support Tutorials CDs PPT mouthpieces

Books Autobiographies, Biographies and books on Music and Musicians

Halfers

Finger Flapper
Messages
2,418
Locality
Hampshire
I've done a bit of forum searching and haven't found any old or existing threads on books; fiction, non fiction, Biography's etc about Music, Musical styles, instruments or Musicians?

I've not read a great deal of books on Musicians or Musicians. Probably restricted to a couple of Charles Shaar Murray books and a handful of Biographies.

Last night, on a whim I downloaded the audio book of "I'm Your man", Sylvie Simmons Biography of Leonard Cohen . I'm not hugely knowledgeable about Cohen's music, but I find him fascinating. I also found his final Album 'You want it Darker' heart wrenchingly beautiful.

Unless I've missed something, how about a thread on inspiring and interesting books that you have read, would like to read, or are currently reading?
 
Last edited:
I've done a bit of forum searching and haven't found any old or existing threads on books; fiction, non fiction, Biography's etc about Music, Musical styles, instruments or Musicians?

I've not read a great deal of books on Musicians or Musicians. Probably restricted to a couple of Charles Shaar Murray books and a handful of Biographies.

Last night, on a whim I downloaded the audio book of "I'm Your man", Sylvie Simmons Biography of Leonard Cohen . I'm not hugely knowledgeable about Cohen's music, but I find him fascinating. I also found his final Album 'You want it Darker' heart wrenchingly beautiful.

Unless I've missed something, how about a thread on inspiring and interesting books that you have read, would like to read, or are currently reading?
Straight Life, the Story of Art Pepper.
 
Blowing The Blues by Dick Heckstall-Smith (I lent it it to someone, must get it back).
Playing The Band by Jon Hiseman.
 
Last night, on a whim I downloaded the audio book of "I'm Your man", Sylvie Simmons Biography of Leonard Cohen
I bought that in paperback last year but haven't started to read it yet. I will have a search for that album too, for a listen.
 
Straight Life, the Story of Art Pepper.
Word of warning, however: if you are an Art pepper fan, you may never be able to listen to his music in the same way....again.

Goia's "History of Jazz" was one which I enjoyed.

Satchmo's "Life in N.O.", an entertaining autobiography.
 
Word of warning, however: if you are an Art pepper fan, you may never be able to listen to his music in the same way....again.

Goia's "History of Jazz" was one which I enjoyed.

Satchmo's "Life in N.O.", an entertaining autobiography.
I read Straight Life around 5 years ago and still happily listen to him,. But i still think about his story. It leaves a lasting impression, but that's a good thing
 
I've done a bit of forum searching and haven't found any old or existing threads on books; fiction, non fiction, Biography's etc about Music, Musical styles, instruments or Musicians?

I've not read a great deal of books on Musicians or Musicians. Probably restricted to a couple of Charles Shaar Murray books and a handful of Biographies.

Last night, on a whim I downloaded the audio book of "I'm Your man", Sylvie Simmons Biography of Leonard Cohen . I'm not hugely knowledgeable about Cohen's music, but I find him fascinating. I also found his final Album 'You want it Darker' heart wrenchingly beautiful.

Unless I've missed something, how about a thread on inspiring and interesting books that you have read, would like to read, or are currently reading?
A book I would like to read is the story of Moondog
 
I started this book a few years ago, still got loads of it to read !
A5A0CAAD-DCAB-4DDC-BEE9-5A9C966D6797.jpegCD77F9AC-D371-49E6-9348-6E2A56FC0678.jpeg
 
I read Straight Life around 5 years ago and still happily listen to him,. But i still think about his story. It leaves a lasting impression, but that's a good thing
That's good that it didn't change something of the musical experience for you.

It did for me.

A book I would like to read is the story of Moondog
THAT would be interesting....
 
That's good that it didn't change something of the musical experience for you.

It did for me.


THAT would be interesting....
Apparently there's one been written that comes with CD's, of his music Christmas is coming, I'll have a bit of reading time then
 
Down here in the basement I've got
Chronicles Of King Curtis,
"The Triumphs, Travails and Tragedy of a True Soul Giant"
By Russell K. Carpenter

Also an old version of the The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz from 1996, hard back 1358 pages

Upstairs I've got loads of stuff from Rock'n'Roll to Calypso to R'n'B and Jazz, from John Coltrane to Bobby Keys but I'll have to wade through the bookshelves.
 
Here are a few I enjoyed reading:

Miles the Autobiography by Miles Davis with Quincy troupe
Tonight at Noon by Sue Mingus
Beneath the Underdog by Charles Mingus
Born Under The Sign Of Jazz by Randi Hultin
Cats of Any Color: Jazz, Black and White by Gene Lees
Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans by Louis Armstrong
I Put A Spell On You by Nina Simone
Whisper Not by Bennie Golson

Enjoy!
 
I've read

The Devils' Horn
The Lost Memoir, As Though I Had Wings Chet Baker
Deep In a Dream the Long Night of Chet Baker
Lady Sings The Blues

and part way through A Mingled Chime Sir Thomas Beecham

Jx
 
a few books that find their way off the bookshelf and into my hands frequently - '
Jazz People' and 'As Serious As Your Life' by Val Wilmer
So What - The Life Of Miles Davis - John Swed... Ian Carr's book on Miles is also good
Duke Ellington - Music Is My Mistress
Four Lives In The Bebop Business - A B Spellman
Woodwind Instruments And Their History - Anthony Baines
Solid Foundation; an oral history of reggae - Daxid Katz
The Freedom Principle - John Litweiler
Bird Lives - Ross Russell - mot the best or most accurate book on Charlie Parker, but it's the one I read first
Chasin' The Trane - J C Thomas - again, there are better books on Coltrane, but this is the one I got out of the library when I was a teenager, so it made the biggest impression on me
The Trouble With Cinderella by Artie Shaw is an interesting read
Space Is The Place - John F Swed - if you want to know about Sun Ra, this is the book
Improvisation, It's Nature and Practice - Derek Bailey
Head On/Repossessed by Julian Cope
Lemmy - White Line Fever
Living With The Dead - Rock Scully's entertaining account of being the Grateful Dead's road manager
Stairway To Heaven - Richard Cole - -- Led Zep's former road manager tells it like it was
Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground by Michael Azerrad

I borrowed a book called Gigs From Hell a few years ago that is full of amusing anecdotes about disastrous gigs - just found a copy on amazon so will be reading that again next week

a few people have mentioned Straight Life by Art Pepper and I read it every so often just to remind me where we can end up if life goes wrong - plus it's a really good book


Free Jazz, Harmolodics and Ornette Coleman by Stephen Rush is supposed to be the definitive work, but I've not saved up enough tyo buy it yet
eventually I'll get a copy of Giants Of Black Music by Pauline Rivelli and Robert Levin
 
I've read

The Devils' Horn
The Lost Memoir, As Though I Had Wings Chet Baker
Deep In a Dream the Long Night of Chet Baker
Lady Sings The Blues

and part way through A Mingled Chime Sir Thomas Beecham

Jx

Chet Baker is on my list. I imagine there are some stories to tell!
 
Chet Baker is on my list. I imagine there are some stories to tell!
I recall posting about it at the time that I wasn't convinced I'd like him if I met him but I do love his music.....

Jx
 
I recall posting about it at the time that I wasn't convinced I'd like him if I met him but I do love his music.....
Jx

In Elvis Costello's Autobiography 'Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink', which is a long, but entertaining read, he describes meeting Baker when he recorded the Trumpet solo for 'Shipbuilding'. I can't recall it exactly, but I think it was one of those 'never meet your heroes' moments. I think Baker must have been way on the path to oblivion by then. By all accounts he dropped into the studio, recorded the solo, asked Costello where he could score, then disappeared.
 
Last edited:
By all accounts he dropped into the studio, recorded the solo, asked Costello where he could score, then disappeared.
Pretty much the impression I got of him from the books, so sad....

Jx
 
In Elvis Costello's Autobiography 'Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink', which is a long, but entertaining read, he describes meeting Baker when he recorded the Trumpet solo for 'Shipbuilding'. I can't recall it exactly, but I think it was one of those 'never meet your heroes' moments. I think Baker must have been way on the path to oblivion by then. By all accounts he dropped into the studio, recorded the solo, asked Costello where he could score, then disappeared.
This made me think: I wonder if anyone would apply 'never meet your heroes' to Elvis, as well (?)....
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom