3 Shades of Blue
Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and the Lost Empire of Cool
(Sprache: Englisch)
"From the author of the definitive biography of Frank Sinatra, the story of how jazz arrived at the pinnacle of American culture in 1959, told through the journey of three towering artists-Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans-who came together to...
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"From the author of the definitive biography of Frank Sinatra, the story of how jazz arrived at the pinnacle of American culture in 1959, told through the journey of three towering artists-Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans-who came together to create the most famous and bestselling jazz album of all time, Kind of Blue The myth of the 60s depends on the 1950s being the before times of conformity, segregation, straightness-The Lonely Crowd and The Organization Man. This all carries some truth, but it does nothing to explain how, in 1959, the great indigenous art form, jazz, reached the height of its power and popularity, led there by a number of Black geniuses so iconic they go by one name-Monk, Mingus, Rollins, Coltrane, and above all, Miles. 1959 saw Miles, Coltrane, Bill Evans, and the other members of Miles's sextet come together to record what is widely considered the greatest jazz album of all time, and certainly the best-selling: Kind of Blue. 3 Shades of Blue is James Kaplan's magnificent account of the paths of the three giants Miles, Coltrane and Evans to the mountaintop of 1959 and their path on from there. It's a book about music, and business, and race, and heroin, and the towns that gave jazz its home, from New York and LA to Philadelphia, Chicago and Kansas City. It's an astonishing meditation on creativity and the strange hothouses that can produce its full flowering. It's a book about the great forebears of this golden age, particularly Charlie Parker, and the people, like Ornette Coleman, who would take the music down strange new paths. And it's about why this period has never been replicated, why the world of jazz most people visit is a museum to it. But above all this is a book about three very different men-their struggles, their choices, their tragedies, their greatness. Bill Evans had a gruesome downward spiral, John Coltrane took the mystic's path into a space far away from mainstream concerns. Miles had three or four sea changes in
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him before the end. The tapestry of their lives is, in Kaplan's hands, an American Odyssey, with no direction home. It is also a masterpiece, a book about jazz that is as big as America"--
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Lese-Probe zu „3 Shades of Blue “
1The blue trumpet
Thirty years later to the month, in March 1989, I found myself riding an elevator, heart knocking, to the fourteenth floor of the Essex House on Central Park South to interview Miles Davis. It was an assignment I'd lucked into through my magazine-editor brother, who knew a Vanity Fair editor who'd said he needed a profile of Miles to accompany an excerpt from the trumpet legend's forthcoming memoir, coauthored by Quincy Troupe. The writer, the Vanity Fair editor told my brother, should know jazz. My brother, Peter W. Kaplan, told him that I didn't just know jazz; I knew everything there was to know about it.
This was hyperbolic, to put it mildly. I liked jazz-liked it a lot, what little I knew of it. My record collection, just beginning to shift from LPs to CDs, was primarily rock and blues, with a bit of classical and a smattering of jazz. I was in the process of educating my ears-still am-but it was and is a long, slow process. I knew Miles Davis was a titan in his field; I knew he'd played with Charlie Parker in the 1940s. That was about it. I owned exactly two Miles albums: 1969's Filles de Kilimanjaro, which I'd bought simply because I heard it in a friend's dorm room and it was quietly beautiful, and the dark and menacing 1970 Bitches Brew, which I'd bought because, when it was issued, buying it felt vaguely compulsory.
When I complained to my brother that I was very far from knowing all there was to know about jazz, he stopped me. This was Vanity Fair, he said, with some italicized heat.
I took his meaning. The magazine, then under the leadership of legend-under-construction Tina Brown, was the magazine to write for in those days. And I had a wife and an infant son and a mortgage in Westchester, and a chance to get in the door at Vanity Fair would be a plum. One heard they were issuing fat contracts to writers they liked.
I called my brother's editor acquaintance there, and, after surprisingly little
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discussion of my putative jazz expertise, got the assignment. I promptly went to Tower Records and bought every Miles Davis CD they had, not thinking about when I might have time to actually listen to all of them. Then I phoned Miles's publicist and proudly announced myself as The Writer from Vanity Fair.
It was only on that elevator at the Essex House, with the publicist by my side, that the full weight of my fraudulence began to sink in on me. I was nobody! I knew nothing! No Google then, no Wikipedia; no facile way to pose as an instant authority. I'd leafed through the advance copy of Miles's memoir that the publisher had sent me, intimidated by its heft, not to mention its general tone of darkness and anger, not to mention the masses of jazz names I knew little or nothing about. I'd written up a too short and shallow list of questions for him, naïvely hoping that once a flow of conversation was established, further thoughts would occur to me. In my backpack I had my Soviet-style Radio Shack cassette recorder, the size and weight of a dense college textbook (it ran on five C batteries). I also had extra batteries and a half dozen blank cassettes. The backpack was heavy. The publicist had promised me one meeting of one hour, no more. How could I possibly get all I needed in an hour? And what did I need, anyway?
I often think of the line attributed, in various forms, to Mike Tyson: Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Every interview is a kind of punch in the mouth. You walk in with certain expectations about the person you're about to talk to, and bang, the person is inevitably somebody different from the person you expected, and everything you'd anticipated evaporates. Wise interviewers learn to roll with the punches, to bob and weave and temporize on the spur of the moment. I was anything but wise in those days. In addition, I was thorou
It was only on that elevator at the Essex House, with the publicist by my side, that the full weight of my fraudulence began to sink in on me. I was nobody! I knew nothing! No Google then, no Wikipedia; no facile way to pose as an instant authority. I'd leafed through the advance copy of Miles's memoir that the publisher had sent me, intimidated by its heft, not to mention its general tone of darkness and anger, not to mention the masses of jazz names I knew little or nothing about. I'd written up a too short and shallow list of questions for him, naïvely hoping that once a flow of conversation was established, further thoughts would occur to me. In my backpack I had my Soviet-style Radio Shack cassette recorder, the size and weight of a dense college textbook (it ran on five C batteries). I also had extra batteries and a half dozen blank cassettes. The backpack was heavy. The publicist had promised me one meeting of one hour, no more. How could I possibly get all I needed in an hour? And what did I need, anyway?
I often think of the line attributed, in various forms, to Mike Tyson: Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Every interview is a kind of punch in the mouth. You walk in with certain expectations about the person you're about to talk to, and bang, the person is inevitably somebody different from the person you expected, and everything you'd anticipated evaporates. Wise interviewers learn to roll with the punches, to bob and weave and temporize on the spur of the moment. I was anything but wise in those days. In addition, I was thorou
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Autoren-Porträt von James Kaplan
James Kaplan’s essays, stories, reviews, and profiles have appeared in numerous magazines, including The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Esquire, and New York. His novels include Pearl’s Progress and Two Guys from Verona, a New York Times Notable Book for 1998. His nonfiction works include The Airport, You Cannot Be Serious (coauthored with John McEnroe), Dean & Me: A Love Story (with Jerry Lewis), Frank: The Voice, and Sinatra: The Chairman. He is a 2012 Guggenheim Fellow. He lives in Westchester, New York.
Bibliographische Angaben
- Autor: James Kaplan
- 2024, 496 Seiten, Masse: 16,5 x 24,1 cm, Gebunden, Englisch
- Verlag: Penguin Random House
- ISBN-10: 0525561005
- ISBN-13: 9780525561002
Sprache:
Englisch
Pressezitat
[Kaplan is] a master biographer, a dogged researcher and shaper of narrative, and this is his most ambitious book to date . . . he shows his instinct for juggling and connecting multiple stories and characters without taking his eye off the big picture . . . a compulsively readable work of fine synthesis and perspective . . . a superb book. Los Angeles TimesJames Kaplan s new effort, 3 Shades of Blue, raises the bar . . . At a time when jazz is reemergent and viral, seeping into virtually every musical genre (and vice versa), we are fortunate that the author has conjured this hothouse flower of a book as rarified, intricate, and haunting as an orchid. David Friend, Vanity Fair
This is the story of the three geniuses who joined forces to create one of the great classics in Western music, Mr. Kaplan writes . . . Kaplan does a wonderful job synthesizing sources to produce a compelling narrative history. His own interviews add a lot as well. His technical descriptions of the music are accessible and useful. Wall Street Journal
A compelling read . . . [Kaplan] knows how to tell a story, and in 3 Shades of Blue he has a good one to tell. Or, rather, three good ones. . . . Kaplan has framed 3 Shades of Blue as both a chronicle of a golden age and a lament for its decline and fall. One doesn t have to accept the decline-and-fall part to acknowledge that he has done a lovely job of evoking the golden age. The New York Times Book Review
Fascinating, detailed and comprehensive . . . Kaplan who also penned the two-volume definitive look at the life of one Francis Albert Sinatra goes into similar depth here . . . 3 Shades of Blue like the best of music books just sends you back to the source. Houston Press
Elegant and elegiac, 3 Shades of Blue tells stories of ambition and anxiety, collaborations and clashes, musical innovation and racial discrimination. The Minneapolis Star Tribune
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[Kaplan] writes like a dream . . . As an overview of musical magnificence, this book cannot be bettered. Jazz Journal
3 Shades of Blue is more than a biography; it is a compelling examination of artistry, identity and innovation. It is a heartfelt tribute to three musicians who defined the contours of modern jazz, meaningfully sprinkled with stories about those that came before and after them. All About Jazz
3 Shades of Blue may be this year s best book on jazz, examining the evolution of a musical form and its influence on other genres. No Depression, The Best Music Books of 2024 (So Far)
In the ten years between 1955 and 1965, an American art form jazz reached its peak . . . [Kaplan] has written the definitive book on how that decade came to be . . . vital, marshalling with a light touch countless snippets of material. London Sunday Times
Kaplan, author of a lauded two-volume biography of Frank Sinatra, tells the stories of three jazz geniuses, offering new and revelatory perspectives on Miles Davis, born to and repeatedly saved by privilege; John Coltrane, whose 'watchful sadness' was rooted in an impoverished childhood; and the less-known Bill Evans, 'an incessantly analytical human being.' . . . Writing with acumen and lyricism, Kaplan conjures the moods and milieus, breakthroughs and performances, temperaments and drama that generated this endlessly enthralling music. Booklist (starred review)
Kaplan, the author of the definitive biography of Frank Sinatra, gives us a peek inside group genius at work . . . Throughout this vibrant text, the author captures the time and atmosphere perfectly the music, the personalities, the fragrant aroma of weed in the air and he brings us right into the performances . . . A marvelous must-read for jazz fans and anyone interested in this dynamic period of American music. Kirkus (starred review)
A compulsively readable book about three jazz legends who came together for one glorious moment to produce one of the best, most influential jazz records ever. Library Journal (starred review)
Ought to re-ignite a passion for the period all over again in even the most jaded minds of jazz flâneurs everywhere, surely, who may think they have read it all before and dipped in to the past enough. Kaplan proves they haven't. Marlbank
3 Shades of Blue is an instant classic, one that both jazz fanatics and casual fans will love. James Kaplan sweeps us into the dazzling world of Swing Street after World War II, a scene as mythical and magical as Pablo Picasso s Paris, Timothy Leary s San Francisco, or Ralph Waldo Emerson s Concord. It is an intimate, enthralling portrait of the titans of 20th-century music friends and geniuses together and the revolution they created. Debby Applegate, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age
James Kaplan proves again that he is not only a penetrating commentator on American music, but also a compelling storyteller. In his new book, Kaplan writes about a decisive moment in modern jazz, and turns it into a genuine page-turner. Ted Gioia, author of The History of Jazz
James Kaplan once more combines his formidable skill as an electrifying storyteller of the history of American music with a true depth of understanding of the art form itself this time through the eyes of three jazz legends. This book reads like music. Don t miss it. Seth MacFarlane, creator and executive producer, Family Guy and The Orville
3 Shades of Blue is more than a biography; it is a compelling examination of artistry, identity and innovation. It is a heartfelt tribute to three musicians who defined the contours of modern jazz, meaningfully sprinkled with stories about those that came before and after them. All About Jazz
3 Shades of Blue may be this year s best book on jazz, examining the evolution of a musical form and its influence on other genres. No Depression, The Best Music Books of 2024 (So Far)
In the ten years between 1955 and 1965, an American art form jazz reached its peak . . . [Kaplan] has written the definitive book on how that decade came to be . . . vital, marshalling with a light touch countless snippets of material. London Sunday Times
Kaplan, author of a lauded two-volume biography of Frank Sinatra, tells the stories of three jazz geniuses, offering new and revelatory perspectives on Miles Davis, born to and repeatedly saved by privilege; John Coltrane, whose 'watchful sadness' was rooted in an impoverished childhood; and the less-known Bill Evans, 'an incessantly analytical human being.' . . . Writing with acumen and lyricism, Kaplan conjures the moods and milieus, breakthroughs and performances, temperaments and drama that generated this endlessly enthralling music. Booklist (starred review)
Kaplan, the author of the definitive biography of Frank Sinatra, gives us a peek inside group genius at work . . . Throughout this vibrant text, the author captures the time and atmosphere perfectly the music, the personalities, the fragrant aroma of weed in the air and he brings us right into the performances . . . A marvelous must-read for jazz fans and anyone interested in this dynamic period of American music. Kirkus (starred review)
A compulsively readable book about three jazz legends who came together for one glorious moment to produce one of the best, most influential jazz records ever. Library Journal (starred review)
Ought to re-ignite a passion for the period all over again in even the most jaded minds of jazz flâneurs everywhere, surely, who may think they have read it all before and dipped in to the past enough. Kaplan proves they haven't. Marlbank
3 Shades of Blue is an instant classic, one that both jazz fanatics and casual fans will love. James Kaplan sweeps us into the dazzling world of Swing Street after World War II, a scene as mythical and magical as Pablo Picasso s Paris, Timothy Leary s San Francisco, or Ralph Waldo Emerson s Concord. It is an intimate, enthralling portrait of the titans of 20th-century music friends and geniuses together and the revolution they created. Debby Applegate, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age
James Kaplan proves again that he is not only a penetrating commentator on American music, but also a compelling storyteller. In his new book, Kaplan writes about a decisive moment in modern jazz, and turns it into a genuine page-turner. Ted Gioia, author of The History of Jazz
James Kaplan once more combines his formidable skill as an electrifying storyteller of the history of American music with a true depth of understanding of the art form itself this time through the eyes of three jazz legends. This book reads like music. Don t miss it. Seth MacFarlane, creator and executive producer, Family Guy and The Orville
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