As this illuminating book shows, jazz still has a lot to say about the world—and a lot of eloquent artists ready to say it.
A music critic assesses the current state of jazz.
By the end of the 20th century, some observers of the jazz scene had concluded that “jazz was enshrined in the popular imagination as a historical practice, a set of codes to be reenacted endlessly.” What possible surprises could be mined from an art form that “had already completed a full life cycle of creation, maturation, obsolescence, and revival”? A lot, it turns out, as Chinen (co-author, with George Wein: Myself Among Others: A Life in Music, 2003), the current NPR contributor and former jazz critic for the New York Times, demonstrates in this analysis of the state of jazz in the 21st century. No fan of “an overintellectualized, preciously ennobled, eat-your-vegetables idea of great American music,” the author focuses on artists who are pushing jazz in new directions. These include saxophonist Kamasi Washington, who, with “The Epic,” his 2015 debut album, “emerged as jazz’s most persuasive embodiment of new black pride at a moment when few forces in American culture felt more pressing”; pianist Brad Mehldau, whose solo in one particular track so impressed guitarist Pat Metheny when he heard it while driving “that he pulled the car over to give it his full concentration”; drummer Tyshawn Sorey, composer of the “unclassifiable suite” The Inner Spectrum of Variables; bassist Esperanza Spalding; and more. Chinen gets bogged down with repeated references to the awards many of the cited artists have won, but jazz fans will find much to enjoy. Anyone looking to start a jazz collection will be happy to know that each chapter concludes with five recommended recordings. The author has a gift for memorable lines, as when he writes about D’Angelo’s 2000 album “Voodoo”: “There’s an odd sensation that you often encounter listening to the album, not unlike absentmindedly reaching the top of a staircase and being startled when there isn’t another step.”
As this illuminating book shows, jazz still has a lot to say about the world—and a lot of eloquent artists ready to say it.Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-101-87034-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Pantheon
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
A well-executed, socially conscious proactive and rigorous call to action.
Everything you wanted to know about alcohol-fuel production but were afraid to ask.
For those who think ethanol is the be-all and end-all of the alternative-energy revolution, think again. More than 20 years ago, veteran biofuel guru Blume (Alcohol Can Be a Gas, 1983) beat the drum for alcohol-based alternative fuels. Despite an impenetrable foreword by R. Buckminster Fuller, Blume’s latest book is a well-researched and expanded update to his original work, incorporating 21st-century concerns over global warming, domestic-energy policy, grassroots biofuel solutions and the challenges of going green in a world dominated by the fossil fuel “oiligarchy.” Blume systematically and entertainingly builds his case for individual responsibility and activism in dealing with the nation’s domestic-energy challenges, and he excludes no one in preaching his gospel of alcohol-fuel independence. For the novice, Blume tells the story of alcohol production’s rich history in America, from the Civil War to today, and effectively demystifies the thorny pros and cons of the current national energy-policy debate regarding ethanol. This education alone is worth the cover price. Make no mistake, the book is more than a bully pulpit for championing sociopolitical opinions on global-energy woes–it is a technical how-to book. Written with enterprising do-it-yourselfers in mind, Blume offers countless hands-on technical solutions ranging from home stills to for-profit manufacturing strategies and builds chapters on detailed charts, graphs and step-by-step building instructions, giving activist-minded readers the data and resources they need to implement personal and individualized energy solutions.
A well-executed, socially conscious proactive and rigorous call to action.Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-979-04379-6
Page Count: 596
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Words to live by.
A man shares the wisdom and inspiration he’s collected throughout his life.
Anthony doesn’t just file away bits of insight whenever he happens upon them; he seeks them out, initiating conversations with other people about life and their own experiences and outlook. In this collection of short essays, the author shares these ideas and stories and what they have meant to him, in hopes that they will inspire others. He argues that successful people largely create their own luck by how they respond to the circumstances around them. Conversely, those who feel that only bad things happen to them help fulfill their own prophecy through their attitude and expectations. Though he was deeply grieved by his mother’s death, the author decided to write this book to work through that pain, to turn that experience into something positive and to help others find better ways to respond to life’s challenges. He asserts that one can begin to change his or her life simply by altering how one looks at each day–as a grind or as an opportunity. He urges readers to appreciate the time they have and to make the most of it by improving themselves and helping others to do so as well. Many of his discussions are illustrated by stories in which he learned something new from someone in his daily life, or he attempted to turn someone around toward a more positive outlook. The essays are interspersed with poems, which offer more emotionally charged meditations on similar themes. He concludes with slightly more stern chapters, addressing how many people approach self-help books as quick fixes, arguing that changing one’s life requires a constant commitment. An outgrowth of his website, SomethingToShare.com, this succeeds because the author’s advice is directly derived from his own experience. Some may perceive his values as old-fashioned, however, particularly those about children and parenting.
Words to live by.Pub Date: May 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0931761-25-5
Page Count: 220
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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