Customer Reviews

Bebop : Third Ear - The Essential Listening Companion

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This is a handy compendium of introductory overviews, musical biographies, and rated record recommendations for all of Bebop's main and minor players, but unfortunately it doesn't stop there. Dozens of entries for musicians whom you'd never think to connect with Bebop (Lew Tabackin? Marian McPartland?) merely serve to unnecessarily complicate the issues and probably confuse newcomers. That said, Scott Yanow is a knowledgeable reviewer and writer, and this guide will be a useful starting point for jazz fans who want to explore more deeply the musical essence of modern jazz.

In Bebop, Scott Yanow offers a 391-page compendium of insights, anecdotal biographies, essays, and reviews of jazz music and the musicians that created this authentically American art form. Bebop explores the early roots and influences of jazz (1937-44); the pioneers and key players, singers, and band leaders of the classic Bebop era (1945-49); and the evolution of Bebop from 1949 to the present day. Also features is a unique survey of LPs an CDs released through 1999 by both vintage Bebop performers and contemporary Bebop-based musicians. From Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk to Sarah Vaughen, Miles Davis, and Sonny Rollins, Bebop offers fresh perspective, new discovers, and insightful commentary. This is a "must" for all personal, professional, and academic popular music history and reference collections.

This might be an overview of some of the better-known boppers, but it doesn't go beyond the most well-known, and there are many opinions that are simply unsupportable.

My biggest complaints with this book can best be seen by pointing out two entries: Oscar Peterson and Sonny Stitt. (Whether you should even -include- Oscar Peterson in a book supposedly dedicated to Bebop is a valid question.)

Yanow gives abolutely glowing words for Oscar Peterson, describing him as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time. Ok, Yanow happens to really dig O.P. I would be able to agree to disagree about that.

But I was very disappointed to read his negative remarks about Sonny Stitt. He places a metaphorical asterisk by Stitt's name because Yanow can't hear the originality in Stitt's playing. That's way off base. Granted, Stitt was very much a musical descendant of Bird, as so many are, but Stitt played tenor and alto (even bari), and lived a lot longer, and recorded so much more. If you can't hear the genius of Stitt, that's your loss. Learn a Stitt solo and you'll hear it.

And just to confuse the reader more, BOTH of the sections on Peterson and Stitt start out with describing them as one of the best jazz musicians all time.

Maybe I misunderstand the period and style this book is meant to encompass but there are glaring omissions of major players, all the more puzzling when the book references so many comparatively marginal names (Manhattan Transfer?). No Cannonball Adderley but Richie Cole? No Freddie Hubbard but ample recognition of John Faddis? No Bill Evans, perhaps rivaled only by Coltrane (who receives many mentions) as the musician of influence on the actual "language" of the music after 1958? (Give Miles the styles.) If Hampton and Hawkins are seen as necessary to bridge the swing and bebop periods, it would seem no less important to offer the reader similar connections with the music's immediate future.

Regarding the preceding reviewer's concern about Stitt, at least Sonny gets a number of mentions in the book, though I'd agree that any qualifiers about his status as an "innovator" should be unnecessary. He makes Bird's language accessible and is the quintessential, exemplary "textbook" player, his clear but soulful, embodied sound in itself a thing of sheer beauty along with his unlimited technique and immaculate constructions. I've known saxophonists who insist that a mastery of Stitt's "formulaic phrases" is a necessary first step toward becoming an authentic original. Stitt, moreover, is the Crosby/Sinatra/Holiday of the horn--recording (and probably knowing) more standard pop tunes than anyone before or since.

Rollins gets numerous mentions--so many that the disregard of Harold Land and Hank Mobley becomes painfully conspicuous. Land was on all of the Clifford/Roach recordings except one, and he frequently matches Clifford on solos (let alone the tight ensemble choruses). Then there's the Curtis Counce group, with extraordinary musicians like pianist Carl Perkins (Garner's direct musical descendant by way of Bud) in addition to the masterful if not sublime Land--where are they? And where, for Pete's sake, is Hank Mobley (especially since frequent frontline partner Dorham is rightly recognized). Whether with Silver, Blakey, Miles, or on his own, Mobley's is the deep, soulful sound and unfailingly fresh melodic imagination that never ceases to satisfy and surprise.

The author is apparently impressed by so-called "power players"--the flying fingers (sometimes even piano keys) of Oscar, the macho endurance and big tone of Rollins, the penetrating sound of Coltrane (that storied bebopper). The book is probably too limited to be of great use to the knowledgeable follower of the scene yet perhaps sufficiently comprehensive to overwhelm the neophyte. (I'm happy if I can acquaint young or new listeners with six names: Louis, Duke, Bird, Miles, Coltrane and Bill Evans.) Recommended for the recent "convert," or genuinely curious enthusiast who wants to take the next leg of the journey of discovery.

Nice touch: as in his book on Swing the author provides sections called "LPs to Look For." Though some of the recordings have subsequently been reissued (mostly by Japanese and Spanish companies), it's still fascinating and potentially useful information (especially for eBay bidders).

I am many times dissapointed by Scott's approach to jazz. It highlights the already known information. For the amount of Jazz History he touts himself to know, I was dissapointed.