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“I WENT DOWN TO ST. JAMES INFIRMARY” (by Robert W. Harwood)
Jack Teagarden said that “St. James Infirmary” was the oldest blues he ever heard. No one knows who composed the original song, but from 1925-1931, several pretenders claimed copyright and publishing rights. In the third edition of his book “I Went Down to St. James Infirmary”, Robert W. Harwood examines the history of the classic…
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DANGEROUS RHYTHMS: JAZZ & THE UNDERWORLD (by T.J. English)
Early in the book “Dangerous Rhythms: Jazz and the Underworld” (Morrow), author T.J. English states :The history of organized crime, much like the history of jazz, is part fact and part mythology.” English includes several tall tales in his text, and Thomas Cunniffe questions the veracity of the mob and music myths in this book…
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RHYTHM MAN (by Stephanie Stein Crease)
Time is an essential element of many types of art, including music, movies, and theatre. Any type of movement in the performing arts takes place against the framework of the clock. Orchestral musicians must play their parts in strict relationship to a pulse set by the conductor, while stage actors have time cues for their…
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“RUMINATIONS & REFLECTIONS” (by Dave Liebman & Richie Beirach)
Saxophonist Dave Liebman and pianist Richie Beirach have created compelling music together for the past 50 years, and their joint memoir “Ruminations and Reflections” collects their stories and opinions from interviews, letters and lectures. Thomas Cunniffe offers his review of the book, which manages to be both enlightening and frustrating in equal degrees.
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“SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS: THE LIFE & MUSIC OF SONNY ROLLINS” (by Aidan Levy)
Sonny Rollins is rightly considered “the world’s greatest living jazz improviser” even though he has been unable to play his tenor saxophone for several years. Yet, very little has been published about Rollins’ personal life. A massive 700+ page biography by Aidan Levy rectifies the situation with pages of previously undocumented information, and an incredible…
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“THE REAL AMBASSADORS” (by Keith Hatschek)
It has taken 60 years, but the story of Dave and Iola Brubeck’s pioneering musical “The Real Ambassadors” has been told in a full-length book. Using vintage interviews and materials from the Louis Armstrong and Dave Brubeck archives, author Keith Hatschek examines the work in the larger scope of the civil rights movement, as well…
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MARY LOU WILLIAMS: MUSIC FOR THE SOUL (by Deanna Witkowski)
Mary Lou Williams was not only the most important female musician in jazz history; she was a major force in the music’s development. For the past two decades, Deanna Witkowski has researched Williams’ life and music. Thomas Cunniffe reviews Witkowski’s new book on Williams’ life, and her new CD which features Williams’ music.
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TIMES REMEMBERED: THE FINAL YEARS OF THE BILL EVANS TRIO (by Joe La Barbera & Charles Levin)
When drummer Joe La Barbera was hired as the newest member of the Bill Evans trio in January 1979, he knew that Evans had a long-standing addiction to drugs. Evans died of his addiction just 19 months later, while La Barbera was still with the band. The triumphs and tribulations of that final edition of…
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ODE TO A TENOR TITAN (by Bill Milkowski)
Idolized by fellow musicians but ignored by traditional jazz critics, Michael Brecker proved time and again that he was a worthy member of the great jazz tenor legacy. Bill Milkowski, who knew Brecker and understood his importance at the time, has written a new biography “Ode to a Tenor Titan” which documents Brecker’s astounding talent…
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“SITTIN’ IN: JAZZ CLUBS OF THE 1940s & 1950s” (by Jeff Gold)
Live music and venues were one of the first casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic, and while some venues are reopening with reduced seating capacity, it may be several months before we can all enjoy an evening at a nightclub. Jeff Gold’s new book “Sittin’ In” offers an unusual look at the legendary clubs of the…