Chicago Tribune Article on Jazz Record Mart

[paul secor]

Article on Chicago's Jazz Record Mart:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-ent-0615-jazz-record-store-20110614,0,2445436.column

[Chicago Expat]

Where the article says this...

The reasons [for success] are many, though the leading one is the saddest.

"We're doing so well (because) there's virtually no competition," says Koester, pointing to the shuttering of the Virgin Megastore and Tower Records several years ago, the recent closing of multiple Borders stores (particularly the mother ship on North Michigan Avenue) and the meager music inventory at Barnes & Noble outlets.

That JRM is thriving because national chains like Virgin and Borders had to close is, IMO, not a reason for sadness, but evidence that god likes to spin some Coltrane from time to time.

Edited June 20, 2011 by Chicago Expat

[Brute]

I try to make the journey to JRM once a year. I love that store. As an aside, Howard Reich is the author of "Jelly's Blues: The Life, Music, and Redemption of Jelly Roll Morton" which is an excellent book and is highly recommended.

[johnlitweiler]

As an aside, Howard Reich is the author of "Jelly's Blues: The Life, Music, and Redemption of Jelly Roll Morton" which is an excellent book and is highly recommended.

Quite the contrary, not excellent and not recommended at all. The book is largely a rehash of Lomax, whom Reich claimed to despise. Most of the new parts of Reich's book are, he claims, based on Bill Russell's collection and Russell's interviews, along with Morton's letters. Morton's words (in Russell's collection) refute plenty of Reich's assertions and what Reich selects to quote are quite misleading. You can read Morton's letters in the huge Bill Russell volume "Oh Mr. Jelly" - expensive to buy, but it is widely available in libraries. Duck Baker wrote a thoughtful review of the Reich book in Jazz Times and I reviewed Russell in Signal To Noise - both books appeared about the same time.

A large part of Morton's conspiracy theory was, he believed that Jews and, to a lesser extent, Communists were out to destroy him. Reich omitted that part but bought the rest of JRM's conspiracy theory. Like other jazz musicians of JRM's generation, he was just beginning to recover from the Great Depression in 1938 when Lomax, an $18-a-week employee at Library of Congress, conducted those wonderful interviews. A few months later JRM was stabbed near his heart and nearly died. His progressive decline after that (including complications of asthma) caused him to not show up for some important many gigs or recording sessions. This caused people like John Hammond to consider him unreliable. Reich calls Anita a usurper and condemned her white successors for being JRM's heirs. Morton, who like Anita passed for white at times (including the near-classic NORK session), called Anita "the only woman I ever loved." Contrary to JRM's Jewish conspiracy theory, he gave his weakest, most archaic, latter-day big-band charts to Goodman, which may be why Goodman never bought them - the best of them, "Gan-Jam," which Goodman never saw or heard, eventually got played on a Randy Sandke CD. One of Reich's sillier insistences is that JRM was born in 1885 despite the proof he was born 4-5 years later. These are just a few examples that come to mind this noon.

The other extreme from Reich is analyzing reasons for JRM's lifetime of erratic behavior. "Dead Man Blues" by Phil Pastras is a basically valuable book marred by stuff like Pastras' idea that JRM was a repressed homosexual. The U. of CA edition of Lomax, with afterword by Larry Gushee, is the one to read.

[Brute]

Well, clearly you're the expert, dude. I'll be looking forward to reading your book next.

I was hoping there was an emoticon that whistled "Zippity Doo Dah" out of his asshole but I didn't see one.

Edited June 21, 2011 by Brute

[Dan Gould]

Personally I am a lot more swayed by John Litweiler telling me to steer clear than by anything you'd say.

Pal.

[Brute]

OK. Everyone is a critic.

Pal.

Read the book, don't read the book. Who really gives a shit? Geez, I must smell like toilet paper because everytime I post something at this place I have assholes jumping all over me.

Edited June 21, 2011 by Brute

[Larry Kart]

Well, clearly you're the expert, dude. I'll be looking forward to reading your book next.

:

Make that books. There are at least three: "The Freedom Principle: Jazz After 1958," Ornette Coleman: A Harmolodic Life," and a novel "Mojo Snake Minuet."

[Brute]

Wow. I'm impressed. I've read your book, Larry. I paid a quarter for it when my public library weeded it out of their collection due to low circulation. I'll refrain from reviewing it since I happen to be a music fan and not a critic.

[papsrus]

wtf?

[Dan Gould]

Pretty sure when you post this

I was hoping there was an emoticon that whistled "Zippity Doo Dah" out of his asshole but I didn't see one.

you richly deserve a whole bunch of shit. You think the book is great, Litweiler gives you chapter and verse why its not. He deserves some respect, unless you're really Reich or one of his relatives.

[Brute]

Whatever. Nobody "deserves respect". Respect is something that is earned and no one who has posted after me in this thread will be recieving it from me.

I'm not a literary critic and I'm not a music critic. I'm just a guy who enjoyed reading the book. It was the first book that I read on JRM and will likely be the last. I really don't feel the need to defend my opinion anymore so if you if you want to know why daddy is salty, you can lick his sack to find out.

Edited June 21, 2011 by Brute

[alankin]

wtff?

[JSngry]

wtff?

You will not be receiving respect from Brut, as you have posed in this thread after him.

Proceed accordingly.

[Brute]

That's correct and don't forget about the sack.

[Larry Kart]

Wow. I'm impressed. I've read your book, Larry. I paid a quarter for it when my public library weeded it out of their collection due to low circulation. I'll refrain from reviewing it since I happen to be a music fan and not a critic.

Just to be clear, in case anyone is confused -- those three books I mentioned were written by Litweiler, not me.

[Brute]

Yes, for clarification's sake, the one I bought for 25 cents was "Jazz in Search of Itself".

[JSngry]

[Dan Gould]

A charming fellow and he wonders why he feels so put upon.

Maybe he's just upset that he realizes the Jelly Roll book he chose wasn't the best one but he can't see shelling out for a decent, accurate bio.

[JSngry]

I think the sack lunch is probably a big baloney sammich.

[Brute]

A charming fellow and he wonders why he feels so put upon.

Maybe he's just upset that he realizes the Jelly Roll book he chose wasn't the best one but he can't see shelling out for a decent, accurate bio.

Why thank you, madam. Although, I'm not upset at all. I read that book for entertainment not for scholarly research. Is it historically accurate? I dunno but it was an entertaining read.

Edited June 21, 2011 by Brute

[Dan Gould]

I think the sack lunch is probably a big baloney sammich.

Definitely a high-salt content choice!

But the question is, mustard or mayonnaise? To me, that's like the question of mustard or ketchup on hot dogs. Only mustard belongs on a hot dog, and on baloney. Mayonnaise on baloney is nasty.

[JSngry]

I don't mind mayo, but Miracle Whip is something with which I have no intention of ever making my peace.

[Dan Gould]

Well that's a given, isn't it?

I've never in my life seen a bottle of Miracle Whip in someone's cart, let alone in anyone's pantry.

[JSngry]

My mom bought it for my dad, who really preferred butter and ketchup on all his sandwiches (must've been some weird Pennsylvania Dutch thing...) but I banned it in my life and from my house forevermore, or so I thought. My daughter is now a fan.

If that's the worse she does in her life, I'm lucky, but still...you try and you try, and this is what you get...life is cruel.