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Good Jazz Reads

1/5/2017

4 Comments

 
Reading about an aural tradition sometimes seems unneccessary, as practically all of the Jazz masters learned their craft from studying recordings. Still, I have found a few books especially profound, as they articulate artistic approaches, practice techniques, and experiences on the road. Here are some of my suggestions:

Wynton Marsalis: To a Young Jazz Musician

    Wynton’s approach is sometimes a little traditional and opinionated for my taste, but this book was an inspiration to me years ago when I was first starting out. Through many letters to his student, Wynton articulates the challenges and joys of his life as a touring musician, offering advice for how to avoid common pitfalls young artists face. Every chapter in this is gold, I would highly reccommend it for everyone. Kenny Werner: Effortless Mastery
    This is probably the most famous book on my list. Through meditations, personal anecdotes, and practice strategies, Werner offers advice for how to reach a point of true mastery. When one has fully internalized a musical language, Werner argues, they can improvise without consciously thinking. Many musicians tend to overanalyze and second-guess themselves when they play instead of letting go. This book is a recipe for how to achieve that ideal mental state.

Thinking in Jazz
(Paul Berliner)
    This is a very long, comprehensive book that I had to read for a pedagogy class. Even though there were sections I didn’t like or even agree with, there are a lot of great stories and ideas in here. In creating this musicological analysis, the author sifted through literally thousands of pages of interviews with many of the greatest Jazz musicians in recent history, choosing quotes that best embodied their approach to playing. I will hold onto my copy forever, as it contains perspective that I will return to for years to come.

The Pat Metheny Interviews (Richard Niles)
   If you’re a Pat Metheny fan, this book is a very fun read. It’s basically a transcript of interviews between Metheny and the author, offering musical and personal insight into his upbringing and artistic achievements. There are lots of surprising stories in here as well, especially as Metheny describes how he started his musical career on trumpet and listened to rock music around the house. His personality comes through in a way that is both personal and revealing.

What Every Pianist Needs to Know About the Body (Thomas Marks)
    If you’re a pianist looking to improve your body-awareness, this book is the place to start. Drawing on Alexander Technique, Dalcrose, and years of medical research, the author describes every part of the playing mechanism in substantial depth. Many technical inefficiencies, he proves, come from “mismapping” how your muscles and joints actually move. Through studying some of the diagrams in this book, you can quickly develop more efficient and ultimately healthier motions in your playing.

Others I have heard great things about:

Herbie Hancock: Possibilities (autobiography)
Bruce Springsteen: Born to Run (autobiography)
Dave Liebmann: Chromatic Harmony (really complicated theory book if you’re interested in that)
Hal Crook: Ready, Aim, Improvise!

Have other music-related books to reccommend? As always, I look forward to hearing from other Morningside Students. There are tons out there, so we can keep adding to this list for a while!

Happy Reading,
Jonathan Fagan
Morningside Music Studio Intern


4 Comments
Tim Blackman link
1/9/2017 04:32:38 am

Thanks for the reading suggestions!

Some other Jazz books that I would recommend:

Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings, by Peter Pettinger

A thorough look at the life and music of Bill Evans, giving insights into his playing and life of performing.

Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original, by Robin D.G. Kelley

Thelonious Monk is a hard person to get to know, just as his music is challenging to understand, but this book is thoroughly researched and provides a more complete picture.

Miles: The Autobiography, by Miles Davis

I haven't read this one in a while, but it sticks in my mind, as Miles does. Seeing the movie "Miles Ahead" made me think I should read it again! Miles really was a creative force.

- Tim

Reply
Peter Orne
5/5/2018 08:22:23 am

Hi guys. Great list here. I really enjoyed Ben Ratliff's "Coltrane: The Story of a Sound."

I heard firsthand that Fred Hersch's "Good Things Happen Slowly: A Life In and Out of Jazz" is fantastic. As much a story of adversity as of music.

Peter

Reply
Tim Blackman
5/5/2018 10:20:53 am

+1 for that Coltrane book.

Something else I just read that helped me understand my experience with free jazz was This Is Our Music, by Iain Anderson.

Reply
Peter Orne
5/5/2018 12:52:55 pm

Tim,
Nice. That made me think of one more I read about a year and a half ago, which is Ted Gioia's amazing "History of Jazz." I've been wanting to read his "Birth (and Death) of the Cool."
Peter




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