[Dixielandjazz] Allen Toussaint

[Charles Suhor]

> Steve Yocum wrote:
> So tell me Charles S., what is it precisely that you have contributed to the New Orleans musical legacy? Allen Toussaint was a fine musician, a fine man, a never had a bad word to say about anyone, ever. Not once. And you sir? I'm afraid that I must totally discount any uninformed opinions that you may have. Demonstrate your talent sir and I will judge you. 


First, please read my apologetic “humble pie” posting. Second, I was a part-time drummer for 55 years but my legacy as a performer is less than slight—oh, I did teach Johnny Vidacovich drums and was Tom Sancton’s English teacher, and they generously claim me. Third, one doesn’t have to be as gifted as the artist that he/she writes about—one’s views either stand up, or they don’t. I agree with you that my hasty comments didn’t. Fourth, I can claim a modest legacy as a jazz historian and writer. The legacy is subject to criticism, and the critics don't need to be better historians than me—their views will either stand up, or they won’t. My book, though, was given the Kmen Award for Excellence in Music Research by the N.O. International Music Colloquium in 2004 and was well reviewed (pasted below). Finally, my late brother Don was a brilliant but under-recognized clarinetist and alto saxist. I’m preparing two CDs of his work in hopes that his legacy (he would have blushed at the word) will be established. After all that, let me reiterate the mea culpa for my posting about Toussaint. As St. Paul says, in some ways we all sin.

Charlie


__________________________________________

...essential reading... (Offbeat)

Suhor's essays and commentaries are as authoritative as they are insightful. Jazz in New Orleans is enthusiastically recommended reading for all students of American music in general, and the history of jazz in particular. (Reviewer's Bookwatch)

One of the most important books on jazz history published in 2001. Suhor's experiences on and off the drum chair place him in a unique position to assess the lows as well as the heights to which the music has both risen and fallen in the land of its first fruits...jazz lovers, researchers, scholars and interested members of the general public will welcome with open arms this well-written and insightful account of jazz in New Orleans from 1945 to 1970. (Ejazznews.Com <http://ejazznews.com/>)

...compelling... (Gambit)

Brilliant...one cannot help but be charmed by this writing... (The IAJRC Journal)

In this enlightening, well-researched chronicle of the Crescent City's postwar music scene, drummer-educator-journalist Charles Suhor cuts to the heart of several misconceptions that have been perpetuated over the decades about his hometown. In clear, authoritative prose, Dr. Suhor goes about refuting the notion that postwar New Orleans was merely about Dixieland revivals, second line parades, and Preservation Hall. Some of Suhor's old pieces from Down Beat and Louisiana Life are reprinted here providing detailed accounts of what was really going down in the Crescent City. An exhaustive, thorough researcher, Suhor should be commended for offering the most accurate and comprehensive picture to date of jazz in New Orleans from 1945 to 1970. His scholarly, objective tome is not only a welcome addition to other invaluable histories of New Orleans music, such as Up from the Cradle of Jazz: New Orleans Music Since World War II by Jason Berry, Jonathan Foose and Tad Jones and Musical Gumbo: The Music of New Orleans by Grace Lichtenstein and L. Danker, it also addresses some inaccuracies that have even been perpetuated through worthy efforts.This is a solid piece of reportage and a must-read for anyone interested in what comes out of the rich, cultural stew that existed down below sea level in N'awlins. (Jazz Notes)

Charlie Suhor rises above advocacy, partisanship and politics to put jazz in New Orleans in historical and stylistic perspective. At last, we have a sense of the continuum from the traditional to the modern. (Doug Ramsey, author, Jazz Matters: Reflections on the Music and Some of Its Makers)

A great book on New Orleans jazz from a musician who lived the history. Finely detailed, from the delineations of jazz folks to the turns in the music to the po'boy sandwiches and beer, this entertaining account is both lively and true to the times. (Sybil Kein, New Orleans historian, poet, performer)

A richly detailed work of art. . . . Jazz lovers, research specialists and students as well as the general public will get information never revealed before. (Tex Stephens, New Orleans journalist and promoter Data News Weekly)

The rich myriad threads of mid-century jazz in New Orleans are all tied together in this book. (Gilbert Erskine, jazz critic and co-founder, New Orleans Jazz Club)

Skillfully combining his meticulous historical research with the numerous articles he wrote while covering the jazz scene during the 1960s, Suhor speaks with both authority and immediacy. (Thomas A. Sancton, New Orleans jazz clarinetist, Paris Correspondent Time Magazine)

Insider's insights prevail...a unique perspective... (JazzTimes Magazine)

...a remarkable work. Suhor knows his stuff: intimately (Cadence Magazine)

For anyone seriously interested in New Orleans music this book is a "must" read...should be required reading for all with more than a passing interest in New Orleans jazz. This book is a rich resource for those interested in New Orleans music. Written with clarity and good humor...recommended highly and without hesitation. (The Mississippi Rag)

...fascinating and informative... (Midwest Book Review)

...a distinctly human flavor... (Loyola University Magazine)

...worthy of a wide audience... (New Orleans magazine)

...first rate...fresh anecdotes... (Jazzcookin.Com <http://jazzcookin.com/>)

The book is an expert combination of reportage from the 1960's and currently-written material...a valuable book. (Jazzbeat)

Jazz in New Orleans: The Postwar Years through 1970 is a book that sounds. Suhor's careful scholarship and reasoning do not prevent him from writing with the sizzle, the cadence, and the well-timed playfulness of a good New Orleans drummer...Suhor can describe the sound of a musician or band better than any jazz historian I have read. His descriptions put language to the test, conjuring music that has long since passed; but above all, the descriptions ring with a precision that reflects Suhor's uncompromising commitment to setting the record straight. (American Book Review)

Jazz in New Orleans is laced with anecdotes, some tragic, that capture the spirit of the times. (International Musician)

Suhor handily and comprehensively covers the national revival of traditional New Orleans and Dixieland jazz in the 1940s, trumpeter Bunk Johnson's surprise comeback during the same era, and the subsequent arrival of swing and bebop to the scene. (St. Petersburg Times)

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