Jump to content

Larry Kart's jazz book


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 475
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I received my copy last Friday, and am thoroughly enjoying it. I mean, I haven’t gotten very far yet (I’m only through the Johnny Griffin piece), but I’ve liked what I’ve read so far. Especially what’s been said about Chicago jazz, which I am shamefully unaware of, for the most part.

I liked what was said about people in the Renaissance era not being aware that they were “in” that era.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I liked what was said about people in the Renaissance era not being aware that they were “in” that era.

I think that one of the few exceptions to this was the issue of Esquire in which the "Great Day in Harlem" photo first appeared. Much of that issue was devoted to articles about Jazz under the

gnereal descriptioin "The Golden Age of Jazz". Rarely do people realise when they're in a Golden Age. (Tv people always point out that when they were working in the '50s in what is now known as the "Golden Age of tv" everyone told them that what they were doing was crap). But take a look at that famous photo and you see it was a brief period when many of the early greats were still alive and a whole new crop of modernists were making the presence felt. A Golden Age indeed and someone at Esquire knew it.

Of course, very few of even the modernists are still alive now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yeah, my problem with Wynton is how damned middle class he is - this idea that if you listen to good music and educate yourself in the right way (shades of the Great Books curriculum, Chicago readers) you will become a good person because this is all so good for you - and good is, after all good - my  feeling is that you listen to the stuff because it's great music, the hell with personal betterment.

studymusic.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I liked what was said about people in the Renaissance era not being aware that they were “in” that era.

I think that one of the few exceptions to this was the issue of Esquire in which the "Great Day in Harlem" photo first appeared. Much of that issue was devoted to articles about Jazz under the

gnereal descriptioin "The Golden Age of Jazz". Rarely do people realise when they're in a Golden Age. (Tv people always point out that when they were working in the '50s in what is now known as the "Golden Age of tv" everyone told them that what they were doing was crap). But take a look at that famous photo and you see it was a brief period when many of the early greats were still alive and a whole new crop of modernists were making the presence felt. A Golden Age indeed and someone at Esquire knew it.

Of course, very few of even the modernists are still alive now.

It's been said that the Golden Age of science fiction is 12. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a note to say that Larry's book received a very favorable review in the February issue of Jazz Times by Ron Wynn (Yes! I still read that suspect magazine) ... and speaking from personal experience, any good review, regardless of the source is very welcome, especially one with a significant readership of potential purchasers. Good on you, Larry ..

Edited by garthsj
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't know for sure, Lazaro, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's accessible through Down Beat's website (that's where it was originally published). It's a fun piece for me to read now -- in part because I was so young when I wrote it (younger than my son is now), in part because it all worked out even though (or in some ways because) Zappa was as mean as a snake that day (his hostility toward band members by the pool led to some interesting dialogue). The part that still makes me feel bad and silly is that in an attempt to win him over I gave Zappa my copy of a rare early Edgar Varese LP (on Esoteric?) as a kind of burnt offering. Of course, he already had a copy, but instead of giving it back to me, he tossed it to a member of the band. I felt I had to let that ride but was angry and embarrassed. A lesson learned, I guess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having the band member's disagreeing with him in the article worked very well. Funny and pointed.

Enjoyed your quick, concise description of Varese, too. I'd always thought of Cage as being the "composer" to put noise into music, yet here is a better example.

In this video clip of Zappa on Crossfire he's just a model on how not to take the righty bait -- though as your article makes clear when he says on this show that "I'm a conservative," you know he wasn't joking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I interviewed Zappa re: 10,000 Motels once for a film magazine. He was backstage at a rock club in Toronto with his whole band and Blood, Sweat & Tears. They had all just heard of CTA

(Later called Chicago) and were joking that if they could all play together they'd have a bigger band than Stan Kenton.

Zappa was nice enough but I was shocked by how misoginistic he was. Kept talking about

"strapping on"women. Good thing my feminist girl friend wasn't with me. I once interviewd Robert Mitchum who made a pass at her and she almost took his head off.

Ironically by the end of his life his wife seemed to be entirely in control.

Zappa also talked about getting letters from kids saying they were the only freaks in their town and his music kept them alive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Believe me, Lazaro, I didn't set out to have the band members disagree with Zappa. On that day at least it seemed pretty clear that they were plain sick of him and vice versa; my being there just gave the ongoing conflict a chance to take a brisk walk around the block. On the other hand, I'm sure that Zappa's complaints were as familiar to the Mothers' ears, as their rejoinders were to his. In fact, that might have been the gist of the problem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...