Since 1934, the Village Vanguard in New York's Greenwich Village has hosted the foremost in live jazz, folk music, and comedy. Its owner, Max Gordon, has now written a personal history of his club and the hundreds of entertainment legends who have played there. Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen, Woodie Guthrie, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Josh White, Pete Seeger—Max has stories about all of them. And what stories! As Nat Hentoff says in his introduction, "A good many so-called professional writers have not done nearly so well."
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Hot, Smoky Jazz in a Basement,
This review is from: Live at the Village Vanguard (Hardcover)
Max Gordon is a name that will be familiar to lovers of jazz. Anyone who goes to New York City and loves jazz will almost inevitably wind up seeing someone perform live at the Village Vanguard. Many great artists like John Coltrane have recorded live performances there. Gordon was the founder of this legendary club. He found a little basement in Greenwich Village and then proceeded to make jazz history. All the greats like Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker et al played there at one time or another. Lenny Bruce and Woody Allen also performed comedy at the Vanguard. Max Gordon proves to be a very competent author in this book that recounts the history of the club. Gordon discusses the early struggles with getting liquor licenses or dealing with racial segregation. He includes a lot of great antecdotes of his meetings with many of these legends. This book is surprisingly well written and entertaining. This chronicle of his life will be inspiring and educational. Max Gordon has an important story to tell. Jazz is one of America's greatest exports. Max Gordon played a major role in its development. I strongly recommend this book for any fan of jazz. (It is out of print but there are a few copies still being sold at the club itself. If you live in or close to New York City, it would be worth the effort.)
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Running a joint is tough, but my years in the Village before I opened one were tougher. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
nightclub business Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, The Blue Angel, Village Vanguard, Greenwich Village, Charlie Mingus, Carnegie Hall, Harry Belafonte, Lenny Bruce, Dinah Washington, Miles Davis, State Department, Sol Hurok, The Rainbow Room, Joe Gould, New Year's Eve, Stewart's Cafeteria, Village Fair, Blind Lemon, Burl Ives, Dannie Richmond, Gloria Lynne, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Sonny Rollins, Woody Allen, Eddie Gomez New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Running a joint is tough, but my years in the Village before I opened one were tougher. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
nightclub business Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, The Blue Angel, Village Vanguard, Greenwich Village, Charlie Mingus, Carnegie Hall, Harry Belafonte, Lenny Bruce, Dinah Washington, Miles Davis, State Department, Sol Hurok, The Rainbow Room, Joe Gould, New Year's Eve, Stewart's Cafeteria, Village Fair, Blind Lemon, Burl Ives, Dannie Richmond, Gloria Lynne, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Sonny Rollins, Woody Allen, Eddie Gomez New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 7
books:
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15
books
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- Fred Astaire by Benny Green on page 27
- John Coltrane: John Coltrane by Bill Cole in Back Matter
- Bells Are Ringing by Jule Styne on page 29
- Washington Square (Signet Classics) by Henry James on page 11
- On the Town by Leonard Bernstein on page 28
See all 7 books this book cites
- Milestones: The Music And Times Of Miles Davis by Jack Chambers in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Always Wear Joy: My Mother Bold and Beautiful by Susan Fales-Hill in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Josh White: Society Blues by Elijah Wald in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Woody Allen: A Biography by John Baxter in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Always Wear Joy: My Mother Bold and Beautiful by Susan Fales-Hill in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
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