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Toward Jazz
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 25, 2015
Hodeir's second book on jazz collects essays and articles written between 1953 and 1959. I would rank the best of these essays with the best of jazz writing. Along the way are a few pieces which most jazz lovers are likely to find slightly infuriating, and a few articles which just haven't held up well.
Just about all of Part Two, subtitled On Criticism, falls into the latter category. Several of these articles concern battles between different schools of jazz criticism which have long since faded into the past. And after reading Chapter Six, Hodeir's detailed defense of his position that neither improvisation nor the blues is essential ("in the Husserlian sense of the term") to jazz, my response was an exasperated yawn. Okay, whatever, Andre.
Speaking of exasperation, I suspect that many readers will experience that emotion during the chapters on Benny Carter and Art Tatum, since Hodeir does not hold those artists in the same level of esteem that most jazz fans do. But those chapters are actually balanced and well-written, even if I don't necessarily agree with the Hodeir's conclusions. For instance, he seems to miss the boat on the harmonic brilliance of Tatum's improvising, focusing instead on what he considers the decorative elements of that great pianist's style.
But Hodeir's abilities really come through in the more analytical chapters. The chapters on Basie's piano style and on Thelonious Monk are brilliant, and several others are nearly as good. The short commentaries on five improvised solos are very illuminating, although the ability to read music is probably necessary to get the most of Hodeir's comments.
So we are left with a mixed bag. But I wouldn't want to be without the best writing here.
Just about all of Part Two, subtitled On Criticism, falls into the latter category. Several of these articles concern battles between different schools of jazz criticism which have long since faded into the past. And after reading Chapter Six, Hodeir's detailed defense of his position that neither improvisation nor the blues is essential ("in the Husserlian sense of the term") to jazz, my response was an exasperated yawn. Okay, whatever, Andre.
Speaking of exasperation, I suspect that many readers will experience that emotion during the chapters on Benny Carter and Art Tatum, since Hodeir does not hold those artists in the same level of esteem that most jazz fans do. But those chapters are actually balanced and well-written, even if I don't necessarily agree with the Hodeir's conclusions. For instance, he seems to miss the boat on the harmonic brilliance of Tatum's improvising, focusing instead on what he considers the decorative elements of that great pianist's style.
But Hodeir's abilities really come through in the more analytical chapters. The chapters on Basie's piano style and on Thelonious Monk are brilliant, and several others are nearly as good. The short commentaries on five improvised solos are very illuminating, although the ability to read music is probably necessary to get the most of Hodeir's comments.
So we are left with a mixed bag. But I wouldn't want to be without the best writing here.
April 8, 2008
Andre Hodeir, in a term I can only think of, is a French Jazz theorist. Interesting read, but to be honest he's an incredible arranger and composer as well. A good pal of Boris Vian's (who wasn't in those days) he made some incredible music - but very difficult to find. in the 60's he did a fantastic score to the film version of Vian's L'ecume des jours (Foam of the Daze) that is borderline electronic with jazz overtones. His writings are interesting as well.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews