Author name: Thomas Cunniffe

More Important Than The Music (by Bruce Epperson)

Book Reviews /

Because so much of jazz history lies within the grooves of phonograph records, discography—the science of cataloging and detailing those records—is an important part of the historical canon. Up until now, the story of jazz discographers was told only in brief articles and offhand summaries, but Bruce Epperson’s new book “More Important than the Music” provides a thorough history of the discography. Thomas Cunniffe offers his reactions.

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Getting Down To Brass Tacks (by Amy Duncan)

Book Reviews /

Amy Duncan has achieved fame both as a pianist and a journalist. A former writer for the Christian Science Monitor (and Jazz History Online), she has penned her autobiography Getting Down To Brass Tacks, which tells of her experiences living in Boston, New York and Rio de Janeiro. Thomas Cunniffe offers his views on this funny and enlightening book.

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Classic Coleman Hawkins Sessions, 1922-1947 (Mosaic 251)

Retro Reviews /

Mosaic’s Classic Coleman Hawkins Sessions 1922-1947 includes many of the pioneer tenor saxophonist’s best recordings from the first half of his career. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe details the highlights of the set and praises the outstanding remastering by Andreas Meyer.

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Bird Lore

Book Reviews /

Charlie Parker’s life story has been so clouded with legends, exaggerations and half-truths, that biographies about the bebop genius have explored his life from a number of directions. In this month’s Book Review, Thomas Cunniffe examines wildly different Bird biographies by Chuck Haddix and Stanley Crouch.

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Benny Goodman’s Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert (by Catherine Tackley)

Book Reviews /

Published to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the event, Catherine Tackley’s monograph, Benny Goodman’s Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert examines the performance in great detail. As Thomas Cunniffe notes in his book review, Tackley’s book might have been more valuable with less musical analysis and more information about the recording’s enigmatic history.

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Dameronia: The Life and Music of Tadd Dameron (by Paul Combs)

Book Reviews /

While Tadd Dameron’s music has been beloved by jazz aficionados for decades, the details of his life and work remain quite elusive. Dameronia, a new book by Paul Combs, includes a persuasive argument for Dameron as a chief architect of bebop harmony, but as Thomas Cunniffe points out in his book review, Combs omits any discussion of Dameron’s unique voice-leading techniques.

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Bill Evans Trio: “Live at the Top of the Gate” (Resonance 2012)

Retro Reviews /

Historic recordings by Bill Evans are legion, but not all of the recordings have optimum music or sound. George Klabin and Resonance Records’ new release Live at the Top of the Gate offers the Evans Trio at an important time in their development, and in spectacular sound. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the album.

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Don Ellis: “Soaring” (MPS 1785959)

Retro Reviews /

Don Ellis was best known for his late 1960s band that experimented with odd time signatures and electronic instruments. Through his exploration of ethnomusicology and film music, his concepts deepened through the early 1970s. Michael Verity discusses Ellis’ late masterpiece, Soaring in this Retro Review.

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Duke Ellington: “(Hi-Fi) Ellington Uptown” (Columbia 87066)

Retro Reviews /

The early 50s were not a great time for big bands, but Duke Ellington continued to tour and record with his orchestra, despite several roadblocks. Ellington Uptown, an album released in several versions shows Ellington triumphing over adversity in a profound way. Thomas Cunniffe discusses the original LPs and their compilation on Compact Disc in this Retro Review.

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Les Double Six: “Singin’ Swingin'” (LP: Philips 600 026 CD: RCA 65659)

Retro Reviews /

The Double Six of Paris was unique among vocal jazz groups for their clever vocalese lyrics (sung in French!) and their uncanny way of capturing the nuances of the original instrumental recordings. Amy Duncan discusses the group’s second LP Singin’, Swingin’ in this Retro Review.

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Charlie Haden Quartet West: “Sophisticated Ladies” (EmArcy 15347)

CD Reviews /

Charlie Haden’s romantic Quartet West returns after an 11-year recording hiatus with Sophisticated Ladies, a ballad collection featuring six of today’s top jazz vocalists. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the results.

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Brad Goode: Polytonal Jam Session

CD Reviews /

While trumpeter Brad Goode is well-versed in many jazz styles, he is most interested in progressive jazz. For the past two decades, he has developed a harmonic theory that involves stacking dissonant chords on top of each other. In this feature review, Thomas Cunniffe explains Goode’s theories and reviews two albums that feature the polytonal style.

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John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (Impulse 10591)

Retro Reviews /

In March 1963, John Coltrane made a temporary change in his quartet’s style for a recorded collaboration with ballad singer Johnny Hartman. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe discusses the beauty and legacy of John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman.

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Sonny Clark: “Cool Struttin'” (Blue Note LP: 81588/CD: 46513 or 95327)

Retro Reviews /

Sonny Clark never made a better album than Cool Struttin’. This 1958 Blue Note date may have been conceived as just another blowing date, but the high quality of the music made it an instant classic. As Thomas Cunniffe notes in this Retro Review, the magic starts with the iconic album cover but peaks with the music created by Clark, Art Farmer, Jackie McLean, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones.

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