We’ve received some interesting book galleys here, which serve mostly to make us feel superior and important when we carry them with us to a bar where we pretend to read as if we’re literate and hip.
There’s Sue Mingus’ (pictured left) fascinating and well-written memoir of her life with Charles, Tonight at Noon. And vaunted vocal jazz writer Will Friedwald painstakingly traces the genesis and influence of 12 of America’s most popular songs, including “St. Louis Blues,” “I Got Rhythm” and “My Funny Valentine” in Stardust Memories, which for all its style and depth, opens with a quote from Homer Simpson. Do’h.
Both of those are due in April from Pantheon Books. Long-time music book editor Yuvall Taylor has put together an interesting concept for an anthology for A Cappela Books. In The Future of Jazz, Taylor asked 10 prominent jazz writers to each write a long essay on a particular theme (e.g. Business of Jazz, Jazz and Race, Jazz Repertory, etc.) and also respond/react to the others’ essays. The result: a rambling and rambunctious collection of ideas that makes us feel like we’re sitting in a bar with a bunch of opinionated guys more literate and hip than us. Among the honored contributors are frequent and infrequent JT contributors Stuart Nicholson, Peter Margasak, Peter Watrous and Greg Tate.
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