Customer Reviews

Perry Robinson: The Traveler

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"Unique in the annals of jazz musicians," would be how I'd initially describe Perry. Upon graduating from the Conservatory of Music in KC, MO and moving to New York in 1967, I immediately fell in with several of the maestros of the avante-garde, the main three being Perry, Roswell Rudd and Bill Dixon. Through Perry I also was introduced to the incredible vocalist, Sheila Jordan, with whom I played periodic concerts during that era. I also was introduced to the awesome bassist and psychologist, the late David Izenzon, who became my mentor in both areas. As Perry mentions in his totally comprehensive journey through time and space (both inner and outer), he was responsible for my getting into numerology and after some time, legally changing my own name from Richard Youngstein (this is the name that appears on albums with Carla Bley & the JCOA,such as Escalator Over the Hill; Paul Bley; Annette Peacock, etc.)to Noah Young - and in the footsteps of my mentor Izenzon, to the field of psychology for the last 20 or so years. Visions of Perry walking off the bandstand on a gig with Ros Rudd at a wedding gig on an estate in upstate New York , to put his arms around various guests, while uttering his mantra, "Oh my dear....Are we out? Are we so very out!?" and having some of the well-heeled folks stop in their tracks and stare at him like he was from Mars, continue to fill my utterly fond memories of this truly unique human being. Perry is also known as the former leader of the Uni Trio - who one night after an out-of-town gig went to the home of friends who were to have left the keys to their house under the door mat and....as Perry's Cosmic Journey would have it - he found what he thought was the house, found keys under a mat and went in...Some hours later, when the lights went on in the bedroom and a startled Perry and a startled couple found each other and the question was asked of Perry, "Who the hell are you and what are you doing in our house!!??" Perry, never that startled for long, replied, "Oh my dears, come right in - I'm Perry Robinson - I'm the leader of the Uni Trio - Wooo Wooo Wooo!!!" (Perry's famous Triple Woo!) Reading this book is like reading the life journey of an Initiate to a Higher Order. You will find yourself laughing, intrigued, curious, confused, and in general experiencing sheer enJOYment. Do your Self a favor.....get it and read it...the personal stories of the characters along Perry's Travels are worth price of admission!!

"The Traveler" by Perry Robinson is a mesmerizing exploration of the very interesting and unusual life of the jazz clarinetist/composer Perry Robinson.
New York-raised, Perry has played with and made contact with many remarkable people in his life e.g. Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Dave Brubeck and many more. Written from his perspective as well as from the perspective of a number of his friends and fellow musicians, when you're done with this book you will surely be impressed and somewhat shaken by the travels of Perry.

I originally read this because I was a fan of his playing, but came to consider it a masterpiece of autobiograhical writing. The honesty and guilessness (?) of his self-presentation sets an example to us all. He's as non-judgmental and imaginiative in his approach to life as he is to music. In a culture driven by egotism this is a windstorm of very fresh air. I've ended up passing it along to several people who have absolutely no interest in the kind of music he represents and they've all been fascinated by him as a unique and exemplary human being. This is a gem not to be missed by anybody whose life leads them away from the mainstream. Do what you like and do it honestly.

When I found this book, I nearly flipped out. Why? Well, Perry and I were stationed together at the Naval School of Music in 1963. I had the opportunity to slightly get to know him.
Reading this book was an adventure into my memories as well as Perry's. His words came naturally making this life trip on paper very cool, sometimes sad, often comical, and searingly truthful. As the cliche goes, I couldn't put the book down and find my self,even after finishing it, going back for seconds.
Wonderful reading about a master musician who prefers his shadows.

Len Levy