Hardbopjazz Posted February 22, 2004 Report Share Posted February 22, 2004 (edited) I have to say Orrin Keepnews. I always enjoy reading his linner notes. Edited February 23, 2004 by Hardbopjazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete C Posted February 22, 2004 Report Share Posted February 22, 2004 I eagerly await the Chris Albertson response to the above... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted February 22, 2004 Report Share Posted February 22, 2004 Ignorance is bliss--if the guy likes to read about Orrin, who am I to say he shouldn't? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Russell Posted February 22, 2004 Report Share Posted February 22, 2004 My favorite is/was Ira Gitler. #2 was Dan Morganstern. For today's writers, I would say Michael Cuscuna! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christiern Posted February 22, 2004 Report Share Posted February 22, 2004 Dan is still writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted February 22, 2004 Report Share Posted February 22, 2004 So is Ira. He did the Eager notes for Uptown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted February 22, 2004 Report Share Posted February 22, 2004 Miles Davis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted February 22, 2004 Report Share Posted February 22, 2004 H. Allen Stein, the man who could say less and mean it more than anybody this side of Prof. Irwin Corey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted February 22, 2004 Report Share Posted February 22, 2004 Martin Williams Nat Hentoff - still with us, not doing much music writing anymore Robert Levin - also still with us A.B. Spellman - admittedly there weren't many liner notes that he wrote Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted February 22, 2004 Report Share Posted February 22, 2004 If you can find them, check out David A. Himmelstein's over-the-top notes for Booker Ervin's "Setting the Pace" with Dexter Gordon (Prestige). They're a three-act play. I particularly like the reference to Dexter as "the only man in the world who can walk in a sitting position." Dan Morgensterns' notes are usually like having a infinitely knowledgable best friend at your elbow. BTW, a big collection of the best of Dan's writing will be published in the fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted February 22, 2004 Report Share Posted February 22, 2004 Ira Gitler and Dan Morgenstern. Larry, do you have any information about the forthcoming book? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 BTW, a big collection of the best of Dan's writing will be published in the fall. REALLY?? I'd be interested in that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregK Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 I like what Keith Jarrett wrote in his Inside Out liners Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Bill Evans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 I believe Dan's book is due in October from Norton -- maybe 600 pages worth. I'll let everyone know when I find out more details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 (edited) I don't know who wrote the best liner notes, but Larry Kart and John Litweiler always gave me things to think about and listen for while the music was playing. Edited February 26, 2004 by paul secor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 If you can find them, check out David A. Himmelstein's over-the-top notes for Booker Ervin's "Setting the Pace" with Dexter Gordon (Prestige). Oh my God, yes! Almost ALL the Prestige sides released during the Don Schlitten years had liner notes that qualified for the Hall of Fame in my opinion. Morgenstern was a frequent contributor, especially on the "historical" sides, and to this day I rue the day I loaned my Prestige issue of Dizzy's Salle Pleyel big band concert to an unworthy accquaintance. Never did get the album back, but phrases from those liner notes still resonate in my mind as "true' observations on the music. To me, that's effective writing. VERY much looking forward to Mr. Morgenstern's book, as well as Mr. Kart's. I loves me some good jazz books! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonym Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Brad Mehldau Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Mark Gardner. Very informative well-written liner notes for Xanadu (yesterday) and Steeplechase (yesterday and today) among others. But I also like the notes from people who have been mentioned earlier (Morgenstern, Hentoff, Levin, Kart, etc.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Weil Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 If you can find them, check out David A. Himmelstein's over-the-top notes for Booker Ervin's "Setting the Pace" with Dexter Gordon (Prestige). They're a three-act play. I particularly like the reference to Dexter as "the only man in the world who can walk in a sitting position." Available in "Setting the Tempo, Fifty Years of Great Jazz Liner Notes" ed. Tom Piazza. OOP and I'm not a big fan of Piazza's take on Jazz, but if you want sleevenotes... Simon Weil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Mark Gardner. Very informative well-written liner notes for Xanadu (yesterday) and Steeplechase (yesterday and today) among others. Gardner was also in Schlitten's stable of Prestige liner writers. Perhaps a bit conservative musically for me to fully enjoy his work (the Prestige reissue notes seem to invariably get into handwringing about what the protagonists are into "now" and stuff like that), but a good writer who could fill up an entire back cover of an album and not leave you feeling cheated for reading it. I like Benny Green's Pablo notes too. The guy is a veritable gusher of gush, and he does like his verbiage, but he strikes me as totally sincere and not a little musically astute. You know who was a trip? Mort Goode, who wrote an ongoing series of blurbs called THE INNER SLEEVE, found on, naturally, the inner sleeves of Columbia LPs in the early 70s. Short sentences. Concise. Master of economy. An event in the making. Every time. Just like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Bob Porter wrote some nice things for the Savoy reissue series. Cuscuna of course. Gilter's always readable. I was just looking at Warne Marsh's "All Music", excellent notes by Lawrence Kart there that actually tell you something about the music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKE BBB Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 I like Benny Green's Pablo notes too. The guy is a veritable gusher of gush, and he does like his verbiage, but he strikes me as totally sincere and not a little musically astute. Don´t know much about the gush or Bush thing but I did enjoy his liner notes for the Art Tatum Complete Group Masterpieces! Dan Morgenstern is another favorite of mine. I find his comments on some Storyville releases very helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Rat Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 My vote for Dan Morganstern, too, as a fellow Rutgers person. Brad Mehldau can be amusing, but I think he quickly gets in over his head with the philosophizing. Foucault would have whipped his ass for some of the stuff Mehldau has written about him! Anybody read the notes from Sex Mob's latest? --eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardbopjazz Posted February 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 (edited) I have to add Phil Schapp to the list, even though he is better known as a jazz historian. I like the work he did on the Bird Verve box set. Edited February 23, 2004 by Hardbopjazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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