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Book Excerpts

BOOK EXCERPTS March 30, 2016

The Royal Roost: Birthplace of Bop

By RICHARD CARLIN

The story of the development of jazz in New York is tied to the story of a few seminal clubs and promoters who helped nurture the music. Just as new musical styles were developing during World War II that would lead to the birth of bebop, so was the jazz scene changing. The clubs that thrived on Fifty Second Street during the mid to late '30s were strictly segregated; black musicians could play at them but could not patronize them. ...

BOOK EXCERPTS September 24, 2015

Spirits Rejoice! Jazz and American Religion

By JASON BIVINS

Spirits Rejoice! (Oxford University Press, 2015) presents a critical study on jazz and American religion from the 1940's to the present, and engages the religiosity and spirituality of America's foremost jazz musicians. The book features over 200 jazz musicians and is the first book solely dedicated to unpacking the history of jazz and religion in America. The author is Dr. Jason Bivins, a well-respected professor of philosophy and religion at North Carolina State University. This excerpt is from chapter five ...

BOOK EXCERPTS September 15, 2015

Zappa and Jazz: Did it Really Smell Funny, Frank?

By GEOFFREY WILLS

The following is an excerpt from “Chapter 2: Early Encounters with Jazz" of Zappa and Jazz: Did it Really Smell Funny, Frank? by Geoffrey Wills (Matador, 2015). When, at the age of fourteen, Zappa entered Mission Bay High School in jny: San Diego in 1955, his first exposure to the elitist snobbery of a certain type of jazz fan occurred. It was like a red rag to a bull, and was no doubt the source of all ...

BOOK EXCERPTS July 26, 2015

The Soul of Jazz: Stories and Inspiration from Those Who Followed the Song in Their Souls

By TRISH RICHARDSON

The Soul of Jazz: Stories and Inspiration from Those Who Followed the Song in Their Souls by Trish Richardson (Grayson James Press, 2011) includes interviews with nineteen world renowned jazz artists. The following is an excerpt from saxophonist Mindi Abair's chapter: What have you learned about your character as a result of being in this business? My dad was a musician, but he would never teach me music. My dad played sax and keyboards and bass--he ...

BOOK EXCERPTS July 22, 2015

Mingus Speaks

By JOHN GOODMAN

Mingus on the Avant-Garde and Tradition Here's Charles Mingus talking about two of his favorite subjects, the avant-garde pretenders and the need for jazz players to understand the traditions of their music. The excerpt is from my book Mingus Speaks (2013, University of California Press). --John F Goodman Mingus: Everybody's got ego and everybody who lives in a human body thinks they're better than another guy. Even if a guy's considered to be a nigger ...

BOOK EXCERPTS July 16, 2015

Jive-Colored Glasses

By JOHN GOODMAN

The following is an excerpt from “Chapter 4: Chicago" of Jive-Colored Glasses by John F Goodman (jg publications, 2015). Growing up in and around jny: Chicago in the 1950s brought me to all kinds and flavors of jazz. Between the house parties, clubs and concerts, there was a menu to please everyone. The Rush Street and downtown clubs like the London House were flourishing, and so of course was the Blue Note, where the Ellington and Basie bands ...

BOOK EXCERPTS April 9, 2015

The View from the Back of the Band: The Life and Music of Mel Lewis

By CHRIS SMITH

The following is an excerpt from “Chapter 13: Opening Night at the Village Vanguard" of The View from the Back of the Band: The Life and Music of Mel Lewis by Chris Smith (University of North Texas Press, 2014). In November of 1965, Thad and Mel quickly put together a list of the musicians they wanted for their band. While Thad had certain friends at CBS that he wanted to hire, and Mel had musicians he wanted, ...

BOOK EXCERPTS March 27, 2015

Bebop, Swing, and Bella Musica: Jazz and the Italian American Experience

By BILL DAL CERRO

The following is an excerpt from the “Lennie Tristano: The Passionate Intellectual" chapter of Bebop, Swing, and Bella Musica: Jazz and the Italian American Experience by Bill Dal Cerro and David Anthony Witter (Bella Musica Publishing, 2015). World War II and the atomic bomb changed not only the political landscape, but art, architecture and music as well. In architecture, “Googie" or “Ray-Gun Gothic" combined many of the traditional elements introduced by Frank Lloyd Wright almost forty years ...