[Dixielandjazz] Valaida

[Fred Spencer]

The book, "Valaida", by Candace Allen, that was discussed recently on the DJML arrived today from the UK.The author says that her book is "first and foremost a work of fiction", which we already knew. It is a "modern" novel,  back- and forth- flashing between the USA and Europe, and between jazz clubs and prison. The dust jacket shows Valaida in color, trumpet in hand, dressed partly in a leopard type garment and a long mane of some black feathery material. This picture is reproduced from the endpapers, which show her behind a white sax section (any ideas whose band?). Annoyingly, the dust jacket credits do not say more than that the picture comes from the Frank Driggs Collection (you might have thought Driggs would have added some details of the band, but I don't think the aithor would be interested in that). There is nothng about her time in [a fictional] Earl Hines band which would have been interesting...(Earl says that "she and I became very [italics] close friends" in the "World of E..H."). The author's husband is Sir Simon Rattle, the English conductor, which would be good for publicity in England's "old boy network".Perhaps  Sir had the money that covered three trips to Denmark and other expenses, unless she had a publisher's backing. There is no bibliography or index, but two Valaida experts, Morton Clausen and Howard Rye were interviewed. Whether they believe that Valaida's incarceration by the Germans is a myth, as the author does, is not revealed. If anyone knows these jazz historians, please ask for their thoughts. In summary, I don't intend to do more than surf this book, and I suggest that no one else does even that. Cheers 
Fred