Book review: Phil Freeman - UGLY BEAUTY jazz: in the 21st century

The great and the good, the legends that laid down the groundwork for the music we know and love today have, in the main, been well documented. Whether by autobiography, biography, chapters in anthologies or, nowadays, on-line, means we are not short of knowledge. From the early days in New Orleans to New York City via Chicago the diligent researcher can probably tell you the reed that Coltrane used on Giant Steps, maybe even the store he bought it from and the name of the store assistant's granddaughter's second cousin.

However, in the generations that followed, biographical and, in depth analysis of the younger, freer, players that have emerged in and around the present century has been relatively sparse.

True the monthly bibles such as DownBeat, Jazzwise, JazzTimes and other magazines keep us updated but even these are ephemeral compared to an actual bricks and mortar book to have and to hold until, in this case, page 250.

Phil Freeman (DownBeat and many other magazines) pens in depth looks at recording sessions, gigs and interviews with some of those players at the pointy end of jazz today. He does this in a perceptive manner often finding similarities with the players of today and the music of their predecessors.

The strength of his writing lies not just in the music but in the events surrounding the music and the musicians. A typical example is the occasion in 2018 where he is due to meet with Mary Halvorson outside of a diner for lunch and an interview. Freeman arrives on time but there is no sign of Mary. He's not surprised observing that musicians never arrive on time for an interview. He phones her only to discover she got there first and was already inside!

It's anecdotes like that that make Ugly Beauty more accessible and less likely to become a dusty tome on the shelf. You're with him at the gig or the recording session and, ultimately, he inspires the reader to find out more about the musicians selected which is helped by the Essential Listening at the end of each chapter although, going by the author's comment in his introduction that 'The record industry is in free-fall' you may have to go on-line to do it.

The musicians profiled include:JD Allen; Jeremy Pelt; Wayne Escoffery; Victor Gould; Ethan Iverson; Jason Moran; Vijay Iyer; Taylor Ho Bynum; Tomeko Reid; Nicole Mitchell; Mary Halvorson; Linda May Han Oh; Tyshawn Sorey; Kamasi Washington and many more.

UK based players include Shabaka, Nubya, Yazz, and Tomorrow's Warriors.

It's a well-written, informative book that is actually much more than that. Ugly Beauty makes you feel you were there, maybe as Freeman's gopher - whatever - you are seeing these artists through a new light which is as much a credit to Freeman's writing as it to the music itself - or maybe vice versa. Either way it works. Order from your local bookstore - we need them - or via the big river. Lance

Phil Freeman: Ugly Beauty ZerO Books 978-1-78904-632-8