DB forum "what books are you reading" thread

[thedbassist]

Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin, it's required reading for my college's bass studio.

[Marcus Johnson]

Originally Posted by calivox

I didn't even know it existed. I just ordered it on Amazon. Turns out a previously unreleased disc with Don Friedman, Scotty and Pete Larocca is coming out on September 8 as well.

Yup, the book just showed up on that Scott LaFaro tribute page. The new recordings are from rehearsals, I think... looking forward to hearing those.

Let us know how the book pans out.

[chop_1992]

Originally Posted by chop_1992

Reading the new biography of Scott LaFaro: "Jade Visions: The Life and Music of Scott LaFaro" written by his sister, Helene LaFaro-Fernández. Very thorough and well-written account with additional material from Don Thompson, Jeff Campbell, Phil Palombi, B. Kolstein and others.

Scott only made about 20 official recordings in his career, but what a legacy he left behind.

I've finished the Jade Visions book, and it is a loving and insightful biography of Scott LaFaro. The CD that is coming out, "Pieces of Jade" is also great. The CD has 5 tracks of Scotty with Don Friedman and Pete LaRoca, plus an interview with Bill about Scott, a solo piece by Don Friedman dedicated to Scott, and a rehearsal with Bill Evans and Scott.

I am doing a cover story on LaFaro and the new material in the November issue of Bass Player Magazine. I transcribed Scotty's solo on "Green Dolphin Street" from the new CD (they play it in D!). Also on the CD is a 23-minute rehearsal with Bill and Scott—where they are working out the changes to "My Foolish Heart." Interesting stuff. I would highly recommend the book to anyone who likes to read jazz biographies. Helene LaFaro-Fernández gives us a perspective that can only come from a family member.

[Mark Perna]

That's great John! I'm looking forward to the BP story.

I've got the book on order. They say it's in stock but may take an additional day or two to process. I'm hoping it doesn't. I have a giant pile of "to be read" books and they'll have to continue waiting. I'm starting this one the minute it's delivered.

I've known about the Friedman material for some time but I though it had already been released (perhaps on vinyl). I've been casually trying to track down a copy for years. It turns out it hasn't been released yet.

I've heard bits of the My Foolish Heart rehearsal before. I think it is posted on the LaFaro tribute site.

Green Dolphin St. in D. Cool. I've never thought about playing it in D before but it would give you a whole range of very interesting double stop and pedal opportunities particularly over the A section.

mark

[chop_1992]

The Friedman stuff was released in the '90s only in Japan. This is the first worldwide release. I think the rehearsal has been around a s a bootleg for years. The Interview with Bill Evans was a WKCR radio interview.

[The BurgerMeister]

right now... Americana, by Don Delillo.

fantastic so far!

[salcott]

"Body and Soul" by Frank Conroy. Just finished "Idiot America" by Charles Pierce; a must read.

[Mark Perna]

Got the LaFaro book last night. Read it. Last night. Children were crying. Wife was yelling. Didn't hear any of it. Too engrossed. Went to bed way too late. Don't care. One of the best musical biographies I've read. Up there with the Lewis Porter Coltrane book. I'm going back and re-reading parts of it. Fantastic book.

mark

[Marcus Johnson]

Wow.... okay, I'm gettin' it.

[Treyzer]

Just got my copy of "Jade Visions" in the mail today and already started devouring it.....So far....Wonderful.
I also got "The Music Lesson" as well. Thanks to all the TBDB guys who have suggested these books.

[TroyK]

I've stayed out of this thread because I'm afraid it's a deep hole that I'm going to fall into, but I've had an unprecidented string of great books this summer, it's not fair to keep them to myself.

First, I've rediscovered Raymond Chandler and have been working my way through his series. "Fairwell My Lovely" was fantastic and "The Long Goodbye" has amazingly relevant political insight for 1953.

I read a fantastic book (that I will certainly re-read) called "Telex From Cuba". It's sort of a "Stand by Me" coming of age story told through the eyes of a couple of adolecent American kids living in Cuba as Castro was taking over. Their parents were involved in US Commerce in Cuba. I used to live in Miami and spent no less than 1,000 hours talking about Castro and Cuban politics and world view with exiled Cubans, but I didn't really understand it very clearly until I read this book. It has the side benefit of being wholly entertaining.

I also just finished a book of short stories called "Unaccustomed Earth", the author's name escapes me now, but she also wrote a novel called "the Namesake". The stories are all about 1st generation American children/grownups of Indian immigrants. The balance of them wanting to be normal kids and have normal fun and relationships, with their family's expections and traditions. Thematically similar to "Bend it Like Beckham", but very concise, compelling stories. I thought it was amazing.

I'll also mention the John Rain books by Barry Eisler. There are 6 of them in the series (don't you dare read them out of order). They follow the trials and tribulations of a lovable hitman. There's jazz in them, especially the first one. If you like spy/action/adventure/black ops kind of stuff, they are a must read. He's the first author I have liked as much as Dennis Lehane since those books came out.

I also read a nice little low-expectations book about some surfers in San Diego, one of whom was a private eye. It far exceeded any expectations I had and actually turned out to be a fairly compelling story. "Dawn Patrol"

Finally, I'm not ashamed to admit, that I picked up on a lark, the original novella "Gidget" (which I didn't even know existed). Evidently, the real "Gidget" was the daughter of a hard working immigrant who was facinated with American teenage culture and wrote a story on his daughter and her friends (who surfed Malibu). As of the publishing of the book, she's still living and is a waitress in California. The movies and TV shows were built on the book, but the book is way less hoakie and more hard edged, entirely credible. Could be read in a day. I don't recommend it now, but next summer, when you're playing at night and sleeping through the sunshine, treat yourself.

[Marc Piane]

I'm re-reading Arcana II. It is a collection of essays put together by John Zorn. Pretty amazing stuff by some great minds currently in music. Uri Caine, Steve Coleman, Dave Douglas, Trevor Dunn, Milford Graves, Jim O'Rourke, Evan Parker... just to name a few. Some really unique perspectives on a variety of topics.

I'm also re-reading Effortless Mastery. I read it years ago. It didn't bother me then but there is something strange about the book. He really talks about himself a lot but then talks about a sort of 'forget the ego/self' zen thing. To me there is a contradiction here. I dig what he has to say but there is just something that rubs me weird.

[Paul Warburton]

IMO:
A brief look into Zen can be of great help in reading both the Victor and the Kenny books.
Victor's book, IMO, is a shortcut into some Zen ideas. Kenny's book can seem contradictory because of his interpretations of some of the same ideas. Either way, both books are aimed at how your brain can make a real fat mess out of very simple concepts about living. IMO, Kenny means to sound contradictory for very specific reasons.
You can literally trick your mind into doing great things.
Both books are exercises in how to do this.

EDIT: The Miles Davis quote in my signature is a good example.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Hoping to check out the Scotty and Vic books soon. Currently reading Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita". I have no idea where this one is going after 100 pages, but it's sure and interesting ride.

About the Zen thing, the hard part about it is that it's something you have to find that's already in you. You can listen to other people talk about it all day long, but in the end all they can do is encourage you to turn inside and look for it. This inward journey is at the heart of every hero quest I've ever encountered, from Dante to Homer to Star Wars. What's harder about the real (i.e. - non literary) quests is the harsh reality that it isn't always about larger than life things that make crowds cheer. It's the more simple, mundane "as large as ordinary life, but no larger" aspect of it that makes it such a solitary thing. The only glory in it is an intensely personal one that can never really be shared for what it is except by example. To paraphrase Roberstson Davies, we are each the hero of our own epic autobiography, but very few are ever published. Fewer still become bestsellers, but living the creation of the book is still enough to make it all worthwhile.

[Marcus Johnson]

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

EDIT: The Miles Davis quote in my signature is a good example.

That's funny, because he played some ballads when I saw him in the late 80's, just before he died.

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

That's funny, because he played some ballads when I saw him in the late 80's, just before he died.

That's what I meant.
Like Victor says, "Do this. (Or don't)."

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

Hoping to check out the Scotty and Vic books soon. Currently reading Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita". I have no idea where this one is going after 100 pages, but it's sure and interesting ride.

I've read that one and it is literally a fantastic book - a bizarre but wonderful story and one that I always thought - this is "unfilmable" - not least due to the amount of female nudity involved !!

But I have heard that Russian TV has made a spectacular film of it - a "must see"...?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGGgIjVPfv0

[Marc Piane]

+1 Chris

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

About the Zen thing, the hard part about it is that it's something you have to find that's already in you.

...and maybe that's what's strange about putting it in book form. I have 'studied' Zen some and the idea the Victor has in his book of 'showing' rather than 'teaching' really holds true. A good mentor, or at least the ones that have effected me the most, are the ones that have helped me look inward and answer my own questions. The hardest part is that sometimes these answers are not the easiest or the one you were hoping to find.

I find Kenny's book more valuable now as a teacher. I read it right after undergrad and while I thought it was interesting it didn't really resonate with me. Reading it now I'm getting lots of ideas on how to 'show' my students Music.

[Jake]

Nat Hentoff- Jazz Is

[rosanne]

I just stumbled on this thread by chance - mostly spend my time on the other side of the forum. Thankyou for the reading suggestions, I just added 4 or 5 books to my list on Amazon. Also thanks for the reminders of other good books I've read but forgotten about like Aztec, The Harmonious Circle, the Alan Watts book etc.

I've got a copy of Levitin's second book "The World in Six Songs" but haven't read it yet. Hoping it's as good as "This is your Brain on Music".

Keep 'em coming - I love to have a stack of good books awating me.