Jump to content

Now reading...


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 9.1k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

George Orwell: DOWN AND OUT IN PARIS AND LONDON :tup

Good one! A real bohemian classic.

E.M. Forster, ROOM WITH A VIEW. My wife and I re-watched the movie last night (one of our favorites) & I thought I should finally get around to reading the novel, which supposedly puts more of an emphasis on some of the class issues.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just finished 'Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn' by David Hajdu. I would really recommend this, not only did the book make me realize just how special Billy Strayhorn was, but it is also a wonderful portrait of the period from the perspective of being part of the Ellington organization.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just finished 'Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn' by David Hajdu. I would really recommend this, not only did the book make me realize just how special Billy Strayhorn was, but it is also a wonderful portrait of the period from the perspective of being part of the Ellington organization.

I'll second that. A very good book, which tempted me to read his subsequent biography regarding Dylan, Richard & Mimi Farina until I realized after a couple of pages (having loaned it from the library) that I simply don't care anywhere near as much about the music these subjects have produced as I do about various jazz greats. B-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm reading "Ted Williams The Biography of an American Hero" by Leigh Montville

No one could swear as well as Ted.  Not only were the words showstoppers--words like "cunt" and "cocksucker" dropped freely with f-bombs and modified with his favorite adjective, "syphilitic"-- but there was a way he swore that made his outbursts special.  He strung the words together to make elaborate, rococo, profane poetry. There was a cadence a rhythm to his swearing.  There was a blasphemous direction too, much of the anger addressed upward toward a syphilitic Supreme Being who had let humanity down just one more time.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Gunther Schuller, THE SWING ERA, and a bio of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm.

How is The Swing Era, Gom? I keep thinking I want to read it. Give me your review.

Just started it, skeith, although I've dipped into it quite a bit over the past two years. Very worthwhile IMO, though. Schuller makes a good case for some of the lesser-known figures and keeps a good musicological/history ratio... too bad there isn't going to be a Volume III.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...