ejp626 Posted October 17, 2009 Report Share Posted October 17, 2009 What an annoying, navel-gazing review. No point in hating the book reviewed -- not the writer's fault they picked such a ditz -- but I will obviously need to find another source to find out if it is any good. To live in Chicago and not love jazz smacks of deliberate and unrelieved masochism. ... But I still hate jazz. The music leaves me cold -- yet perversely, I love the idea of jazz. I love the image of hip, swinging, subversive people who live by their own rules, who revel in melancholy, who blow sexy, dangerous notes in out-of-the-way places. It's just the music I can't stand. It always sounds like rehearsal, not performance. It sounds to me the way a kid's scribbled picture looks: It's the sort of thing only a parent could love. But I'm ready to give the genre a second chance, thanks to the wonderfully lustrous and effortlessly instructive essays in David Hajdu's sparkling new collection, "Heroes and Villains: Essays on Music, Movies, Comics, and Culture" (Da Capo). Review continues Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spontooneous Posted October 18, 2009 Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 What a ridiculous public wank this review is. But I can say from experience, it has something that newspaper editors value highly: Pop culture references! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted October 18, 2009 Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 To blow sexy, dangerous notes in out-of-the-way places is the goal of every jazz musician. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted October 18, 2009 Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 yes, which is why that writer is blowing it up his butt - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Posted October 18, 2009 Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 or her? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted October 18, 2009 Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 whoops - did I read it too fast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted October 18, 2009 Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 I just read Hajdu's book on the comic book scare of the 1950s, The Ten-Cent Plague, and thought it pretty solid and well-written. And he did write the generally well-received bio of Billy Strayhorn, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted October 18, 2009 Report Share Posted October 18, 2009 (edited) that's him - he also wrote something about Dylan and the Farina sisters, and used to be - maybe still is - a critic for the New Republic - Edited October 19, 2009 by AllenLowe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ Spangler Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 I found the Strayhorn book very informative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noj Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 I had this comment ready to go on the page, but didn't feel like registering. Jazz is not a snooty stage presence or a liquored up condescending hipster. Jazz is a music with countless beautiful melodies and goose-pimpling moments of virtuoso artistry. It is inviting and welcoming to any ear wiling to listen. Jazz is no different from any music anyone enjoys, requiring no more effort or understanding than tuning the radio and waiting for it to hit you. One good thing about music, when it hits you you feel no pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasstrack Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 What an annoying, navel-gazing review. No point in hating the book reviewed -- not the writer's fault they picked such a ditz -- but I will obviously need to find another source to find out if it is any good. To live in Chicago and not love jazz smacks of deliberate and unrelieved masochism. ... But I still hate jazz. The music leaves me cold -- yet perversely, I love the idea of jazz. I love the image of hip, swinging, subversive people who live by their own rules, who revel in melancholy, who blow sexy, dangerous notes in out-of-the-way places. It's just the music I can't stand. It always sounds like rehearsal, not performance. It sounds to me the way a kid's scribbled picture looks: It's the sort of thing only a parent could love. But I'm ready to give the genre a second chance, thanks to the wonderfully lustrous and effortlessly instructive essays in David Hajdu's sparkling new collection, "Heroes and Villains: Essays on Music, Movies, Comics, and Culture" (Da Capo). Review continues Russell George told me a story: A guy BSs his way up the food chain of a reputable paper in the Fort Worth area. He becomes critic-at-large. He's assigned a Charlie Parker album to review and writes: 'The guy sounds good------but he sounds like he's making it up as he goes along!' I'm not sure if a MacArthur genius award was presented for that........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 I like that - reminds me of years ago, there was a jazz station they started in Stamford Connecticut; as time went on the station got more and more commerical and "smooth" jazz oriented, until one day a memo circulated telling djs that they were not to play anythings that had "excessive improvisation." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Russell George told me a story: A guy BSs his way up the food chain of a reputable paper in the Fort Worth area. He becomes critic-at-large. He's assigned a Charlie Parker album to review and writes: 'The guy sounds good------but he sounds like he's making it up as he goes along!' I'm not sure if a MacArthur genius award was presented for that........... Michael corcoran was his name, Dallas Morning News was the paper. Most Overrated Musicians Of All Time (or something quite similar) was the article, & Otis Redding was also included, fwiw. Corcoran got a tiny bit of cred for documenting something in the Austin scene once upon a time and rides it to this day. The article in question was so ludicrous, such a combination of obviousness & obliviousness that it was impossible to tell if it was tongue in cheek or not. Corcoran "left" the paper a bit afterwards. Nobody objected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Russell George told me a story: A guy BSs his way up the food chain of a reputable paper in the Fort Worth area. He becomes critic-at-large. He's assigned a Charlie Parker album to review and writes: 'The guy sounds good------but he sounds like he's making it up as he goes along!' I'm not sure if a MacArthur genius award was presented for that........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WD45 Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 I like that - reminds me of years ago, there was a jazz station they started in Stamford Connecticut; as time went on the station got more and more commerical and "smooth" jazz oriented, until one day a memo circulated telling djs that they were not to play anythings that had "excessive improvisation." excessive improvisation - my favorite kind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.