While Ian Carr's impressive Miles Davis (p. 832) concentrated
intensely, and in nearly note-by-note detail, on Davis' recordings
and performances, this somewhat more casual biography pays about
equal attention to the music itself and to matters of personality.
The essential life-story comes across pretty much the same in both
books: middle-class East St. Louis background; the N.Y.-centered
lure of Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, and (especially) Charlie
Parker; the early disappointments and drug addiction; the
up-and-down moves through be-bop, cool, orchestral concepts
(collaborations with Gil Evans), the great quintet, thorny
colleague-ships with John Coltrane and others; illnesses
(emphasized more by Carr); brushes with the law; three marriages.
And, like Carr, Nisenson fails to find much shape or depth in
Davis' personal life - despite drug-addiction anecdotes, quotes
from Miles himself, some raunchy interview material, and a good
deal of (not-always-convincing) reconstructed dialogue. Still,
Nisenson's less scholarly appreciations of the Davis career, though
often dependent on quotes from other critics, do offer a subtly
different, sometimes equally plausible view of his musical
development: more emphasis on outside influences (Ornette Coleman
especially), greater enthusiasm for the work produced during Davis'
"down" periods. So, while serious jazz buffs will probably prefer
Carr's more exhaustive and technical approach, less hard-core fans
may find this slightly livelier, not-so-authoritative study a
serviceable alternative. (Kirkus Reviews)
From 1975 to 1981 the jazz giant Miles Davis temporarily retired
from music. Almost completely reclusive, nobody outside of a very
close circle knew what was happening to him. Rumors abounded: he
was sick, he was dying, he was healthy; he was playing the trumpet,
the organ, nothing at all. Only one jazz writer was able to get
close to him during this time: Eric Nisenson. From 1978 to 1981
Nisenson conducted dozens of interviews with Miles Davis and his
associates. The result was 'Round About Midnight, an engaging
firsthand account of Miles's fascinating and difficult career. From
his recordings with Charlie Parker and the Birth of the Cool nonet,
through the Coltrane quintet, the Gil Evans-arranged masterpieces
of the sixties, the landmark Kind of Blue album, the
Shorter/Hancock/Carter/Williams group, and the success of his
fusion recordings of the seventies, Miles's personality -
contemplative, abruptly defiant, strong, elegant - meshed with his
art to form one of the most compelling legends in the history of
American music. While actively disdaining his audience, he sought
to broaden it by incorporating elements of other musics -
classical, flamenco, rock, funk - into his uncompromising jazz.
This contradictory combination of contempt and a desire for
recognition fueled controversy in both his public and private
lives, and resulted in Miles's lengthy self-imposed isolation.
Nisenson broke through that isolation, and his biographical
portrait is vivid and telling. This updated edition features a new
preface, new material covering Miles in the eighties, and a new
recommended listening section.
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