[Dixielandjazz] Leonard Feather

[Marek Boym]

>
> Dear Marek:
>
> It is always interesting to balance  books by writers and critics, with
> memories of musicians who were there at the time. That's one reason I
> enjoyed Jim Beebe's postings about musical life, and Leonard Feather, Miles
> Davis, et al..

So did I.  But it's beyond the point.  And I need not repeat how I
feel about Miles' music.


>
> I too had spoken with Miles about several aspects of music and can verify
> that Miles was generally disgusted with critics and felt they "manufactured"
> the supposed friction between modern and trad jazz musicians.

Only that?  I strongly recommend Johnny Frigo's poem about critics.
I've tried to find it on the web, but could only find references to
books that contained it.  Reading may not be as impressive as hearing
the author recite it, but I'm afraid it's too late for the latter.


> helped perpetuate that myth by taking sentences out of context, like:
> "Armstrong says bop is Chinese Music".

He said somethingo f the sort on record (a live concert, but I cannot
recall which one).


> Armstrong and Gillespie lived within a few blocks of each other in Corona,
> Queens County, NYC. (Not too far from where I lived at the time) And often
> visited together as friends when schedules permitted.

Not to mention playing together.  I find it difficult to believe that
the recorded encounter was the only one.
>

>
> And there was always the myth that Miles hated white people. Spread mostly
> by the press and folks who didn't know Miles.

Not only.  And those that perpetuated it were shocked when Miles hired
Bill Evans.  He must have said something to the effect that he
wouldn't hire a white musician, but his reply to the protesters was
that when he finds a black pianist who can play like Bill Evans he
would hire him (not in quotes, because it's not the exact quote).  And
"The Birth of Cool" was not exactly a one-race record.

>As is the myth that he hated Dixieland. Folks forget that Miles said on numerous
> occasions words to the effect that: "No Louis, no Miles."

Not necessarily a contradiction.  He might have hated Dixieland (no
idea whether he did) and still realized that without Armstrong there
would be no jazz to speak off.
>

>
> Point being book reading is fine, but like all of the written word, should
> be taken with a grain of salt.

Of course.  Messrs. Rust and Harris did not convince me that the music
of Red Nichols, The Memphis Five et al was bad or "mediocre," nor that
BG should have stayed with what he played in the twenties.  Nor did
Rudi Blesh persuade me  not to listen to WHITE swing (despite the
stereotype, he thought black swing of Count Basie or Jimmie Luncefore
was OK).


The author usually has an agenda that slants
> what he/she writes. Unfortunately that seems to be especially true of music
> critics.

Don't forget that Feather was a musician, even if hardly a great one.

 >Many of them already have a predisposition before they write a
> critique. And so they pick apart the music to suit their own prejudices.

Probably most.  There were days when, for the Jazz Journal, the Duke
could do no wrong.  The same was true of the Gov'nor (Ken Colyer for
those who don't know).
>
> Rare indeed, is the critic who can approach a piece of music,

Yet someone on this list was very idignant when I said something of
the sort about Richard Sudhalter.  A wonderful player, by the way.

His 3rd Blindfold test with Miles is a classic in that
> regard. It certainly verifies the Beebe claim that Feather played the worst
> recorded examples he could find in the belief that it would generate
> controversy and controversy is what sells  newspapers and magazines. His 3rd
> Miles blindfold test is a classic example For a treat, see the below
> website, being sure to read Feather's disclaimers at the top:

I was a Downbeat subscriber from 1964 well int othe seventies, or
perhaps later.  I believe that I've read them when they apooeared
(even though the magarrived here some three months after publication
date).  And I probably still have the JT blindfold test somewhere (I
photocopied most of the interesting stuff, which in Downbeat wasn't so
much) before giving all those magazines away.
>
Cheers,