Any suggestions after reading Richard Cook and Ashley Kahn?

[JohnBlutarski]

just finished reading "Blue Note Records" by Richard Cook, after finishing "The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records" by Ashley Kahn. I'm wondering if anybody has a suggestion for me, for what to read after this, thematically by record company?

JB

Edited April 16, 2007 by JohnBlutarski

[montg]

Tad Hershorn has been working on a book about Norman Granz and Verve...it has been listed at Amazon as forthcoming for about two years now I'm not sure when it will actually be published. The book 'West Coast Jazz' by Gioia, though not specifcally about a label, focuses a lot on Pacific and Contemporary--it's a highly enjoyable read.

Edited April 19, 2007 by montg

[Kyo]

There is a book about Theresa Records that I've been meaning to get for quite some time, maybe someone else can comment on it (and mention the title which escapes me right now).

[jazzbo]

A really good read is Milt Gabler's long interview about Commodore Records that was included in one of the Mosaic sets, and is available in a big book called "The Jazz Reader."

[Niko]

The book 'West Coast Jazz' by Gioia, though not specifcally about a label, focuses a lot on Pacific and Contemporary--it's a highly enjoyable read.

[JohnS]

The book 'West Coast Jazz' by Gioia, though not specifcally about a label, focuses a lot on Pacific and Contemporary--it's a highly enjoyable read.

I can also recommend this book. One of the best jazz books I've read. Almost every page made me want to pull out the records.

[andybleaden]

You could read Kahn's other work on Kind of Blue

I am really enjoying the new ECM book at the moment.

I also have in the pile the Lee Morgan book which looks more interesting that I had first thought.

If you are really stuck for new books then there are some lovely older books like the As Serious As Your Life book by Val Wilmer which I enjoyed immensly.

Another one I enjoyed was The Musical Life of Gigi Gryce by N Cohen I think his name was.

The last one to throw at you if you want something a little different is Eric Dolphy. A Musical Biography and Discography by Vladimir Simosko and Barry Tepperman

and then....!!! if you are really stuck...get your old box sets out and get to grips with the notes!

[porcy62]

Why not Geoff Dyer's "But Beautiful" or Julio Cortázar's "The Pursuer", not history, but great books about jazz and jazzmen.

[Kyo]

The book I was talking about is titled

Producing Jazz: The Experience of an Independent Record Company

by Herman Gray

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...F8&v=glance

[ghost of miles]

Not sure if it's ever been put online, but you might be interested in resident poster Dan Gould's interview with Bob Weinstock of Prestige.

Brief online interview with another resident poster--Chuck Nessa--about his label.

Not jazz, but definitely worth checking out:

Little Labels, Big Sound

For early jazz & the Gennett label, one of the above's co-authors wrote this one:

Jelly Roll, Bix & Hoagy

...which is also well worth reading.

[fomafomic65]

just finished reading "Blue Note Records" by Richard Cook, after finishing "The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records" by Ashley Kahn. I'm wondering if anybody has a suggestion for me, for what to read after this, thematically by record company?

JB

If you want to go a little deeper, some of the best writing about jazz I ever red is "Free Jazz" by Ekkehard Jost, a book reprinted many times from his first publishing in 1971. Talks about many Impulse! artists (Coltrane, Shepp, Sun Ra, Ayler, Mingus etc.). A deep and thoughtful work. Another really great book is Bill Evans' byography "How My Heart Sings", which now I cannot remember the writer. These two classic books are made by professional musicians, pretty gifted in writing and heartly involved in their subject.

Bye

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Little labels, big sound is a good one.

For more detail about a specific label, there's Charlie Gillette's "Making Tracks: Atlantic Records and the Growth of a Multi-Billion-Dollar Industry", which is very good indeed. It's out of print now, but there are some second hand at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/087...3545&sr=1-5

You may be able to get it from a library.

There are also decent bios of Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler.

MG

[ghost of miles]

Have not read this one yet, and the label trafficked in blues much more than jazz--but might be worth taking a look:

Spinnng Blues into Gold: the Chess Brothers and the Legendary Chess Records

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Have not read this one yet, and the label trafficked in blues much more than jazz--but might be worth taking a look:

Spinnng Blues into Gold: the Chess Brothers and the Legendary Chess Records

Thanks Ghost - didn't know about that Chess book.

MG

[Big Beat Steve]

The book 'West Coast Jazz' by Gioia, though not specifcally about a label, focuses a lot on Pacific and Contemporary--it's a highly enjoyable read.

I can also recommend this book. One of the best jazz books I've read. Almost every page made me want to pull out the records.

After this book has been seconded here, I'll herewith third it. D:

And to go on in a different vein (following up the Chess ansd Atlantic recommendations), how about doing you book reading online for a while?

This site

http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/rsrf.html

will tell you a lot of details about a LOT of Chicago blues and jazz labels from the golden era. More than you could possibly ever put into a printed book. But beware - it IS geared towards collectors who a sticklers for details too.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

The book 'West Coast Jazz' by Gioia, though not specifcally about a label, focuses a lot on Pacific and Contemporary--it's a highly enjoyable read.

I can also recommend this book. One of the best jazz books I've read. Almost every page made me want to pull out the records.

After this book has been seconded here, I'll herewith third it. D:

And to go on in a different vein (following up the Chess ansd Atlantic recommendations), how about doing you book reading online for a while?

This site

http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/rsrf.html

will tell you a lot of details about a LOT of Chicago blues and jazz labels from the golden era. More than you could possibly ever put into a printed book. But beware - it IS geared towards collectors who a sticklers for details too.

That Red Saunders site is very, very interesting. Good call, Steve.

MG

[Kalo]

The book 'West Coast Jazz' by Gioia, though not specifcally about a label, focuses a lot on Pacific and Contemporary--it's a highly enjoyable read.

I can also recommend this book. One of the best jazz books I've read. Almost every page made me want to pull out the records.

Yes!

Why not Geoff Dyer's "But Beautiful" ...

Yes, indeed!

[JohnBlutarski]

Tad Hershorn has been working on a book about Norman Granz and Verve...it has been listed at Amazon as forthcoming for about two years now I'm not sure when it will actually be published. The book 'West Coast Jazz' by Gioia, though not specifcally about a label, focuses a lot on Pacific and Contemporary--it's a highly enjoyable read.

looking forward to that first one, too.

and thanks for tip of the second one. it's getting rave reviews on Amazon, too.

JB

[JohnBlutarski]

You could read Kahn's other work on Kind of Blue

I am really enjoying the new ECM book at the moment.

I also have in the pile the Lee Morgan book which looks more interesting that I had first thought.

If you are really stuck for new books then there are some lovely older books like the As Serious As Your Life book by Val Wilmer which I enjoyed immensly.

Another one I enjoyed was The Musical Life of Gigi Gryce by N Cohen I think his name was.

The last one to throw at you if you want something a little different is Eric Dolphy. A Musical Biography and Discography by Vladimir Simosko and Barry Tepperman

and then....!!! if you are really stuck...get your old box sets out and get to grips with the notes!

thanks a lot!!! this will keep me busy for this summer!!

JB

[JohnBlutarski]

The book 'West Coast Jazz' by Gioia, though not specifcally about a label, focuses a lot on Pacific and Contemporary--it's a highly enjoyable read.

I can also recommend this book. One of the best jazz books I've read. Almost every page made me want to pull out the records.

After this book has been seconded here, I'll herewith third it. D:

And to go on in a different vein (following up the Chess ansd Atlantic recommendations), how about doing you book reading online for a while?

This site

http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/rsrf.html

will tell you a lot of details about a LOT of Chicago blues and jazz labels from the golden era. More than you could possibly ever put into a printed book. But beware - it IS geared towards collectors who a sticklers for details too.

wowwww, what a great site, this is!!!

thanks a lot!!

(nice reading during my nightshift, right now... :))

JB

[JohnBlutarski]

I'm having the other books by Kahn already on a pile at home.

The biography about Lee Morgan is on it's way over the ocean...

and I think I'm going to order "West Coast Jazz" tonight, after so many recommendations.

(or I'll go to a bookstore tomorrow afternoon, I'd like to support my local book and record stores)

JB

Edited April 22, 2007 by JohnBlutarski

[JohnBlutarski]

May I thank all of you for the suggestions? pretty much all of them seem to be very interesting!!

JB

[JohnBlutarski]

btw, sorry for the overload of reactions by myself....