Tuesday, March 10, 2009

10: Living with Jazz, Dan Morgenstern

I read this huge collection of articles and liner notes back in March. The material is interesting and the writing excellent, but the layout is retarded, with, for example, no mention of the album the liner notes were taken from except in a hard to navigate list in the back of the book. Way to fail Sheldon Meyer & Pantheon press.

About Vic Dickenson:


The mystery of heredity assures each living thing of uniqueness, but some are blessed with more of it.


Paul Desmond on discos:


There are all kinds of enforced techniques of communication, when conversation is required. It's like one-way radio communication with Mars. You get somebody's ear in your mouth and you give your signal, and then over and out and change position.

It discourages small talk, because few things are worth such a massive effort to communicate—except 'Will you come home with me?', or something like that, but not 'It's certainly hot in here.' If it edits American social conversation, the discotheque may have performed some small function.


and on his reputation as a writer:


I have this great reputation as a writer, primarily because I haven't written anything, and it almost seems a shame to spoil it, but sooner or later, I'll have to make a move.


Bob Brookmeyer on pop:


[P]op music, like pop art, is the supreme effort of people who don't know anything, can't do anything, and assert their right to artistic expression.


Lullaby of Birdland is an inversion of Love Me or Leave Me!

Books added to my want-to-read list:

Bass Line, Milt Hinton
King Oliver, Laurie Wright ($530 at amazon!)
a book on Fats Waller, also by Laurie Wright (I can't find this online, so it may be just an article)


Films that are not available on Netflix:

Salute to Louis
Born to Swing
L'Aventure du Jazz
Jazz Is Our Religion
Chicago and All That Jazz

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

9: Orient Express, Graham Greene

Nowhere near as good as The Quiet American. The writing is strong, but the stereotypes are tiresome and the stories' resolutions are depressing. I do not think I will read this again.

I do still want to try Our Man in Havana.