As Serious as your Life

[Nathaniel Catchpole]

Probably going to pick this up pretty soon. Would be interested in people's thoughts on the book. How's it compare to say, Baraka's Black Music.

Also, in light of the Crouch thread, can someone recommend some Balliet?

My jazz reading - both biographical and other, is very limited. I think it's time to get hold of some of this stuff.

[Bill Barton]

Originally posted by Nathaniel Catchpole


...in light of the Crouch thread, can someone recommend some Balliet?

My jazz reading - both biographical and other, is very limited. I think it's time to get hold of some of this stuff.

Collected Works: A Journal of Jazz 1954-2000 is a good introduction to Balliett's writing.

[Nathaniel Catchpole]

Thanks, I'll look out for it.

[tristano's ghost]

AS SERIOUS AS YOUR LIFE and John Litweiler's THE FREEDOM PRINCIPLE: JAZZ AFTER 1958 were key texts for me when I first began to explore free music. Wilmer's book gave me a plethora of names to follow up on, and she seemed to have firsthand knowledge of many of the musicians she wrote about. Been years since I read it, but it's definitely worthy... Litweiler's book is a good overview. I wish that he, Chuck Nessa, or somebody would write a book about Chicago jazz from the 50's up to the current scene--a sort of NEW DUTCH SWING for the Midwest, as it were.

[Salvador Dali Lama]

I'd like to see Cecil Taylor write a book.

I just ordered As Serious as your life as well as derek bailey's book. I'll let you know what I think.

[Uli]

Originally posted by tristano's ghost
I wish that he, Chuck Nessa, or somebody would write a book about Chicago jazz from the 50's up to the current scene--a sort of NEW DUTCH SWING for the Midwest, as it were.

George Lewis is writing a book about the AACM.

[Nathaniel Catchpole]

Bailey's book is interesting. Would like to hear the radio series at some point.

[Nathaniel Catchpole]

The Litweiler's another one on my list.

[tristano's ghost]

Originally posted by Uli
George Lewis is writing a book about the AACM.

Excellent news!

[Jonny Miner]

I've been dipping into As Serious As Your Life again lately, for the first time in a long time. It's definitely of its time, with wierd sexual politics that are clearly tied to the pressures of things like the Moynihan report and Black Power-related sexism. But man, what a book! There are some great quotes, and so many figures other books just haven't touched!

The Freedom Principle really doesn't grab me. Perhaps because Litweiler wrote for Down Beat, everything just sounds like liner notes to me. Same old facts, same stories, etc. I've only dipped int it, but that's mostly what I've encountered so far.

One really good recent book is Eric Porter's What Is This Thing Called Jazz?--not a great title, but he deals with stuff like Reggie Workman's involvement in the CBA and stuff. Okay, not a graeta review--I'm really tired--check it out if you see it on the shelves...

[Nate Dorward]

Just replying to the bit near the top re: Whitney Balliett: Collected Works is fine but something of a grab-bag, everything from substantial essays to quickie concert reviews. Very useful & interesting, but it's also worth getting American Musicians II, which has no overlap with it: this is his in-depth essays & profiles, with his trademark interview style (in which he simply edits together all the replies from the musician without the original prompting questions, so it becomes a long monologue).

[Jon Abbey]

"Bailey's book is interesting. Would like to hear the radio series at some point."

it may have been a radio series also, but there was definitely a TV series, which I saw screened at Tonic over 2 nights a couple of years back. I enjoyed parts of it, but I must say the part that's stuck with me the longest was some footage of a rehearsal session of one of Zorn's early game pieces, just godawful, hilariously inept music, and I like this period of Zorn.

[tristano's ghost]

Originally posted by Jonny Miner
The Freedom Principle really doesn't grab me. Perhaps because Litweiler wrote for Down Beat, everything just sounds like liner notes to me. Same old facts, same stories, etc. I've only dipped int it, but that's mostly what I've encountered so far.

One really good recent book is Eric Porter's What Is This Thing Called Jazz?--not a great title, but he deals with stuff like Reggie Workman's involvement in the CBA and stuff. Okay, not a graeta review--I'm really tired--check it out if you see it on the shelves...

I picked up the Porter book a couple of months ago because it does look promising. Still haven't had a chance to crack it... I think the Litweiler book serves well as an introduction to the history of free music--that's the stage I was in when I read it.
For a close analysis of the music itself, Ekkehard Jost's FREE JAZZ (1971) remains one of the better texts around.

[Jonny Miner]

Has anyone here checked out Graham Lock's Blutopia? I'm about half done with it. The Sun Ra section is pretty cool, while the Ellington material (so far) is a little thin. Haven't gotten to the chapters on Braxton (nor have I read Lock's acclaimed book on Braxton...).

t's g: Yeah, come to think of it, I wish I'd picked up the Litweiler book earlier--it would serve as a good intro into this music. Much like you with the Porter, I bought Jost's Free Jazz a few months back, but haven't opened it. Is there a lot of music theory, or do you think it'd be accessible to someone who can't read music?

[alankin]

Originally posted by Jonny Miner
... (nor have I read Lock's acclaimed book on Braxton...)...



Well worth seeking out!

[Uli]

Originally posted by Jonny Miner
Has anyone here checked out Graham Lock's Blutopia? I'm about half done with it. The Sun Ra section is pretty cool, while the Ellington material (so far) is a little thin. Haven't gotten to the chapters on Braxton (nor have I read Lock's acclaimed book on Braxton...).


Yeah, I have and kinda enjoyed it. I don't remember much specifics and don't think that I gained much new insight in any of the 3 but I liked his socio political angle and his thesis which iirc is that they all created their own utopia independent of the general cultural interpretation circus.

I am reading right now Peter Sloterdjik's "Kopernikanische Mobilmachung und Ptolemaeische Abruestung". By no means a jazz book and only tangetially a music book dealing with the (imho exclusivley European) theories of the progressive nature of music and the arts in general (Adorno etc) A very fun book to read weather one agrees with him or not. Should be required reading for all the avant priests and innovation hornies on this site.

[Chuck Nessa]

Originally posted by Jonny Miner
The Freedom Principle really doesn't grab me. Perhaps because Litweiler wrote for Down Beat, everything just sounds like liner notes to me. Same old facts, same stories, etc. I've only dipped int it, but that's mostly what I've encountered so far.

Thank goodness you didn't read the whole book before dumping on it. Thank goodness John didn't publish something in Mechanics Illustrated.

This is almost the only book of value dealing with a large portion of jazz history in the last half of the last century.

Dip deeper.

[Jonny Miner]

Chuck - Thanks for your encouragement.

Uli - Is Peter Sloterdjik's "Kopernikanische Mobilmachung und Ptolemaeische Abruestung" available in an English translation?

By the way, "innovation hornies" is my new favorite phrase...

[Nathaniel Catchpole]

I thought the Bailey thing might have been a TV series, but discounted the possibility. Will keep an eye out for videos, someone must have it.

[Joe Milazzo]

Read THE FREEDOM PRINCIPLE about 12 years ago, still find myself reading it for pleasure and to gain insight after all these years. Granted, his prose is not to all tastes, and I've known more than one reader whose bristled at his aesthetic POV. Though I don't always agree with Litweiler, he has never lost my respect, and I think that often that's a hard thing for criticism to achieve, Philip Larkin being an excellent example.

Too bad Litweiler has never collected his writings on Hank Mobley. But he has given us an excellent (IMHO) Ornette Coleman biography.

Max Harrison's A JAZZ RETROSPECT is still one of the finest books I've ever read on the music, but I've never run across any other collections of his work. Further Harrison recommendations would be most welcome.

[Salvador Dali Lama]

OK, 2 things I really dont like about this book so far:

1. The author insists on telling us the race of any given musician. Is that really relevant? what difference does it make that 2 of Ornette's bass players were white? I understand that you can't take the black roots and the history of the music away, and the fact that it IS black music, but goddamn! Who cares that Charlie Haden is white? why does the author need to go out of her way to state this? Is there any signifigance at all to Scott La Faro's whiteness, other than to quite possibly contradict some of her insistance that it had to be black music?

2. She claims fusion is pop-entertainment music with no real complexity or artistic substance. Ok, maybe most fusion these days is, but Mahavishnu???? thats not complex?! She's out of her mind if she thinks Mahavishnu was playing simple music. To say nothing of Lifetime.

but I'm still really into the book, the good far outweighs the bad in my opinion.

[Jonny Miner]

I think it mattered in the late '70s very much if players were black or white (or other). I've spoken with white musicians who were turned down for loft gigs after it was discovered that they were white. Black music communities, particularly underground ones, were more isolated from other music scenes in the seventies than before or since. It wouldn't be an issue if you wrote the book now, because there are so few black avant-garde players. Band leaders in NYC bemoan this fact, which is understandable.

All these assertions are based on interviews and reading. I'm sure people who were around then would be able to confirm or deny what I'm saying. This is what I've heard...

[Chris A]

Originally posted by Jonny Miner
I think it mattered in the late '70s very much if players were black or white (or other). I've spoken with white musicians who were turned down for loft gigs after it was discovered that they were white. Black music communities, particularly underground ones, were more isolated from other music scenes in the seventies than before or since....All these assertions are based on interviews and reading. I'm sure people who were around then would be able to confirm or deny what I'm saying. This is what I've heard...

As someone who was there (in fact, I encouraged Val to write this book), I can tell you that you are absolutely right, Jonny. It was a different time, a time of black awareness and regrettable polarization.

[Salvador Dali Lama]

Well thats cool. Couldnt have hurt to put something along those lines in the forward, but whatever. I still think its a kickass book. I'm just happy as a pig in shit to have a book with a chapter on cecil taylor and then another one on ayler.

[Chris A]

Originally posted by Salvador Dali Lama
Well thats cool. Couldnt have hurt to put something along those lines in the forward, but whatever.

When Val wrote the foreword, we were in a period where her race labeling would not have been questioned.

[Jonny Miner]

While we're on the subject of free jazz books that deal explicitly with race... I just picked up Frank Kofsky's "John Coltrane and the Jazz Revolution of the 1960s" (formerly titled "Black Nationalism and the Revolution in Music"). Haven't read it yet, but I know Kofsky's an avowed socialist, and more than a little polemical. From the snippets I've read, he seems to sometimes let himself get in the way of writing a good book--still, there are a lot of opinions expressed that just aren't in other books.

Any opinions on this one?

[Chris A]

Frank Kofsky had severe probmlems with the truth. He was also a crazed, confuse, venomous individual.

I don't have time now, but I had one experience with him that made me forward his post cards to the school where he taught. That produced an anonymous--but nevertheless easily identified--death threat.

It takes a lot for me to report someone--this was the only time I ever felt compelled to do so. The idea of Kofsky teaching any class was rather scary.

[mke]

Originally posted by Chris A
The idea of Kofsky teaching any class was rather scary.
Hey, that reminds me of someone...

[Jonny Miner]

Originally posted by Chris A
Frank Kofsky had severe problems with the truth. He was also a crazed, confused, venomous individual.

Yeah, the way he writes, this isn't entirely surprising...

I had one experience with him that made me forward his post cards to the school where he taught. That produced an anonymous--but nevertheless easily identified--death threat.

...Wow!

[Salvador Dali Lama]

Kofsky was white too, wasnt he?

[Chris A]

Originally posted by Salvador Dali Lama
Kofsky was white too, wasnt he?

Yes

[Salvador Dali Lama]

Kinda funny how some of the most radical black nationalist writers were white huh?

[Joe Milazzo]

The thing I most recall from that Kofsky book was his that, on his 1964 election ballot, Kofsky made John Coltrane a write-in cadidate for President.

[willfb]

I've recently been rereading "As Serious..." and appreciate Valerie's perspective after so many years have passed.

One of the very best books I ever read about jazz, which I read when I was starting to get interested in the music 35 years ago, was A.B. Spellman's then-"Four Lives in the Bebop Business." I hope A.B. Spellman is still active somewhere, he has kept such a low profile for so many years.

[Jonny Miner]

Hey willfb--I just started "4 Lives." I love it!

It's fascinating to read where Spellman quotes Buell Neidlinger as saying that one of CT's first bassists (in 1966) "is now just a minor person of the streets, you know. He's nutted out, been in Bellevue. By now, I guess he's lost all interest in music," and then to read in William Parker's liners to "Raincoat in the River," "Sometimes Recorder Wade [Wade Davis, Cecil Taylor's first bass player from the very early days] would be playing his recorder outside in a corner or alley way. Wade was one of the first underground journalists to review and document the happenings during the 70's loft jazz scene. He was a regular presence at both Studio We...and Studio Rivbea." Same guy, I'm guessing? I guess one never knows how, or with whom, one will make a mark!

I picked up Lock's "Forces in Motion" yesterday. Looks great!