Jazz-related book reviewed by writer who hates jazz

[ejp626]

What an annoying, navel-gazing review. No point in hating the book reviewed -- not the writer's fault they picked such a ditz -- but I will obviously need to find another source to find out if it is any good.

To live in Chicago and not love jazz smacks of deliberate and unrelieved masochism. ... But I still hate jazz. The music leaves me cold -- yet perversely, I love the idea of jazz. I love the image of hip, swinging, subversive people who live by their own rules, who revel in melancholy, who blow sexy, dangerous notes in out-of-the-way places.

It's just the music I can't stand. It always sounds like rehearsal, not performance. It sounds to me the way a kid's scribbled picture looks: It's the sort of thing only a parent could love.

But I'm ready to give the genre a second chance, thanks to the wonderfully lustrous and effortlessly instructive essays in David Hajdu's sparkling new collection, "Heroes and Villains: Essays on Music, Movies, Comics, and Culture" (Da Capo).

Review continues

[Spontooneous]

What a ridiculous public wank this review is.

But I can say from experience, it has something that newspaper editors value highly: Pop culture references!

[Larry Kart]

To blow sexy, dangerous notes in out-of-the-way places is the goal of every jazz musician.

[AllenLowe]

yes, which is why that writer is blowing it up his butt -

[Patrick]

or her?

[AllenLowe]

whoops - did I read it too fast?

[Adam]

I just read Hajdu's book on the comic book scare of the 1950s, The Ten-Cent Plague, and thought it pretty solid and well-written.

And he did write the generally well-received bio of Billy Strayhorn, right?

[AllenLowe]

that's him - he also wrote something about Dylan and the Farina sisters, and used to be - maybe still is - a critic for the New Republic -

Edited October 19, 2009 by AllenLowe

[RJ Spangler]

I found the Strayhorn book very informative.

[Noj]

I had this comment ready to go on the page, but didn't feel like registering.

Jazz is not a snooty stage presence or a liquored up condescending hipster. Jazz is a music with countless beautiful melodies and goose-pimpling moments of virtuoso artistry. It is inviting and welcoming to any ear wiling to listen. Jazz is no different from any music anyone enjoys, requiring no more effort or understanding than tuning the radio and waiting for it to hit you.

One good thing about music, when it hits you you feel no pain.

[fasstrack]

What an annoying, navel-gazing review. No point in hating the book reviewed -- not the writer's fault they picked such a ditz -- but I will obviously need to find another source to find out if it is any good.

To live in Chicago and not love jazz smacks of deliberate and unrelieved masochism. ... But I still hate jazz. The music leaves me cold -- yet perversely, I love the idea of jazz. I love the image of hip, swinging, subversive people who live by their own rules, who revel in melancholy, who blow sexy, dangerous notes in out-of-the-way places.

It's just the music I can't stand. It always sounds like rehearsal, not performance. It sounds to me the way a kid's scribbled picture looks: It's the sort of thing only a parent could love.

But I'm ready to give the genre a second chance, thanks to the wonderfully lustrous and effortlessly instructive essays in David Hajdu's sparkling new collection, "Heroes and Villains: Essays on Music, Movies, Comics, and Culture" (Da Capo).

Review continues

Russell George told me a story: A guy BSs his way up the food chain of a reputable paper in the Fort Worth area. He becomes critic-at-large. He's assigned a Charlie Parker album to review and writes:

'The guy sounds good------but he sounds like he's making it up as he goes along!'

I'm not sure if a MacArthur genius award was presented for that...........

[AllenLowe]

I like that - reminds me of years ago, there was a jazz station they started in Stamford Connecticut; as time went on the station got more and more commerical and "smooth" jazz oriented, until one day a memo circulated telling djs that they were not to play anythings that had "excessive improvisation."

[JSngry]

Russell George told me a story: A guy BSs his way up the food chain of a reputable paper in the Fort Worth area. He becomes critic-at-large. He's assigned a Charlie Parker album to review and writes:

'The guy sounds good------but he sounds like he's making it up as he goes along!'

I'm not sure if a MacArthur genius award was presented for that...........

Michael corcoran was his name, Dallas Morning News was the paper. Most Overrated Musicians Of All Time (or something quite similar) was the article, & Otis Redding was also included, fwiw. Corcoran got a tiny bit of cred for documenting something in the Austin scene once upon a time and rides it to this day. The article in question was so ludicrous, such a combination of obviousness & obliviousness that it was impossible to tell if it was tongue in cheek or not. Corcoran "left" the paper a bit afterwards.

Nobody objected.

[7/4]

Russell George told me a story: A guy BSs his way up the food chain of a reputable paper in the Fort Worth area. He becomes critic-at-large. He's assigned a Charlie Parker album to review and writes:

'The guy sounds good------but he sounds like he's making it up as he goes along!'

I'm not sure if a MacArthur genius award was presented for that...........

[WD45]

I like that - reminds me of years ago, there was a jazz station they started in Stamford Connecticut; as time went on the station got more and more commerical and "smooth" jazz oriented, until one day a memo circulated telling djs that they were not to play anythings that had "excessive improvisation."

excessive improvisation - my favorite kind!