DIG - Sound & Music in Hip Culture (by Phil Ford)

[Big Beat Steve]

The other day I ordered the above book which arrived today.

https://www.amazon.com/Dig-Sound-Music-Hip-Culture/dp/0199939918/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491498266&sr=8-1&keywords=DIG+Phil+Ford

Thumbing through the pages, some names that grab you are Thelonious Monk, Normaln Mailer, Jack Kerouac and, particularly John Benson Brooks! (Wonder what a repeat listen to his "Folk Jazz USA" LP on RCA will tell me in this context ...)
A quick look confirms the first impressions from the sample pages on Amazon - a very, very scholarly book, and this is going to be one tough read.
But a mid-century culture subject which I find very interesting, and at an Amazon warehouse discount offer of about one third the original list price you can't really go wrong.

Anybody read it? Any opinions, comments, impressions? Just curious ...

 

[JamesAHarrod]

Just scanned the index at the preview on Amazon, curious, no mention of Lord Buckley!

 

 

[Bill Nelson]

Got a $5.95 hardbound from the 'Bards and tried to dent the dense, post-doc academic writing.  It's chunky style, like reading McLuhan.

Haven't touched it since, as I'm not a masochist unless the pay is good.

[ghost of miles]

Full disclosure:  Phil's a good friend of mine, teaches at the IU School of Music here in Bloomington, and has been on Night Lights several times, including this program that grew out of the book:

To Dig Or Not To Dig: Jazz And Hip With Phil Ford

I think the book's excellent and that Phil's style is accessible and unique--both rare qualities in academic writing, IMO.  He also contributes (is the main contributor, for the most part) to the blog Dial M For Musicology.

[Big Beat Steve]

Thanks. I am not sure but I may in fact have come across that ''To Dig or Not To Dig" program page when I searched the internet for impressions of the book (a while back) before taking the plunge now. One more aspect that tickles my curiosity.

Any other impressions?

[JSngry]

Here's where John Benson Brooks went, quiet as it's been kept. I see that Mr. Ford has done his part to illuminate. Kudos!

 

 

[ghost of miles]

Yeah, the whole last chapter of the book is about JBB!  Phil spent some time going through his archives out at Rutgers and contemplated writing a biography, but decided that the chapter in Dig covered most of what he had to say about Brooks.  He delves pretty deeply into Avant Slant, which sank into obscurity almost immediately after its 1968 release.