André Hodeir 1921-2011

[brownie]

Renowned music critic, composer and musician André Hodeir died Tuesday evening in Versailles, near Paris. He was 90.

Obituary (in French) on the France-Musique radio site.

His book 'Hommes et Problèmes du Jazz' (1954) is an essential read of jazz criticism.

Edited November 2, 2011 by brownie

[sidewinder]

Sad news - he 'knew his stuff'. RIP

[king ubu]

Very sad... will grab a disc to take with me to listen at work, love what I've heard so far!

[Clunky]

very sad, like his work

[sidewinder]

I think the first arrangements of his I heard were the Donauschingen tracks (1956-7?) released in the 1970s together with Eddie Sauter material. Fine stuff - will have to dig that LP out.

[king ubu]

brownie: just wondering how to pronounce his name... no problems with André, but with the last name... does it sound like Hod-ir, or Hod-ère? Or yet another version?

[JohnS]

Sad news. I only know his Savoy recording but his books were highly regarded when I first got into jazz.

[Clunky]

this is a good one

[brownie]

brownie: just wondering how to pronounce his name... no problems with André, but with the last name... does it sound like Hod-ir, or Hod-ère? Or yet another version?

It is Hod-ère: As in Humair!

[king ubu]

Ok, thanks - I thought so but wasn't sure!

[Teasing the Korean]

I love his Jazz et Jazz album. I've gotten everything on CD that I've been able to find. Love that 50s modernist sound!

[jeffcrom]

Renowned music critic, composer and musician André Hodeir died Tuesday evening in Paris. He was 90.

Obituary (in French) on the France-Musique radio site.

His book 'Hommes et Problèmes du Jazz' (1954) is an essential read of jazz criticism.

The English translation of that book, Jazz: Its Evolution and Essence, was extremely important to me as a young man learning about the music. His detailed analysis of "Concerto for Cootie" is brilliant music criticism. His second book, Toward Jazz is almost as good, although in hindsight his critical approach in these first two books is somewhat severe. (How can anyone not like Johnny Dodds and Benny Carter?) His third book, The Worlds of Jazz, is something else. It's one of the strangest jazz books ever written: a set of allegorical fiction (for lack of a better term) which revolves around and illuminates the jazz world. My favorite piece is "Outside the Capsule," in which archeologist/priests of the future find a battered copy of the Bag's Groove album and painstakingly analyze the bass part of the title cut.

I think Hodier's music is amazing. I spun the Philips LP of Anna Livia Plurabelle, his strange James Joyce cantata, recently, and will certainly play some of his music today. RIP to a great composer and thinker. Edited November 4, 2013 by jeffcrom

[Brownian Motion]

Renowned music critic, composer and musician André Hodeir died Tuesday evening in Paris. He was 90.

Obituary (in French) on the France-Musique radio site.

His book 'Hommes et Problèmes du Jazz' (1954) is an essential read of jazz criticism.

The English translation of that book, Jazz: Its Evolution and Essence, was extremely important to me as a young man learning about the music. His detailed analysis of "Concerto for Cootie" is brilliant music criticism. His second book, Toward Jazz is almost as good, although in hindsight his critical approach in these first two books is somewhat severe. (How can anyone not like Johnny Dodds and Benny Carter?) His third book, The Worlds of Jazz, is something else. It's one of the strangest jazz books ever written: a set of allegorical fiction (for lack of a better term) which revolves around and illuminates the jazz world. My favorite piece is "Outside the Capsule," in which archeologist/priests of the future find a battered copy of the Bag's Groove album and painstakingly analyze the bass part of the title cut.

I think Hodier's music is amazing. I spun the Philips CD of Anna Livia Plurabelle, his strange James Joyce cantata, recently, and will certainly play some of his music today. RIP to a great composer and thinker.

I too read "Jazz: It's Evolution and Essence" when I was in high school and was awe-struck to see such intellectual firepower directed toward jazz. Despite its limitations it was a great book.

[Peter Friedman]

I also read his first 2 books when they were first released. They made me think carefully about a number of things regarding jazz. Though some of his ideas were/are

controversial, his books were some of the first serious jazz criticism.

I didn't care for most of his recordings, but will pull the cd of the one I like the best - Kenny Clark's Sextet Plays Andre Hodier on Phillips.

[Late]

I love his Jazz et Jazz album. ... Love that 50s modernist sound!

Me too. It'd be great to see some kind of 50's (Vogue, Savoy, etc.) box set put together.

[RiRiIII]

RIP. I ll play this one woth Solal:

[mikeweil]

Sad news - always liked his writing! Another giant gone ... R.I.P.

[brownie]

It took a week for Le Monde to produce an article on Hodeir's passing

The New York Times is still ignoring the news

Not fit to print?

[AllenLowe]

I like Hodeir, terrific arranger, composer, though I don't like the books that much.

Dickey Wells told me he was very hurt by Hodeir's piece on him. Dickey was a classic case of no second act, though he could still summon the fire on occasion. Hodeir's piece was smart but did not really take into account the whole life.

[David Ayers]

I have heard some of his compositions and arrangments, but I mainly know him as a writer. He really is one of the most important writers on jazz. I am somewhat interested in the question of the theoretical modeling of jazz over time and AH is a stand-out figure in terms of that bibliography. For me, yes, since I am a professional and it is my business, I see these things in a fairly scientific way, so in endorsing Hodeir I am not really stating a preference for his arguments, though I think that the question of European reception of - or, I might better say, construction of - jazz is quite fascinating, and Hodeir's is a key voice.

[Teasing the Korean]

How much André Hodeir is available on CD? Here is what I have:

The Vogue Sessions

Jazz et Jazz

Jazz in Paris - Jazz & Cinema

Kenny Clarke plays André Hodeir

Le Jazz Groupe de Paris Plays André Hodeir

What else?

[king ubu]

You can hear him in an early outing as a violin player on a Kenny Clarke session, too - got that one as part of "Klook's the Man" (Proper 4CD).

Other than that, I've got exactly what you've got.

[jeffcrom]

There's also Martial Solal Big Band Plays Andre Hodeir on Carlyne.

[king ubu]

Yeah, pictured above ... forgot about it, got that one as well.

Furthermore, he pops up on a session on the "1951" Chrono by James Moody.

[AllenLowe]

I love Hodeir's music but his writing continues to enrage me; Jeff, if you want to have a coronorary, read Hodeir on Johnny Dodds; one of the most colossal critical misfires in jazz history,