My two favourite books this year are, in no particular order, Paul de Barros' bio of Marian McPartland. - Shall We Play That One Together? and James Bowen's A Street Cat Named Bob.
The Marian Mac book tells us what we already knew in that she was one of our greatest jazz exports. Shearing, Feldman etc were good but, to me, Marian raised her game that little bit higher and, with her legendary Piano Jazz show made it game set and match!
However, this isn't a hearts and flowers story. English rose Marian met GI Jimmy McPartland in France. She married the Chicago trumpet player and moved to the Windy City with him.. Jimmy introduced her to jazz but Marian found herself attracted by the more modern bebop styles that were emerging. Eventually they divorced although remained good friends and, when Jimmy was close to death, re-married again. In between Marian found the other love of her life - drummer Joe Morello.
It's a great book and author de Barros is no fawning sycophant but shows the many different sides of Marian.
James Bowen, the author of A Street Cat Named Bob. is also a musician - he busks in and around Covent Garden with his cat - Bob.- by his side.
It's a heart-rending tale with lots of ups and downs. James, an ex druggie busking around London trying to keep a roof over his head befriends an underfed scrawny ginger cat who follows him to his busking patch. The pair are a hit and the take doubles! It isn't as simple as that though. Other buskers/ Big Issue sellers (He moved on to Big Issue) complain the cat gives him an unfair advantage, Then there are a the drunks with their Staffordshire Bulls...
Two tremendous books.
Lance.
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