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Post by Admin on Jun 24, 2013 20:01:39 GMT -5
Allen Lowe's discussion of Jazz and it's roots. I personally find it compelling. However, the reviews aren't too kind. That Devlin‘ Tune: A Jazz History, 1900-1950. By Allen Lowe. Berkeley, CA: Music and Arts Program of America, Inc., 2001. 312 pages. ISBN: 1-931388-00-8. $19.95 (book only). Publisher’s website: www.musicandarts.com. Reviewed by Tim Brooks There has long been a debate about the extent to which recordings, especially those from the early part of the twentieth century, reflect the true state of music during that era. Obviously, only certain types of music were recorded (to grossly oversimplify, no real “jazz” before 1917, no country music before 1923), and only a limited number of artists were invited to record. Most ARSC members presumably agree that whatever the limitations, recordings are an essential tool in understanding musical history. Allen Lowe certainly thinks so, and has built two books around the premise that recordings are the roadmap to musical America. Moreover, he has accompanied both of those books with enormous CD sets keyed to the text, containing hundreds of original recordings that literally allow you to hear the records he is talking about, as he talks about them. The first of these magnum opuses was American Pop from Minstrel To Mojo: On Record, 1893-1956 (Cadence Jazz Books, 1997). That book emphasized black influences on American popular music, and the nine-disc CD set, sold separately, contained 215 tracks dating from 1893 to 1946, many of them rare and fascinating recordings. Now we have That Devlin‘ Tune, a similarly idiosyncratic history of jazz as seen through its recordings. This one is supposed to be accompanied by a 36-CD set containing more than 800 recordings (!!), although the CD’s were unfortunately not available for review here. Lowe’s basic premise is that there were a great many underappreciated and under recognized contributors to the evolution of jazz. “My hope in writing all this,” he says, “is only that the occasional name will catch the occasional eye of the occasional reader, and deliver one more musician, dead or alive, from the humiliations of obscurity.” He is not, however, referring to truly obscure musicians, but rather to those not usually associated with jazz–or in some cases, generally denounced as faux-jazz. Thus in Allen Lowe’s new and greatly enlarged pantheon of jazz influencers we have such names as Irving Berlin, Al Jolson, Nora Bayes, Herbert Clarke, Len Spencer, Arthur Collins, Al Bernard, Bert Williams, Paul Whiteman, Ted (“and while we’re on the subject of musicians who get no respect…”) Lewis, Merle Travis and even Doris Day. This is a laudable goal. I’m glad someone else has discovered Len Spencer’s 1902 Columbia recording of “On Emancipation Day” (from In Dahomey), with its incredible ragtime piano accompaniment. These were not jazz artists, but they did meaningfully influence the music. How much? Of Helen Forrest’s “I’d Be Lost Without You” (1940) he observes “records like that brought out the best in singers like Forrest who, if they didn’t exactly let their hair down, at least lifted their skirts a little.” The title of the book, in fact, comes from just such an unlikely source. Stella Mayhew’s 1910 Edison cylinder of “That Devilin’ Tune” is a recording of a show tune from Al Jolson’s first Winter Garden revue, La Belle Paree. While syncopated and undeniably “black,” it sounds to me like a fairly typical “coon song” of the period. However Lowe hears “possibly the first real jazz recording, the first one that swings and shows the freedom of jazz interpretation” (p.39). To the Edison folks it was simply “her characterization of the hilarious wench whose mad infatuation is for just that one beguiling strain–’De Develin’ Tune’.” Readers can listen to the CD and make up their own minds, but it is just this sort of provocative opinion, and citing of offbeat influences, that characterizes Lowe’s book.
Of course Lowe deals with the jazz greats as well, Armstrong, Oliver, Ellington et al. His comments often include interesting insights, for example in his analysis of the eccentric, enigmatic pianist Thelonious Monk.
The author does sound a little uncertain about some of the influences he cites. Discussing George Olsen’s very commercial 1920s orchestra, he observes that “the better white dance bands of the 1920s were malleable machines though their music sounded, sometimes, cloying to those used to the more anarchic black groups.” Olsen’s “Sam the Accordion Man,” though “soft and crooning,” was “unable to contain an almost inadvertent swing.” As for the band’s moaning vocal trio (Bob Borger, Fran Frey, Bob Rice), they reflect “the very attractive, silky, but deadpan crooning of singers who prefigure the swinging monotone of such later white jazz singers as Mose Allison and Bobby Troup.” Uh huh. While some might consider that a bit over-the-top, it nevertheless makes the point that all music influences all other music, at least to some degree, and historians are often rather narrow in what they include and exclude from the tributaries to jazz.
Lowe is a good writer, engaging, knowledgeable, and very, very opinionated. That in itself is not unusual for the field of jazz, where strongly held opinions are as thick as ‘skeeters on a warm New Orleans night. But Lowe’s frequent denunciations of prior writers, and his critiques of those he likes and (more often) doesn’t like, become a little tiring after a while. Even some footnotes are turned into mini-book reviews. In a reference to William Howland Kenney’s Chicago Jazz (p.263), he says “Kenney is one of those critics who has done excellent sociological research on the jazz milieu but who lacks some essential musical understanding…” After several sentences criticizing Kenney’s book, he ends by taking a swipe at Strom Thurmond and George Bush, just for good measure.
Hardly any secondary source is introduced without an often-critical evaluation. Lowe seems to have a particular love-hate relationship with Richard Sudhalter’s controversial Lost Chords: White Musicians and Their Contributions to Jazz, 1915-1945. On one hand his research and analysis is lacking according to Lowe (“his naivete is somewhat shocking for a music historian…”). However Sudhalter is clearly a kindred spirit, seeking to shed light on previously underappreciated musicians, many of whom Lowe agrees had significant influence on the development of jazz. This was usually not a matter of whether they were black or white, but rather that they have heretofore been considered as too “commercial.”
Although I usually don’t note the physical aspects of a book such as this, mention should be made of the unfortunately sloppy production standards here. Early copies were shipped with numerous pages missing; the reader might begin a section on Cliff Edwards, and suddenly find himself in the midst of a discussion of the Original Memphis Five (make sure you don’t get one of those!). Also, the thin, laminated cover won’t stay flat no matter what you do, curling sharply back as if recoiling from the contents of the book it is supposed to enclose.
The proofing has also been spotty. Titles and dates are misstated (for example it’s “Sam, the Old Accordion Man,” not “Sam the Accordion Man”, and “De Develin’ Tune,” not “That Devilin’ Tune.” Also, the Mayhew cylinder is from 1911, not 1910). Perhaps the most bizarre error is the repeated misidentification of Bert Williams’ partner in the famous theatrical team of Williams and Walker. In some places (including a section heading) he’s William Walker, in another William Moore, and in still another George Walker. The latter is correct.
If you can get past the loud opinions and annoying production problems, That Devilin’ Tune is a engaging book, well written and generally successful in its attempt to resuscitate the reputations of numerous recording artists who influenced jazz in one way or another. The CD set should be an excellent resource as well–if you can afford it. Lowe cites many specific records and published sources, and you’ll probably find that you will want to check some of them out, as I did. If you do only that, That Devilin’ Tune will have accomplished its purpose
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Post by Admin on Jun 26, 2013 5:28:19 GMT -5
There have been numerous discussions around the internet about the roots of R&B. I find this book a great reference: Honkers and Shouters: The Golden Years of Rhythm and Blues By Arnold Shaw Product Details Paperback Publisher: Macmillan Pub Co (March 1986) Language: English ISBN-10: 0020617402 ISBN-13: 978-0020617402
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Post by AlanB on Jun 26, 2013 6:45:09 GMT -5
There have been numerous discussions around the internet about the roots of R&B. I find this book a great reference: Honkers and Shouters: The Golden Years of Rhythm and Blues By Arnold Shaw Product Details Paperback Publisher: Macmillan Pub Co (March 1986) Language: English ISBN-10: 0020617402 ISBN-13: 978-0020617402 When first published by Macmillan1978 this was THE reference work of its time. It is the most referred to book I own, mainly due to the fact that every chapter is based upon interviews Shaw had conducted during the previous two decades. An invaluable resource. The first book of Shaw's I ever purchased was The Rock Revolution: What's happening in today's music Macmillan Press, 1969. The last book I owned of his was Black Popular Music In America. From The Spirituals, Minstrels And Ragtime To Soul, Disco And Hip-Hop Schirmer Books, 1986. I corresponded with him a couple of times shortly prior to his death.
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Post by Admin on Jul 10, 2013 21:42:37 GMT -5
Just finished reading Dan Aykroyd's Elwood's Blues: Interviews With The Blues Legends and Stars. Couldn't put it down.
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Post by Admin on Jul 22, 2013 10:19:26 GMT -5
The BBC's Jazz Book of the Year for 2008. Few jazz musicians have had the lasting influence or attracted as much scholarly study as John Coltrane. Yet, despite dozens of books, hundreds of articles, and his own recorded legacy, the "facts" about Coltrane's life and work have never been definitely established. Well-known Coltrane biographer and jazz educator Lewis Porter has assembled an international team of scholars to write The John Coltrane Reference, an indispensable guide to the life and music of John Coltrane. The John Coltrane Reference features a a day-by-day chronology, which extends from 1926-1967, detailing Coltrane's early years and every live performance given by Coltrane as either a sideman or leader, and a discography offering full session information from the first year of recordings, 1946, to the last, 1967. The appendices list every film and television appearance, as well as every recorded interview. Richly illustrated with over 250 album covers and photos from the collection of Yasuhiro Fujioka, The John Coltrane Reference will find a place in every major library supporting a jazz studies program, as well as John Coltrane enthusiasts.
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Post by Admin on Jul 27, 2013 6:37:33 GMT -5
The Jazz Makers: Essays on the Greats of Jazz Product Details Paperback: 368 pages Publisher: Da Capo Pr; 1St Edition edition (September 1979) Language: English ISBN-10: 0306801051 ISBN-13: 978-0306801051 Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
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Post by Admin on Aug 17, 2013 8:33:51 GMT -5
Fats Waller by Maurice; Callabrese, Anthony Waller (His Son) Product Details Paperback: 255 pages Publisher: Music Sales Corporation (1997) Language: English ISBN-10: 0028648854 ISBN-13: 978-0028648859
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Post by carolinablues on Aug 29, 2013 19:22:13 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on Oct 1, 2013 8:37:42 GMT -5
Jazz - A History by Frank Tirro Product Details Paperback: 720 pages Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 2nd edition (May 17, 1993) Language: English ISBN-10: 0393963683 ISBN-13: 978-0393963687 This reads like what it is - a textbook. Short bios on key players and miscellaneous theory. Here's a fair review: A potpourri of Jazz Music, Theory and History October 11, 2010 By Herbert L Calhoun Format:PaperbackWhile not exactly the full story of America's only classical music, this loose collection of short bios of the key players, histories, vignettes, musical charts and themes, comes very close to telling the complete story of the music. All that is missing is a social backdrop, a plot, a subplot, a theme: a reason d'etre for Jazz's emergence and existence. I believe the only mistake of an otherwise fine book was to leave as an exercise for the reader, or perhaps for the "real" historians, rather than for this musicologist, the unravelling of the connection between American society and the development of America's original classical music. Obviously the one affected the other, greatly. To the extent Jazz is uniquely American music, formulated in the European tradition, it could only have become what it is because of the peculiarities of American society itself. Thus to have avoided even venturing into speculative mention of how the social context of American society inevitably led to Jazz's development and has since affected its progression throughout, is to leave the only hole in an otherwise fine example of American musicology. This rather glaring omission is all the more obvious given the evolutionary track that Jazz's development took: from African rhythms, calls and responses, to slave field chants, to black prison chain gang work songs, to New Orleans funereal marches, to the blues of those on the outskirts of main stream American society, to the big bands of the 1920-30s, to bop and bebop of the late 40s and 50s, to the modern progressive jazz innovations that followed. Even in relief, this evolutionary track allowed the reader to understand the most important history about Jazz only by reading between the lines, where he could then see the connections between the music and the larger societal forces that actually produced it. It seems to me that this missing connection to the music is one of the most important elements in fully understanding the true meaning of the music itself? In this same regard, I have a theory that inner city "Rap" music also emerged as a result of similar societal constraints: Due to tax constraints because of "white flight" from America's inner cities, ghetto kids no longer have valid music programs in their greatly diminished schools. All one needs to do to understand the effect of this, is go to a patriotic holiday parade in an inner city and see that the inner city schools no longer have instruments. They show up with drill teams,teams of baton twirlers and drum corps, all without musical instruments and with very little musical training. Again, only in relief does one then understand why and how "rap" had to be invented to fill that gap. The racist rules of American society have never been trivial in such instances. With that beef out of the way, what this book brings to the party is the ability to summarize the meaning of the music and its theory at each cusp in the evolutionary tree in short pithy (though often inelegant) pieces; and to link these with insider understanding of the relevant aspects of the music business itself, aspects that were also pivotal to the almost random directions the Jazz trajectory took (but again the element of race is carefully avoided). At every turn, these mostly black musicians were constrained both in their creativity and in their ability to make a living out of the art they produced by the peculiar racist constraints of American society. Thus, at least as interesting as the history and the music itself, is the way in which the rules of society cramped the music and the musicians on both sides of the color divide. For instance, rather surprisingly, the musical groups were racially integrated as far back as the turn of the century with brisk collaboration going on between musicians even while the society itself remained in the racial dark ages. Unfortunately, a great deal of this collaboration was unidirectional often resulting in whites either ignoring or "appropriating" much of the "colored creations." They did so for no reason other than, because "society said that they could." Black musicians on the other hand were constantly being harassed with petty societal rules and requirements from, cabaret licenses, to segregated facilities, to having to join unions that only wanted their dues, to frequently being cheated and being grossly underpaid for their creative outputs compared to their white counterparts. It is unfortunate that the book just ignored the hoops and barriers that those who produced this music (often more appreciated in other lands than at home) had to go through to produce it.
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Post by Admin on Nov 27, 2013 11:19:31 GMT -5
Taking Alan's advice, I ordered this At first glance, it seems to do an admirable job of capturing the high points. Not much in-depth though? But what can you expect in 386 pages covering a couple of centuries? smiley-laughing024
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Post by Admin on Dec 6, 2013 8:08:34 GMT -5
Profiles in Jazz: From Sidney Bechet to John Coltran by Raymond Horricks Product Details Hardcover: 274 pages Publisher: Transaction Publishers (January 1, 1991) Language: English ISBN-10: 0887384323 ISBN-13: 978-0887384325 Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1 inches Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
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Post by Admin on Dec 6, 2013 8:12:51 GMT -5
Legends of the Blues - By William Stout Product Details Hardcover: 240 pages Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; Har/Com Il edition (May 7, 2013) Language: English ISBN-10: 1419706861 ISBN-13: 978-1419706868 Product Dimensions: 1 x 5.8 x 7.5 inches
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Post by tom1960 on Dec 7, 2013 20:44:28 GMT -5
An honest often brutal account of the life of Art Pepper.
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Post by Admin on Jan 6, 2014 11:02:23 GMT -5
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Post by AlanB on Jan 6, 2014 11:15:11 GMT -5
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