New York Is Now!: The New Wave of Free Jazz [Paperback]

Phil Freeman (Author), Susan O'Connor (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2001

For nearly 20 years, a group of musicians has been making music in the tradition of pioneers such as Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, and John Coltrane, but which is uniquely their own. This introduction to and analysis of the current state of free jazz music in New York City profiles these performers and the larger community around them that has been all but frozen out by the critical, “safe” jazz establishment. Included are discussions of the major musicians in the scene, including Matthew Shipp, David S. Ware, and William Parker; the independent record labels that release free jazz music; the rock magazines that have covered them when jazz magazines have not; and the atmosphere of familiarity and collective effort that permeates the free jazz scene.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Embraced by rock fans in the early 90s, the Free Jazz movement has inspired a kind of jazz renaissance. Jazz journalist and death-metal fan Phil Freeman describes that revival in New York Is Now! The New Wave of Free Jazz, the first book published by the multimedia Telegraph Company (66 Hope St., Brooklyn, N.Y., 11211; 718-599-6762). In interviews with avant-garde jazz musicians, reviews of salient works, discussions of the scene's important clubs and record labels, and analysis of the genre's relationship to indie rock, Freeman catalogues a much-overlooked musical and cultural phenomenon. Jazz fans and indie-rockers alike should welcome this thorough and opinionated work. Sept. 10)

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This first book by freelance music journalist Freeman profiles some of the top free jazz artists in New York City today, including Charles Gayle, David S. Ware, and Matthew Shipp. A confessed jazz outsider (he grew up on punk and metal and only recently fell for free jazz, a new movement created by New York musicians emulating Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, and John Coltrane), the author strongly believes that if free jazz is to survive, it needs to attract audiences in different ways than mainstream jazz does. He suggests that it actively court rock/metal/hardcore listeners and lists successful collaborations to prove his point. Often the musicians discussed here have been relegated to small chapters in other jazz titles like Gary Giddins's Visions of Jazz (LJ 8/98), so a larger treatment is welcome. The writer is fairly passionate and does not mince words on the topics of jazz history, jazz critics, and Ken Burns's recent Jazz series. While readers might disagree on certain issues, the interviews with performers and music producers are quite valuable. Recommended for academic and large public libraries. [This is the inaugural title from the Telegraph Company, a multimedia entertainment company based in Brooklyn. Ed.] Ronald S. Russ, Arkansas State Univ., Beeb.
- Ronald S. Russ, Arkansas State Univ., Beebe
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Telegraph Co (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930606001
• ISBN-13: 978-1930606005
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,364,152 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Ranting diatribe, January 10, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: New York Is Now!: The New Wave of Free Jazz (Paperback)

First of all, I love free jazz and frequently buy recordings and attend performances of the musicians covered in this book.

There are some good parts to this book, unfortunately they are few and far between. The discussion of alternate marketing and the (brief) biographies are interesting. However most of the book is dedicated to describing recordings and performances (in sickening barrages of meaningless praise) of the limited roster of artists he presents in the book. Freeman badly misses his mark not only by treating the musicians as gods, but also by attempting to describe the music in the most non-musical terms possible.

One example of over the top praise is Freeman's discussion of (the divine) Matthew Shipp. Now I like Shipp's music and totally respect where he is going, but come on! At one point Freeman goes into a lengthy contrast of Shipp and Cecil Taylor where Taylor's music comes off as inferior in rhythm, melody, and conception. This is just one example of the ridiculous amounts of praise he gives the music of his favorite artists.

Freeman is also way too concerned with the label "free-jazz" and who does and does not belong in this elite group. He seems hell-bent on convinving the audience that John Zorn is not a jazz musician. What's more, he seems to think that Zorn's music is destroying jazz. Most musicians will tell you that they are not concerned with making music that belongs within a particular genre, but rather in creating their own unique type of music. Freeman, again, misses this point.

I could keep going on Freeman's elitist, uneducated (he hadn't heard of Art Tatum until Ken Burns), rantings, but I would be wasting more time than I already did reading his book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Even Ben Watson's book about Derek Bailey is better than this, April 18, 2006

By 

A Burrito Supreme (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New York Is Now!: The New Wave of Free Jazz (Paperback)

OK, the one star is because this is still the only book-length study of this school of NYC musicians that I know about, and that's worth something. I tried to read this book when it came out, found it unreadable. Recently I gave it another try and it still sucks.

Freeman seems to think he's the only person who can define what free jazz / improv is, let alone understand it. His exclusionary negativity is appalling - the guy directs juvenile, incoherent attacks at just about everyone who doesn't fit his mold: writers Amiri Baraka and Howard Mandel as well as musical giants like Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, John Zorn (a 'dilettante'), and (!) Cecil Taylor (apparently inferior to Matthew Shipp).

Regardless of what you might think about those names, they're part of the tradition and history of jazz and improv, a tradition Freeman is obviously ignorant of - his attempts to sum up jazz history are laughable. The thing is, he doesn't even seem interested in the context that his musical heroes came from, as much as he is in having a space to rant and make himself look like a badass.

Now I've seen David S. Ware, Matt Shipp, and William Parker play many times; I've been fortunate enough to rap with them about music a few times. They couldn't be bothered trash-talking John Zorn or Derek Bailey (who William's played with anyway) - they've got better things to do, like making music. Lord help us if we should have guys like Freeman on our side.

Essentially Freeman is an orientalist - he's got the bougie white kid's need to build up his identity by seeking out the most 'authentic' exotica. I can't believe they let him write for the Wire - then again, they've had Ben Watson kicking around for years. Twits.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars sad waste of time, June 28, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: New York Is Now!: The New Wave of Free Jazz (Paperback)

Freeman's credibility is as bankrupt as his opinions. This is a book riddled with factual errors and a total disregard for research, history or insight. Freeman is a very young critic, and it shows in his writing. Virtually any other book on the subject is more informed than this half-baked diatribe.