135 Recent Books, mostly jazz - List and Capsule Reviews - W. Royal St

[BeBop]

Sorry, I can't link-ify

http://www.jazzhouse.org/diary/2013/03/w-royal-stokes-roundup-of-135-jazz-blues-and-beyond-books-published-in-the-past-year-or-so/

This is certainly going to cost me.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Yes. Just ordered 'Hi-De-Ho: The Life of Cab Calloway'.

Thanks.

MG

[BeBop]

Looking again at the list, it tends toward the mainstream topics already well-represented in my library. But still a few things I wasn't aware of. And I'm a book junkie anyway.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I think I'd agree. I was surprised not to see the books I've read on jazz in St Louis (BAG), Central Ave Los Angeles and thirties Chicago in the location-oriented section.

Well, anyway, the Cab Calloway looks good. And it wasn't expensive.

MG

[BeBop]

I'm ceratinly keen to read the Keystone Korner book, having grown up there with Todd, Jessica W, and Milt the cook/waiter. And I'm looking forward to cracking open (right after my fifth Bud Powell bio, now in progress) the Papa Jo bio and ESP-DISK Oral History, but I was already aware of all these.

While I can read five Bud Powell bios, another book on the Gershwins or Sinatra...

[Big Beat Steve]

Very interesting list indeed. But could it be that some books are not so new at all but just reprinted and/or revised/enlarged (and not credited as such in the text)? My copy of "A Left Hand Like God" is a good 20 years old (and I don't really feel like upgrading).

As for books one would have liked to see covered/reviewed (if in brief), I'd have liked to see his stance on this:

Big Easy Big Bands - Dawn and Rise of the Jazz Orchestra by Eddy Determeyer

[AllenLowe]

I'm not sure that it's really possible to read 135 books in "a year or so," but I agree with much on there that coincides with the less-than-135 that I've read.

My only serious disagreement is re: the book on/by Jo Jones, which is worthless, full of sadly syphlitic-sounding ravings, with a very badly-written introduction. There is so little of substance in it that I really think it should never have been issued.

[king ubu]

Had a quick glance and read the paragraph on Carl Van Vechten - his novel is definitely worth reading!

Will have a closer look, this does look like an interesting list, after all!

[BeBop]

I'm not sure that it's really possible to read 135 books in "a year or so," but I agree with much on there that coincides with the less-than-135 that I've read.

My only serious disagreement is re: the book on/by Jo Jones, which is worthless, full of sadly syphlitic-sounding ravings, with a very badly-written introduction. There is so little of substance in it that I really think it should never have been issued.

Thanks, Allen. I trust your opinion more (better expressed: "expect it will be harmony with my own") than that of Mr. Stokes. I'm going to skip the Jones book unless I see it cheap. That's a shame; I do like Jo Jones as a musician, and he did do some interesting interviews.

[AllenLowe]

I'm in a minority on that, just as full disclosure; most people liked it, but I really think it was more because "hey it's Jo Jones in his own words."

as for Van Vechten, re Ubu; I've read both the novels; interesting but not very good, though I like Van Vechten a lot and think he did some great things. And I love the photos.

[BeBop]

April 2014 List

Frankly, not much appeals to me on this list. I already have the Cannonball and (newest) Bud Powell bios.

[Leeway]

These looked interesting (to me):

Geoff Kaplan’s Power to the People: The Graphic Design of the Radical Press and the Rise of the Counter-Culture, 1964-1974 (University Of Chicago Press). Ironic tht it is a coffee-table book though.

David Grubbs, inRecords Ruin the Landscape: John Cage, the Sixties, and Sound Recording (Duke University Press)

People Get Ready: The Future of Jazz Is Now! (Duke University Press)

Garry Winogrand (Yale University Press). I saw the exhibition and was quite impressed.

Thanks for the link.