Harvey Pekar RIP

[RDK]

I remember seeing this when it first aired. I know him mostly from his comic work; will have to dig up some of his jazz reviews/writings.

[Adam]

I've been in touch with Paul Buhle, who co-wrote several books with Pekar on social history as graphic books.

I think these are really nice.

I was supposed to call Harvey about a documentary proposal, but never did. I think his work was fabulous.

A tribute from Paul:

http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Memories-of-Working-With/25471/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

And one from Anthony Bourdain, that Paul forwarded me:

http://anthony-bourdain-blog.travelchannel.com/read/the-original-goodbye-splendor?fbid=-OwjDDqLkuU

Harvey, RIP. You really made a new path in the world.

[Man with the Golden Arm]

And one from Anthony Bourdain, that Paul forwarded me:

http://anthony-bourd...bid=-OwjDDqLkuU

thanks for that! fantastic reflection on a man and his city.

[BruceH]

I had no idea that Bourdain could write.

[Quasimado]

The Navarro piece makes it clear that Harvey was responding to negative assessments of Navarro from other writers, so this must be the one that began as a letter to Martin Williams.

Larry,

Which volume is his piece on Fats in? I tried going through them but couldn't find it. It's a pretty painful process on my old machine...

Q

[Larry Kart]

The Navarro piece makes it clear that Harvey was responding to negative assessments of Navarro from other writers, so this must be the one that began as a letter to Martin Williams.

Larry,

Which volume is his piece on Fats in? I tried going through them but couldn't find it. It's a pretty painful process on my old machine...

Q

November 1959

[Quasimado]

The Navarro piece makes it clear that Harvey was responding to negative assessments of Navarro from other writers, so this must be the one that began as a letter to Martin Williams.

Larry,

Which volume is his piece on Fats in? I tried going through them but couldn't find it. It's a pretty painful process on my old machine...

Q

November 1959

Whoops! Got it - wrong site...

Harvey responds to Bill Crow (in particular) who badly missed the point about Fats in his review of Dec '58. Very perceptive article. Thanks Harvey.

Q

[colinmce]

I found this from an Amazon user review. It made me chuckle

"To say that Lester Young's best work was complete by the early 40's is ridiculous. This is a statement made by a person who clearly knows the subject very little. Mr. Pekar probably read a few reviews and then decided to write his own - without examining the body of work. Dimwit!"

[Adam]

Apparently Harvey's first Jazz Review piece was on Fats Navarro, published in 1959. It should be up on the Jazz Review's online archive.

November 1959 issue

Harvey has this whole story in The Quitter - the Navarro piece was his first, and came after encouragement from William.

[Cliff Englewood]

There is a piece by Harvey Pekar in the book "A Miles Davis Reader", written in '75 or '76 for CODA magazine, talking about his albums from "Miles in Berlin" up to "Bitches Brew", with an emphasis on the second Great Quintet releases. There is nothing special about the piece itself, but I thought it was quite cool that someone was writing about that quintet in such glowing terms at a time when the music and style they played couldn't have been more unhip. He really makes a point of saying, "hey this stuff wasn't very popular at the time but do yourself a favout and check it out now, it's great".

[Man with the Golden Arm]

Fresh Air did a nice replay of some Pekar ... lead me to look up Kent State P R commentaries.

http://www.wksu.org/news/commentators/pekar/

[mjzee]

Here's an appreciation of Harvey Pekar and Tuli Kupferberg:

The Forward

[.:.impossible]

I've been disconnected lately and just read this last night. Harvey deserved to live forever, in whatever physical state. It was in his character. RIP. Thanks for being your self.