seeks information about jazz events that occurred at her club in any sort of detail, one needs to look elsewhere.
Wonderful read.......2006-12-08
This book is a wonderful read for any jazz fan! It goes through the life of Larraine Gordon and has some wonderful insights as to why the Village Vanguard is what it is! It's an easy read and I highly recommend this book!
Book Description
Dark Magus is a warts-and-all look at the real Miles Davis. As told by his son, this book strips away the public perception of Davis and gets down to the realities of his personality, his relationships, and his many quirks. Dark Magus details this enigmatic superstar's Jekyll and Hyde behavior: his swings between sobriety and prodigious drug use; his tender family moments and his destructive selfishness; his search for marital stability and his obsession with young women; his exalted musical talent and his ever-present personal demons. The author also delves into Davis' relationships with artists such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane, as well as his role as a mentor to young musicians, his obsession with sports, the ups and downs of his career, and the family's turmoil over his final will. "This book is a brilliant and engaging revelation of Miles' character through the recollections of his oldest son. It's a book about a legendary musician who was one of my closest friends, and a book that's second to none." - Clark Terry
Customer Reviews:
Non-exsistant writing style .......2007-05-10
When I bought this book I was excited, cause I felt that the son that lived and worked among the man that is Miles Dewey Davis, could and would provide a great,colorful, sometimes wonderful, sometimes tragic insight into him. This son, who is a psychotherapist, had NO deep insight inside Miles. He was a very un-poetic author. Painful even. Typos are peppered throughout the whole book. Phrases, and stories are repeated, with no elaboration. This was a hard read, so hard that I stopped at page 126, and I cant seem to pick the book up again.The book is only 168 pages too. I can't believe i'm going to say this: it's a bore!! BORING. And because there is no elaboration on the stories he tells that he experienced with Miles, you never walk away with any surprises. Uh, is this Miles Davis's life we are talking here? No. It's the story of a son with a very limited writing ability.
I collect books written about Miles Davis, and I'd have to say that THIS book is the worst!!!!!
Like Miles, Gregory is not the least bit averse to tooting his own horn.......2007-01-12
After reading Miles' autobiography written with Quincy Troupe, I thought this book would offer some more insight into MILES' life. Unfortunately, after a scant 100 pages of Miles biography (all of which was covered in better detail in the Troupe book), Gregory takes the next 60 odd pages to whine about being cut out of the will and explain his personal struggle with not getting any of Miles' money.
Whining about the will wouldn't even take the full 60 pages if Gregory wasn't constantly repeating himself. Its as if he expects that anyone reading any portion of the book didn't read the rest of it. "I was my dads nurse and bodygaurd," is mentioned at least once every two or three pages. Yeah, we get it... now maybe you could boast about someone else... maybe MILES DAVIS?!?
For someone who is as educated as Gregory repeatedly claims to be, you would think he'd see how retarded he looks whining about how hurt he is not to have daddy's money and then turning around to call the members of the family who did get the money materialistic.
Then again, I consider myself educated and I wasn't smart enough to stop reading this drivel... I kept thinking there would be some tiny morsel of information about Miles that I didn't know hidden in there. There isn't, so don't waste your time reading this.
....and this guy has a degree............2006-12-29
GEEZ, the book is writ' like a 12 year old kid, yet this man claims to have a big degree--whats more is he adds NOTHING of substance to the stories we may have read in Miles' autobio., or other works...just a bunch of regurgitation of stories already in print--and boring too--nothing to capture your attention too long, and trust me, I've read all I can find on Miles....
His own writing has a "Jekyl and Hyde" of its own in that one minute he hails his dad and the next he nails him....so, perhaps this schizophrenic energy has rubbed off, who knows...
all I know is I am GLAD that I got it used....
another thing is the annoying fact that he skips around like a kid on a jump rope--one minute your lost in the haze of the 70's, the next your sitting in Birdland waiting for Miles to play alongside Bird....
the only thing I liked this book for is the few rare photos in color that it has....
finally, when it comes to Miles, I am not hard to please--JUST GIMME MILES! but here, its hard to believe it was writ' by his OWN SON--and I think this is the reason I am so taken aback by the lack of inspiration or content....
maybe Squeaky can do a better job heh?
falls apart quickly.......2006-12-04
The first few chapters of "Dark Magus" deliver on the book's promise: it's chocked full of interesting insights into Mile Davis' family in St. Louis, his first wife, and the years up to his move to New York/Julliard.
Sadly, after this great beginning, "Dark Magus" quickly disintegrates in both content and writing style. While the beginning progressed chronologically and was written with an appealing insider's language and perspective, the last two thirds of the book are mainly disorganized ramblings without any new insight into Miles the father, the man, or the music.
I've read all of the main biographies about Miles: Ian Carr, Jack Chambers, George Cole, Brian Morton, Philip Freeman, Ashley Kahn, and of course Miles himself with Quincey Troupe have given us well-organized information and insight into one of jazz's most influential and profound artists. Gregory Davis' additions to this body of work are footnotes at best.
This book promises to provide an insider's view of Miles and his "evil/beautiful" sides. As far as his "evil" side is concerned, Miles paints a much worse picture of himself in his autobiography than Gregory does in "Dark Magus". Gregory was left out of Miles will... he appears to have beeen a devoted assistant to his father and a great guy, but he repeats the facts and his frustrations with his family over Mile's estate several times throughout the book. If you've read Mile's autobiography or many of the other bios listed above, you know Miles used drugs througout his life (after kicking heroin at an early age),was despicable in the mid to late 70s, partially cleaned up in the 80s, but was never an angel. Gregory adds no new facts to this "side" of Miles.
As far as Miles' beauty (which is why he achieved so much), Gregory frequently gives us little new insight into the positive side of his father, aside from a touching story of Miles running half naked carrying Gregory to the local hospital on a bitter winter night to save him from choking to death. Gregory's references to Miles music are tainted by chronological and factual inaccuracies. He lived with Miles and Fran in NYC, but the most we learn about this period is that when Miles was around, he expected the family to maintain some of the "traditional" manners Miles' father had insisted upon... we get no great new insight into Miles. Likewise for any time that Gregory spent with Miles in the 70s or 80s.
While I appreciate that Gregory pursued an advanced degree in psychology, "made it on his own", and shares his father's love of expressing himself through music, I'm afraid his book doesn't live up to its promises.
Pot holders required.......2006-11-28
Miles Davis was more than just a great jazz trumpeter. He was a man who lived his life at full speed, often with reckless abandon that could lead to powerful improvisations but could just as easily lead to painful family and love relationships. This book takes a new look at Miles, from a son's perspective. Love, hate, jealousy- the story is so lurid you'll need pot-holders to handle the material. A fun read.
Books:
- Boynton's Greatest Hits: Volume 1 (Boynton, Sandra. Boynton Board Books.)
- Brutality Garden: Tropicalia and the Emergence of a Brazilian Counterculture
- Cleveland Rock & Roll Memories: True and Tall Tales of the Glory Days, Told by Musicians, DJs, Promoters, and Fans Who Made the Scene in the '60s, '70s, and '80s
- Critical Listening Skills for Audio Professionals
- Daughters of Madness: Growing Up and Older with a Mentally Ill Mother (Women's Psychology)
- Dear John
- Dosage Calculations
- Effective Group Facilitation in Education: How to Energize Meetings and Manage Difficult Groups
- Essential Elements 2000 for Strings Plus DVD: Violin
- Experiencing Music Technology (with DVD-ROM)
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