RIP Mike Zwerin

[medjuck]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=a43ekkTiOIf8

I used to always read his stuff in Village Voice and various European publications when I was abroad. Felt I knew him a bit.

(Maybe there should be an RIP thread. Sure are a lot this month.

[mikeweil]

R.I.P.

Sure one of the most original careers ever.

[Rooster_Ties]

Well, gosh.

Not less than an hour ago I just listened to the Complete Birth of the Cool (Mike was on the live material), and heard Symphony Sid mention Zwerin's name a couple times. The disc is still in my car stereo, ready to pick up where it left off.

RIP

[B. Clugston]

RIP. I`ll have to spin his Weill record he did with John Lewis, but I remember him more for his great jazz writing.

[clifford_thornton]

Good writer indeed. I think of him from the Archie Shepp Magic of Ju-Ju LP.

[AllenLowe]

I've read three of his books - 2 memoirs and one on the Nazis and jazz - and can recommend them all. Smart, entertaining writer.

[mjzee]

He wrote a poignant little memoir that's in the Complete Birth of the Cool booklet.

[brownie]

Good musician and excellent writer!

Ran into him on a couple of occasions including one when I paid a business visit to the International Herald Tribune offices in suburban Neuilly.

Zwerin was also there on a visit (he wrote on jazz for the paper). Very nice man.

[sidewinder]

Sorry to hear this sad news. I've a couple of his books and enjoyed them both - most recently read the one about the Nazis and jazz that Allen mentions earlier. 'Close Enough For Jazz' is a book that I've delved into many times over the years and always been amazed that he did that transition from US steel industry boss to French resident (and somehow via Birth Of The Cool and 'Magic Of Ju-Ju' as mentioned earlier). Always came across as a very 'grounded' guy - RIP Mr Zwerin.

Edited April 3, 2010 by sidewinder

[JohnS]

Sad news, leaves an interesting playing and writing legacy.

[brownie]

Obituary in The New York Times.

[jeffcrom]

I'll always by grateful to Zwerin for translating Boris Vian's Round About Close to Midnight, as wrong-headedly entertaining a jazz book as you will find this side of Philip Larkin. Vian's writing is full of bilingual puns and outrageous jokes in French; Zwerin somehow makes it all work in English.

Edited April 6, 2010 by jeffcrom

[AllenLowe]

my favorite Zwerin things are his descriptions of working with John Lewis, in his first book. Very entertaining glimpse at a guy (Lewis) whose personal/professional life was about as pomopous as his music (yeah I know I'm in the minority here but Lewis' playing drives me up a wall - apparently Zwerin felt the same way, so I became an instant admirer).

[ValerieB]

we certainly lost a special jazz guy.

[JohnJ]

Sad to hear. I used to love his Wednesday columns in the old IHT. RIP.