Catchall of earlier (late 50's on) pieces by Williams (Jazz in its
Time, 1989, etc.), some unpublished except as record-jacket copy,
some from Down Beat, Saturday Review, etc. The longest piece here -
a historical and musical commentary on the massive Library of
Congress Folklore Archives set of Jelly Roll Morton disks recorded
by Alan Lomax - is the richest. Discussing the growth of Morton's
style, Williams is especially good on the musical layout of "The
Pearls," a neglected Morton work that is among his most lovely, and
"the Spanish tinge" in Morton's jazz tango "Mama 'Nita," a piece
warm with delight. The author's most affecting piece is "Billie
Holiday: Anatomy of a Tragedy," which in its brief span works up
much feeling. His best interview is with trumpeter Ruby Braff, who
is outspoken about record producer John Hammond's buckling under to
Columbia's commercial needs. An interview with Ross Russell,
founder of Dial Records and first to record Charlie Parker at
length, straightens out some misconceptions about Russell's ties
with Bird. A piece on a reissue of the first recordings of the
Quintet of the Hot Club of France, featuring Django Reinhardt and
Stephane Grappelly, gives an uplifting overview of this imperious
group of jazz swingers. A set of Ellington reissues prompts new
thoughts about Ellington's earliest periods, and a commentary on
Parker Gillespie's The Greatest Jazz Concert Ever (in Toronto)
makes clear that Charlie Mingus indeed did rerecord his bass line
for the record issue while Billy Taylor "did a bit of ghosting on
the Bud Powell performances as well." Meanwhile, Williams deflates
four pianists he finds overrated: Oscar Peterson, Abroad Jamal,
George Shearing, and Martial Solal. Jazz riches for the serious
fan. (Kirkus Reviews)
Martin Williams is recognized as one of the most significant jazz critics of recent times. This third collection of record notes, interviews, portraits, and reviews recalls the Charlie Parker-Dizzy Gillespie Dial Record sessions, Langston Hughes reading poetry to the sound of jazz, and Thelonius Monk recording for the Library of Congress. In addition, there are profiles of such legendary performers as Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Duke Ellington, and Fats Waller, and lively essays on the importance of jazz history and a jazz-view of The Beatles.
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