Just finished this book last week and wanted to give it a shout out… highly enjoyable read! Scott DeVeaux does an outstanding job of pulling together all the disparate factors (artistic, economic, social, societal, racial, etc.) in the creation of the “Bebop Era” in the mid-forties. The main narrative centers around Coleman Hawkins’ triumphs and travails as he moves from gifted soloist with Fletcher Henderson in the late-twenties and early thirties to his European “exile” through the rest of the decade, his bumpy tenure as big band leader in the early-forties and finally settling in as small group leader and early-bop musician enabler in ’44.
Many of the great characters make appearances; Dizzy, Bird, Pops, Monk, and many more, but some of the most memorable material comes from the first hand interviews Scott did with Howard McGhee. His insights alone concerning gigging in the southeastern US, his time in the Andy Kirk band, recording with Hawk and feuding with him over wages are worth picking the book up for. I must confess before I read the book I wasn’t aware of how volatile the job situations were for musicians of the time period. Just goes to show that some things never change!
For anyone who loves jazz history or has some curiosity concerning how the music industry was woven into the fabric of US cultural and economic happenings during the ’30s and ’40s – head on over to Amazon or march your behind over to your local library… you can fist-bump me later!
Amazon
