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  1. #1

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    Looking to read some jazz biographies in general but hoping there could be a good one about one of the well known guitarists, but wanting to hear of any recommendation for the genre or other jazz musicians.

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  3. #2

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    George Benson has an autobiography and so does Stan Levy. I liked both.

    Booker T, from Booker T and the MGs talks about bebop blowing him away in his autobiography as well.

    Al Strickland, piano player from Bob Wills' Texas Playboys also has a good autobiography. They thought they were jazz players.

  4. #3

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    Pat Martino's book, I think called Here and Now, is excellent.

  5. #4

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    +1 on the Martino book.

  6. #5

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    Monk - Robin Kelley

  7. #6

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    I read the Grant Green, Barney Kessel, Gary Burton, Dexter Gordon, Johnny Smith and Phil Woods books recently.
    Up next Stan Getz then Monk.
    Last edited by wintermoon; 09-30-2021 at 10:32 PM.

  8. #7

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    Beneath the Underdog, Charles Mingus

  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by wintermoon
    I read the Grant Green, Barney Kessel, Gary Burton, Dexter Gordon and Phil Woods books recently.
    Up next Stan Getz then Monk.
    I hope you enjoy horror stories if you're gonna read a book about Getz! He messed up so many people, that a standard bio of him won't even reveal the fact that he made Billy Bean into an alcoholic, and wrecked his career. I had to read Bean's bio to find out about that, because not a word about what he did to BB is in any of the bios of Getz I looked through.
    I already posted about the trouble he gave Mel Lewis, which I had to read Mel's bio to find out about.
    You'll probably just get the standard drug store robberies, wife beatings, etc... that made SG the living nightmare that he was.
    His playing,of course, was another story entirely...genius.

  10. #9

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    Martin Taylor, Kiss and Tell
    Moonlight in Vermont: The Official Biography of Johnny Smith by Lin Flanagan
    Tommy Tedesco,
    For Guitar Players Only
    John Pizzarelli, World on a String

    and most articles in Just Jazz Guitar magazines....

  11. #10

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    Miles Davis autobiography…
    Terry Teachout’s bio of Louis Armstrong…

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by A. Kingstone
    Monk - Robin Kelley
    +5 for this. This is such a well written book that it should be a standard text in college English classes for how to write an outstanding biography.

  13. #12
    Larry Coryell's "Improvising: My Life in Music."

  14. #13

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    The Johnny Smith one was very good.

    I love Stan Getz, but after watching him interviewed on the Ken Burns JAZZ series, what a bitter old man that a-hole is. The post above about Getz is not surprising to me.

  15. #14

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    I would love to find the rather lengthy Guitar Player magazine interview with George Van Eps. His mind functioned at such a high level! I seem to remember thet one of the things he said was that if he wanted to sound darker on a song he would thing in the key of B# instead of C. I don't think my brain could even begin to fathom that!

  16. #15

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    There is an interesting bio of George Van Eps (Guitar Man) available on Kindle, worth reading. It seems to be based on interviews with George so reads a lot like an autobiography.

    It is not available for the older type kindles though (which I have), so I got it on my iPad via the kindle app.

  17. #16

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    A couple of Van Eps articles on the Ted Greene site
    TedGreene.com - Biography

  18. #17

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    Raise Up Off Me (Hampton Hawes) is great. He had some awful experiences (similar to those of Art Pepper), but the difference is he is completely honest about his failings and manages to view it all with a sense of humour. Also contains the amazing account of how he got out of jail simply by writing to JFK and asking for a pardon!

  19. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by JazzinNY
    Pat Martino's book, I think called Here and Now, is excellent.
    Didn't know it was a book - the documentary of the same name is excellent.


  20. #19

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    Basies' The Boy From Redbank
    Ian Carrs' Bio of Miles
    Someone to watch over me - Ben Webster
    Jazz Journey - Gary Burton
    The Autobiography - Clark Terry
    To Be or Not to Bop - Dizzy Gillespie
    African Rhythm - Randy Weston

    Wishing on the moon (Billie Holiday) is on my phone - yet to read it.

  21. #20

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    OOOH!!! I forgot the 2 Louis Armstrong autobiographies. VERY good. Written the way he talks, so it's like listening to him speak as you read them.

  22. #21

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    Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker, by the great jazz author Stanley Crouch

  23. #22

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    Straight Life.
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    .

    I'll get my coat.

  24. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by rsclosson
    I would love to find the rather lengthy Guitar Player magazine interview with George Van Eps.
    It was on TedGreene.com, from where I downloaded it, can't find it now - need more coffee.

  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by grahambop
    Raise Up Off Me (Hampton Hawes) is great. He had some awful experiences (similar to those of Art Pepper), but the difference is he is completely honest about his failings and manages to view it all with a sense of humour. Also contains the amazing account of how he got out of jail simply by writing to JFK and asking for a pardon!
    One of the best and easiest reads, but not in a "simpleton" way. He talks about things in such a way that makes so much sense but without effort or strain to be convincing. Loved it.

  26. #25

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    In the last couple of days, I have seen several mentions of Hampton Hawes in various places. It must be a Sign. I have ordered the book.