Whom do you think did the best linner notes?

[Hardbopjazz]

I have to say Orrin Keepnews. I always enjoy reading his linner notes.

Edited February 23, 2004 by Hardbopjazz

[Pete C]

I eagerly await the Chris Albertson response to the above...

[Christiern]

Ignorance is bliss--if the guy likes to read about Orrin, who am I to say he shouldn't?

[GA Russell]

My favorite is/was Ira Gitler.

#2 was Dan Morganstern.

For today's writers, I would say Michael Cuscuna!

[Christiern]

Dan is still writing.

[Chuck Nessa]

So is Ira. He did the Eager notes for Uptown.

[jazzbo]

Miles Davis.

[JSngry]

H. Allen Stein, the man who could say less and mean it more than anybody this side of Prof. Irwin Corey!

[jlhoots]

Martin Williams

Nat Hentoff - still with us, not doing much music writing anymore

Robert Levin - also still with us

A.B. Spellman - admittedly there weren't many liner notes that he wrote

[Larry Kart]

If you can find them, check out David A. Himmelstein's over-the-top notes for Booker Ervin's "Setting the Pace" with Dexter Gordon (Prestige). They're a three-act play. I particularly like the reference to Dexter as "the only man in the world who can walk in a sitting position."

Dan Morgensterns' notes are usually like having a infinitely knowledgable best friend at your elbow. BTW, a big collection of the best of Dan's writing will be published in the fall.

[Brad]

Ira Gitler and Dan Morgenstern. Larry, do you have any information about the forthcoming book?

[BruceH]

BTW, a big collection of the best of Dan's writing will be published in the fall.

REALLY?? I'd be interested in that.

[GregK]

I like what Keith Jarrett wrote in his Inside Out liners

[Dmitry]

Bill Evans

[Larry Kart]

I believe Dan's book is due in October from Norton -- maybe 600 pages worth. I'll let everyone know when I find out more details.

[paul secor]

I don't know who wrote the best liner notes, but Larry Kart and John Litweiler always gave me things to think about and listen for while the music was playing.

Edited February 26, 2004 by paul secor

[JSngry]

If you can find them, check out David A. Himmelstein's over-the-top notes for Booker Ervin's "Setting the Pace" with Dexter Gordon (Prestige).

Oh my God, yes!

Almost ALL the Prestige sides released during the Don Schlitten years had liner notes that qualified for the Hall of Fame in my opinion. Morgenstern was a frequent contributor, especially on the "historical" sides, and to this day I rue the day I loaned my Prestige issue of Dizzy's Salle Pleyel big band concert to an unworthy accquaintance. Never did get the album back, but phrases from those liner notes still resonate in my mind as "true' observations on the music. To me, that's effective writing.

VERY much looking forward to Mr. Morgenstern's book, as well as Mr. Kart's. I loves me some good jazz books!

[tonym]

Brad Mehldau

[brownie]

Mark Gardner. Very informative well-written liner notes for Xanadu (yesterday) and Steeplechase (yesterday and today) among others.

But I also like the notes from people who have been mentioned earlier (Morgenstern, Hentoff, Levin, Kart, etc.).

[Simon Weil]

If you can find them, check out David A. Himmelstein's over-the-top notes for Booker Ervin's "Setting the Pace" with Dexter Gordon (Prestige). They're a three-act play. I particularly like the reference to Dexter as "the only man in the world who can walk in a sitting position."

Available in "Setting the Tempo, Fifty Years of Great Jazz Liner Notes" ed. Tom Piazza.

OOP and I'm not a big fan of Piazza's take on Jazz, but if you want sleevenotes...

Simon Weil

[JSngry]

Mark Gardner. Very informative well-written liner notes for Xanadu (yesterday) and Steeplechase (yesterday and today) among others.

Gardner was also in Schlitten's stable of Prestige liner writers. Perhaps a bit conservative musically for me to fully enjoy his work (the Prestige reissue notes seem to invariably get into handwringing about what the protagonists are into "now" and stuff like that), but a good writer who could fill up an entire back cover of an album and not leave you feeling cheated for reading it.

I like Benny Green's Pablo notes too. The guy is a veritable gusher of gush, and he does like his verbiage, but he strikes me as totally sincere and not a little musically astute.

You know who was a trip? Mort Goode, who wrote an ongoing series of blurbs called THE INNER SLEEVE, found on, naturally, the inner sleeves of Columbia LPs in the early 70s. Short sentences. Concise. Master of economy. An event in the making. Every time. Just like that.

[JohnS]

Bob Porter wrote some nice things for the Savoy reissue series. Cuscuna of course. Gilter's always readable. I was just looking at Warne Marsh's "All Music", excellent notes by Lawrence Kart there that actually tell you something about the music.

[EKE BBB]

I like Benny Green's Pablo notes too. The guy is a veritable gusher of gush, and he does like his verbiage, but he strikes me as totally sincere and not a little musically astute.

Don´t know much about the gush or Bush thing but I did enjoy his liner notes for the Art Tatum Complete Group Masterpieces!

Dan Morgenstern is another favorite of mine. I find his comments on some Storyville releases very helpful!

[Dr. Rat]

My vote for Dan Morganstern, too, as a fellow Rutgers person.

Brad Mehldau can be amusing, but I think he quickly gets in over his head with the philosophizing. Foucault would have whipped his ass for some of the stuff Mehldau has written about him!

Anybody read the notes from Sex Mob's latest?

--eric

[Hardbopjazz]

I have to add Phil Schapp to the list, even though he is better known as a jazz historian. I like the work he did on the Bird Verve box set.

Edited February 23, 2004 by Hardbopjazz