Which jazz book are you reading right now?

[GA Russell]

On 5/24/2025 at 6:59 AM, mikeweil said:

Re-reading Duncan's book while preparing an evening with Tjader's music at a friend's listening saloon with a very expensive hi-fi. Vibes sound so great on his gear.

Mike, is the Second Edition any different from the First?

[mikeweil]

41 minutes ago, GA Russell said:

Mike, is the Second Edition any different from the First?

It's a bit more detailed, as Duncan intensified his research in Californian newspapers. About 40 pages more text.

[GA Russell]

8 minutes ago, mikeweil said:

It's a bit more detailed, as Duncan intensified his research in Californian newspapers. About 40 pages more text.

👍

[Ken Dryden]

Duncan also removed some text, mostly brief references to people that he decided weren’t all that important. I know this since I created the index for the second edition.

[Big Beat Steve]

10 hours ago, sgcim said:

I found some of Talbert's stuff from the 50s

 

Never got around yet to finding a decently priced copy of the "Bix Duke Fats" vinyl, but FWIW the below one (from his "key progressive" period) is very recommended listening too:

https://www.discogs.com/de/release/6325343-Tom-Talbert-Jazz-Orchestra-1946-1949

 

[sgcim]

13 hours ago, Big Beat Steve said:

Never got around yet to finding a decently priced copy of the "Bix Duke Fats" vinyl, but FWIW the below one (from his "key progressive" period) is very recommended listening too:

https://www.discogs.com/de/release/6325343-Tom-Talbert-Jazz-Orchestra-1946-1949

 

Thanks for the link! One of the central theses of the book is that Talbert was the founder of what became known as West Coast Jazz. I wonder if he's mentioned in that regard in any of the books about West Coast Jazz (Ted Gioia, etc..)?

The book was supposed to have a CD in it that included Talbert recordings from 1949-1999, limited to his own compositions due to copyright laws. Two cuts from the album you posted a link to are on the CD, that feature the musicians in California that were most devoted to him; Jack Montrose and Johnny Barbera on tenor sax, Harry Betts, trombone, and John McComb on trumpet, a musician that Talbert said was "way ahead of Chet Baker. Chet copied him (McComb) and never had the lyricism of John at his best". 

Talbert also said that "Howard McGhee never got the credit for being the innovator he was- he was Twenty times the player that Miles Davis was." Other musicians that were in Talbert's band on the West Coast were Jimmy Pratt and Art Pepper. I played at a jazz festival where Pratt played in the festival band, and he was the best drummer I ever saw live. I don't know what became of him. Warne Marsh also played in Talbert's band, along with Milt Bernhardt on trombone, so one could see that along with Talbert's contrapuntal writing, his band might have started the style of music we now call "West Coast Jazz". Talbert ran out of work in LA, and in 1950 took off for NY. Kenton took things over in LA.

Here's an example small group writing that Talbert did in NY:

 

[Big Beat Steve]

8 hours ago, sgcim said:

Thanks for the link! One of the central theses of the book is that Talbert was the founder of what became known as West Coast Jazz. I wonder if he's mentioned in that regard in any of the books about West Coast Jazz (Ted Gioia, etc..)?

 

I could have sworn it was a mention in Ted Gioia's book that made me aware of the Tom Talbert orchestra of the late 40s, but he does not figure in the index. Neither is he in the WCJ books by Robert Gordon and by Alain Tercinet.
I had to think hard what made me search for the CD I linked, and I guess it must have been his entry in the "Bebop - The Essential Listening Companion"guide by Scott Yanow (et al.). At the time I became aware of him (a good 20 years ago) I also must have read about him onlline, and this made me spring for this CD with his early recordings on his Sea Breeze label. 

Re- drummer Jimmy Pratt, his name rang a bell. To the best of my recollections (confirmed by some indications on the www), he worked in Europe (including Germany) for several years in the late 50s and the 60s. So to some extent he is a "name" over here.