Readers may have noticed the preponderance of Philip Larkin comments in the Bebop Spoken There section at the top of the page.
I make no apology for devoting so much space to the late writer and Commander of Honour's quips and observations, Larkin is simply the most humorous of jazz writers and, at times, one of the most perceptive.
This all started at the Whitley Bay Classic Jazz Party when Patti [Durham] gave me Larkin's Jazz saying, "You might find a few quotes you could use." I found a whole bookful of them! and then, when I came to alphabetically shelve it, I found I had another Larkin book which, somehow, I'd never got around to reading - All What Jazz - Read it I did!
Both books are absolute masterpieces, as befits a man of Larkin's standing in other literary fields, his honesty of opinion shines forth - the Emperors New Clothes never clouded his vision and yet, nor was he afraid to revise his opinion if an artist he'd previously dismissed came up to scratch on his next album.
Larkin's Jazz reprints reviews of jazz books published in the Daily Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and other papers (1940-1984), whilst All What Jazz consists mainly of record reviews (CDs had yet to be invented!) from the Daily Telegraph (1961-1971).
Trust me, if you only read one jazz book in your life make sure it's one of these two!
Lance.PS: Philip Larkin died in 1985.
1 comment :
I did notice Philip Larkin references. I always did like him, we once stayed in a ( holiday) cottage that belonged to him in Haydon Bridge and it was named after him. A delightful spot, just over the bridge on the LHS, and with a great view of the river.
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