Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues [Paperback]

Wynton Marsalis (Author), Carl Vigeland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 9, 2002

The thrill of sitting in a club or concert hall hearing jazz being made is familiar to most fans. But what if you could immerse yourself in the world of the musician, where creating and performing is a profound task, and yet as routine as breathing? When writer Carl Vigeland was invited to tour with Wynton Marsalis and his septet, he was able to do just that. Vigeland's acute observations sweep us into their world as he becomes virtually part of the band. At the same time, Marsalis offers intimate meditations on home, family, creation, and performance--written in the cadence of his inimitable voice. Set on the stage, in the studio, and in great cities and small towns around the world, this richly textured narrative explores how the music is made in America today.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

American jazz sweetheart Marsalis gives readers a seat on his old septet's tour bus for a ride down memory lane. It's the early 1990s, and the trumpeter is coming into his own as a composer, despite his tight road schedule (check-in at hotel, go to sound check, eat supper, iron the suit, play the gig, snooze a bit, hit the road). Should a day off (or a few free hours) arise, he's speaking at a local school, composing a ballet, recording an album or playing a ballad to his sons on the phone. "He'd take his naps in the next life," writes coauthor Vigeland, who tagged along on tour. Marsalis's productivity and growth during this period would lead to nine Grammys, a Pulitzer (previously awarded only to classical composers) and his directorship of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Loosely using a sort of call-and-response style, the book swings between Vigeland's (Stalking the Shark: Passion and Pressure on the Pro Golf Tour) fly-on-the-wall documentation and the poetic solos of Marsalis, philosophizing on jazz, joy, love and lifeall synonymous for him. For better or for worse, it's easy to lose one's sense of time and place on the roadand it's equally easy to do so in this book. "The narrative's logic is one of feeling, not geography or chronology, and it develops accretively, elliptically," explains Vigeland. At their best, the authors show how Marsalis's road experiences shape his music and the tightness (musically and personally) of the septet. The glimpse into Marsalis's New Orleans upbringing in that famous first family of jazz (Ellis, his father, and Branford, his brother) fascinates, but leaves the reader hungry for more. Agent, Wayne Kabak, William Morris Agency. (June)Forecast: Marsalis's high profile and the success of Ken Burns's jazz book and documentary film (to which Marsalis contributed) will arouse interest in the artist's musical coming-of-age. Other biographies on Marsalis exist, but this is notable for its mixture of an outsider's perspective with that of the musician.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Using the written-word equivalents of such documentary film techniques as the slow fade-out and the cutaway, this collaborative personal history presents an intimate view of life on the road, in the recording studio, and in concerts with trumpeter Marsalis, his ensemble, and road crew in the early 1990s. This period saw Marsalis, currently director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, honing his chops at little clubs and composing songs. While not a traditional biography, this book provides a very real, personal glimpse of Marsalis, as both musician and man. Trumpeter and music writer Vigeland, who tagged along with the septet, here allows his coauthor's sense of humor to shine through. The book's film-inspired techniques make for an unpredictable, ever-evolving reading experience, and readers will come away with a feeling for life on the road, stripped of its many false stereotypes. Recommended for all public and academic libraries; those that already own Marsalis and Frank Stewart's Sweet Swing Blues on the Road (Norton, 1994) should definitely purchase this sequel. James Perone, Mount Union Coll., Alliance, OH
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; First Trade edition (July 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306811278
• ISBN-13: 978-0306811272
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #587,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Fantastic Work!, June 27, 2001

By 

David M. Waitzman (Hartford, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jazz In The Bittersweet Blues Of Life (Hardcover)

Picked up Marsalis + Vigeland's work and just couldn't put it down! From descriptions of events, to understanding the personal struggles of band members, Jazz in the bittersweet blues of life fully expresses the goings on of the Wynton Marsalis Septet. Above all, I found Marsalis's commentaries on life, love, and music striking chords within my soul, and left me pleading for more.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marsalis' words are profound and poetic, June 6, 2001

By 

Trevy A. McDonald (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jazz In The Bittersweet Blues Of Life (Hardcover)

Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life is a chronicle of one artist's ten year journey as he shares his gift and talent with the world. Marsalis' words, which appear in italics throughout the book are both profound and poetic. As you read, you can hear him speak, but most of all you feel the passion he has for his craft. He poses the question early in the book when explaining that everyone is an artist, "...how do you want to make me feel with your art, and what insights do you have that distinguish your ideas from someone else's?" A rhetorical question for every artist.

You get a sense of the daily experiences of Wynton and the other musicians in the Septet, from composing on the road, to the daily pick-up basketball games, to the lectures in schools across the country to the musicians ironing their clothing before each performance. It is a demanding, yet rewarding life. Throughout the book (and his travels) Marsalis not only meets and encourages young musicians, but he keeps in contact with them through periodic phone calls, updating himself on their growth as musicians. Some of the young musicians he met early in his career became members of the septet.

Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life, has shaped me as both an artist and author. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Marsalis at Book Expo America. He is as personable, down-to-earth and charming as he appears in this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Insightful Look at the Improvisational Process, January 1, 2004

By 

Chad Davies "Downhill" (Barnesville, GA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life (Hardcover)

Jazz, America's music, is an improvisational art. In Bittersweet Blues Marsalis and Vigeland do a lot do educate the reader just how this works. Not just on the bandstand but also on the road and in the life of jazz' leading spokesman. The book helps you see how musicians must comminucate, must hold each other with respect, must listen with an ear for creativity and must withhold judgement.

The book alternates between Vigeland's discussion of the events in life of Marsalis' Septet and Wynton's discussions of what it means to be a jazz musician. This interplay is what gives the book it's beautiful tone and variety. In a sense, you see the two authors improvising around each other's styles. What amazed me the most was the pace of Marsalis' life and the breadth of his associations. I enjoyed learning more about the creative process behind some of my favorite music as well.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in road stories, jazz or how artists create the ir art.