Customer Reviews

Raise Up Off Me: A Portrait of Hampton Hawes

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Outside of Arthur Taylor's Notes and Tones, Raise...is one of the most important books written on Be-bop or jazz period. It's written from an insider's point of view. Like jazz drummer Taylor, who would better know the cracks and crevices of the world of Be-bop than someone who lived it. Hawes was one of the hippest, bluesiest players to come out of the hard-bop era. 'Raise...is a gas. I laughed all the way through. Hawes is humorous and raw to the gut, check out his interview in Taylor's Notes and Tones. He's a little more toned down though in "Raise..., yet he paints still a marvelous picture of the most dynamic era in jazz, like no one else could. It's a book you can't put down. It's the closest you can get to without actually having been there. "Raise...is raw, vicious, funny, entertaining and downright honest.

If you like jazz, get your hands on this book and read it! Its humor, honesty, attention to detail, and readability put other autobiographies (mingus, miles) to shame.

Hawes was the bluesiest of the beboppers and could rightly be called the unrecognized father of hard bop. Unfortunately, he also had a herion habit that crippled his career. For more on that, read the book. Some of his recordings are still in print. Give them a listen, and then start calling DeCapo Press to get them to reprint this jazz literature classic! END

I love this book. Remember, back then when you played this music, it wasn't exactly a sweet world for the musicians (Black ones). I'm glad he let everyone know how hard it was out there. Drugs took this Bad Boy out the game and the world passed him by. Musicians like Brother Hawes, will never be acknowledged for their great playing in the U.S.A.

If there was a dumb remark in this book, I didn't see it. Again, think back to the times he was living in. He talked about Jimmy Rushing and the way he thought about things. Jimmy Rushing came out of a different era, yet Some of his thoughts were not far behind. When he described Black people, some were light skninned, some were black... The book is not dated, it's just good.

This book is all of these things and more. This is the story of an essentially decent person fighting his own demons. A beautifully crafted book written in the subjects own idiom. A must have for anybody wanting to get inside jazz during the be bop era.

I have always likes Hawes. But this book did not make me feel like I knew him better
He makes only a passing mention of "the all night sessions" which I feel was among his best works. You need to be a true jazz fan to simi-like this book

Not many musicians end up with a Presidential pardon. Hampton Hawes deserves to be more well known than he is and this book goes a long way in telling his story. Highly recommended.

This is one of the most honest portraits of a human being you will ever find.. I would recommend this along with Charles Mingus' 'Beneath the underdog' for a taste of the 'jazz life'. It is amazing what these guys lived through - and still created such beautiful music!

I enjoyed reading this book very much.

It is first of all Hampton Hawes biography of his life as a jazz musician. It tellls us of his way from being a little boy attending his father's church on Sundays to a highly acclaimed jazz pianist, his downfall because of his heroin addiction, his 10-year jail sentence (which was reduced to six after Hawes had written to John Kennedy!), his way back up on the European market, his love relationship with Jackie, and his new found love after separating from Jackie after almost two decades. The very last sentence of the book speaks about his ex-wife Jackie - and it is very touching and shows that Hawes indeed must have been a nice man.

There is only one really dumb remark in the book that I felt was disgusting. (Find it for yourself... ;-))

Hawes repeatedly talks about Black issues. I personally feel that those statements are very intelligent, and can therefore recommend this book not only to those of you interested in jazz, but also to anyone into Black issues.

Hamp is a cool cat, true blue and a humble man but in his words, a real (...). read this book it puts you right in the scene. Its about Life Love and hardships joys and jazz.

Hamp is a cool cat, true blue and a humble man but in his words, a real mother... read this book it puts you right in the scene. Its about Life Love and hardships joys and jazz.