Re: Mezz Mezzrow: book

[robert wiener <wiener...>]

As to Mezzrow's book, it's apparently still in print.  You can read
more about it, including 7 customer review of uniform praise, at
http://www.amazon.com

Really the Blues
by Bernard Wolfe, Mezz Mezzrow
List Price: $19.95
Paperback - 404 pages Reissue edition (April 1991)
Carol Pub Group; ISBN: 0806512059 ; Dimensions (in inches): 1.21 x
8.26 x 5.41

Synopsis
The story of Milton Mezzrow--a white kid who fell in love with black
culture. First published in 1946, REALLY THE BLUES was a rousing
wake-up call to alienated young whites to explore the world of jazz,
the first music America could call its own. Told in the jive lingo of
the underground's inner circle, this classic is an unforgettable
chronicle of street life, smoky clubs, and roadhouse dances.

Customer Comments
Average Customer Review:  5 out of 5 stars
Number of Reviews: 7

Bob
-----Original Message-----
From: robert wiener <wiener (at) mindspring(dot)com>
To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Date: Tuesday, August 17, 1999 6:05 AM
Subject: Mezz Mezzrow


>For those of you who would like to read some more on this character
>written by others, the following comes from the All Music Guide web
>site.  You can find more information on his recordings there
>http://allmusic.com
>
>Mezz Mezzrow
>AKA                 Milton Mesirow
>Born                 Oct 9, 1899 in Chicago, IL
>Died                 Aug 5 , 1972 in Paris, France
>Genres            Jazz
>Styles               Dixieland
>Instruments       Clarinet, Sax (Tenor)
>Labels               Storyville (7), GHB (2), Classics (2), 'X' (2)
>                            Explore Music
>AMG Pick          1928-1936 [1928] - Classics
>Latest release    A Schola Cantorum [1956] - Ducretet Thomp
>
>Mezz Mezzrow occupies an odd and unique place in jazz history.
>Although an enthusiastic clarinetist, he was never much of a player,
>sounding best on the blues. A passionate propagandist for Chicago and
>New Orleans jazz and the rights of Blacks (he meant well but tended
to
>overstate his case), Mezzrow was actually most significant for
writing
>his colorful and somewhat fanciful memoirs Really the Blues and for
>being a reliable supplier of marijuana in the 1930s and '40s. In the
>1920s he was part of the Chicago jazz scene, at first helping the
>young White players and then annoying them with his inflexible
musical
>opinions. Mezzrow recorded with the Jungle Kings, the Chicago Rhythm
>Kings and Eddie Condon during 1927-28, often on tenor. In the 1930s
he
>led a few swing-oriented dates that featured all-star integrated
bands
>in 1933-34 and 1936-37. The French critic Hugues Panassie was always
a
>big supporter of Mezzrow's playing and Mezz was well-featured on
>sessions in 1938 with Tommy Ladnier and Sidney Bechet; "Really the
>Blues" is a near-classic. Mezzrow had his own King Jazz label during
>1945-47, mostly documenting ensemble-oriented blues jams with Bechet
>and occasionally Hot Lips Page. After appearing at the 1948 Nice Jazz
>festival, Mezzrow eventually moved to France where he recorded fairly
>regularly during 1951-55 (including with Lee Collins and Buck
Clayton)
>along with a final album in 1959. -- Scott Yanow, All-Music Guide
>
>
>Mezz Mezzrow   While Norman Mailer probably didn't have Mezz Mezzrow
>in mind when he wrote his famous essay "The White Negro," Mezzrow was
>filling the bill many years before. Either the ultimate hipster or
>complete fraud, depending on your perspective, Mezz Mezzrow rivaled
>Eddie Condon as a jazz advocate, personality, insider and confidant,
>while being among the all time great drug connections. All these
>things can't completely compensate for the fact he was marginally
>talented; his clarinet solos could often be hideous and at best were
>barely listenable. Probably no one realized this more than he did; he
>therefore worked intensely on behalf of geniunely gifted musicians,
>and organized many vital sessions, including a number that were
>integrated. -- Ron Wynn
>
>Bob
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: farfl's house <farfl (at) idirect(dot)ca>
>To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>Date: Tuesday, August 17, 1999 1:41 AM
>Subject: Re: JEWISH-MUSIC digest 1279
>
>
>>
>>
>>World music from a Jewish slant wrote:
>>
>>>                             JEWISH-MUSIC Digest 1279
>>>
>>> Topics covered in this issue include:
>>>
>>>   1) Re: JEWISH-MUSIC digest 1278
>>>         by "farfl's house" <farfl (at) idirect(dot)ca>
>>>   2) Re: Recordings: do they exist?  Ray Charles "Where Can I Go?"
>>>         by "robert wiener" <wiener (at) mindspring(dot)com>
>>>   3) RE: Recordings: do they exist?
>>>         by Dick Rosenberg <drosenberg (at) dht(dot)com>
>>>   4) Re: JEWISH-MUSIC digest 1278/ in defense of Mezz
>>>         by "Kame'a Media" <media (at) kamea(dot)com>
>>>   5) Re:  Recordings: do they exist?
>>>         by Hayyim Feldman <hf (at) world(dot)std(dot)com>
>>>   6) Re: Recordings: do they exist?
>>>         by "robert wiener" <wiener (at) mindspring(dot)com>
>>>
>>>   ----------------------------------------------------------------
-
>-------
>>>
>>> Subject: Re: JEWISH-MUSIC digest 1278
>>> Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 05:54:45 -0400
>>> From: "farfl's house" <farfl (at) idirect(dot)ca>
>>> To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>>>
>>> >
>>> > Subject: Mezz Mezzrow
>>> > Date: Sun, 15 Aug 1999 03:56:38 PDT
>>> > From: "Judith Cohen" <judithrc (at) hotmail(dot)com>
>>> > To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>>> >
>>> > Hi, I don't have information about a recording of Mezz Mezzrow
>that reflects
>>> > his background (re the query in today's Digest), but it reminded
>me of an
>>> > incident you might enjoy.
>>>
>>> I don't believe that any recordings will surface that will reflect
>Mezzrow's
>>> "true" background, because he actually believed that he was
>African-American, or
>>> rather he had physically metamorphosized into an African American,
>and if one
>>> reads his ridiculous autobiography, the fact that he was Jewish
was
>mentioned
>>> only to fill in his early beginnings.
>>>
>>> > Years and years ago, in 1971, my first Real
>>> > Hippie-Type Trip Overseas, (aside from the previous summer
>hitching through
>>> > ex-Yugoslavia) I was in Paris, and a Canadian friend ended up in
>the
>>> > American Hospital with appendicitis.I went to see him every day
>for a few
>>> > days, and his room-mate was none other than Mezz Mezzrow!
>>>
>>> Your poor, unfortunate friend! Could they not have found a nice,
>semi-private
>>> stairwell for Mezzrow?
>>>
>>> > At the time I
>>> > wasn't particularly interested in klezmer or Sephardi music, and
>didn't even
>>> > know who he was,
>>>
>>> He often didn't know who he was, being so involved in the
>participation in
>>> various opium dens, and he certainly wasn't too sure, as evidenced
>by
>>> recordings, which end of the clarinet to affix a reed to.
>>>
>>> > but he wasn't timid about rectifying the last-mentioned of
>>> > my various levels of ignorance.
>>>
>>> He spewed out so many fictional events for others (paraphrased: "I
>taught Gene
>>> Krupa how to play drums in the style of the great African-American
>>> drummers......") that he eventually thought them to be the gospel
>himself.
>>>
>>> > Anyway, I had a couple of recorders with me,
>>> > and he asked me to bring them; the nurses were dubious, but he
>had me play
>>> > medieval and French Canadian tunes for him every day and
>criticized my level
>>> > of soul.....
>>>
>>> Don't take his opinion as having any sort of substance. The only
>soul he knew
>>> about was that which he had to replace on the bottom of his shoes.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Lederman
>>>
>>>   ----------------------------------------------------------------
-
>-------
>>>
>>> Subject: Re: Recordings: do they exist? Ray Charles "Where Can I
>Go?"
>>> Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 07:18:41 -0400
>>> From: "robert wiener" <wiener (at) mindspring(dot)com>
>>> To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>>>
>>> Wolf,
>>>
>>> Yes, you had told me that the Ray Charles cover of "Where Can I
>Go?"
>>> exists.  Sorry if I didn't tell you that I had found it.  Thanks.
>>>
>>> Here's some information from the All Music Guide web site for
those
>>> who might be interested:
>>>
>>> On CD:
>>> Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul/Have a Smile with Me
>>> Artist                 Ray Charles
>>> Date of Release                 1963 - 1964 (approx.) inprint
>>> AMG Rating                         (Good)
>>> Genre                 Rock
>>> Styles                 Bop
>>> Type                 compilation
>>> Time                 37:03
>>> A two-for-one pairing of albums from 1963 (Recipe for Soul) and
>1964
>>> (Have a Smile with Me), with the addition of historical liner
>notes.
>>> Neither rate among his better albums -- both are inconsistent
>mixtures
>>> of hard-edged jazz/pop/soul and mainstream pop standards. Each,
>>> though, has some fine cuts, notably the Top Ten hit "Busted" (on
>>> Recipe) and a jazzy cover of Hank Williams' "Move It On Over" (on
>>> Smile).
>>> The CD also adds two bonus tracks: both parts of the orchestral
pop
>>> "Without a Song" single from 1965. -- Richie Unterberger,
All-Music
>>> Guide
>>> 1997          CD                  Rhino
>>> 72843
>>> Where Can I Go? (Berland/Fuld/Miller) - 3:29
>>>
>>> Also available on the following LP:
>>> World of Ray Charles [Argo]
>>> Artist                 Ray Charles
>>> Album Title                 World of Ray Charles [Argo]
>>> Date of Release                 1974 (release)
>>> AMG Rating                        (Good)
>>> Genre                 Rock
>>> Styles                 Soul, R&B
>>> Type                 compilation
>>> Time                 38:15
>>> There are a few clinkers in this set, but for the most part this
is
>a
>>> superb collection of Brother Ray's early-1960s tracks. The
gorgeous
>>> ballads "I Can't Stop Loving You," "Georgia on My Mind" and "Born
>to
>>> Lose" are included, not to mention the highly underrated "That
>Lucky
>>> Old Sun." For good measure, the album closes with the smash "Hit
>the
>>> Road Jack." All in all, an excellent single-album sampler. -- J.P.
>>> Ollio, All-Music Guide
>>> 1974          LP                  Argo
>>> 361
>>> Ray Charles                                  Keyboards, Vocals
>>> Where Can I Go (Berland/Fuld/Miller) - 3:30
>>>
>>> (I guess that you have to get the LP to get the extra second of
>>> music.)
>>>
>>> Bob
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Kame'a Media <media (at) kamea(dot)com>
>>> To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>>> Date: Sunday, August 15, 1999 11:25 AM
>>> Subject: Re: Recordings: do they exist?
>>>
>>> >We have covered this before, but
>>> >thanks for the catalogue number, Hankus.
>>> >(I told you it exists, Bob)!
>>> >
>>> >For laughs:   In researching the career of Eddie Fisher, I came
>>> across
>>> >"Hymn to Hymie" by Molly Picon, from the Broadway musical "Milk
>and
>>> Honey"
>>> >by Jerry Herman.
>>> >
>>> >Wolf
>>> >
>>> >PS  Woodstock '30 today at original site Bethel, NY.  Tickets
only
>>> $19.69
>>> >
>>> >HNetsky (at) aol(dot)com wrote:
>>> >
>>> >> Just accidentally came across a gorgeous Ray Charles recording
>of
>>> "Vu Ahin
>>> >> Zol Ikh Geyn" in English ("Where Can I Go?").  Takes it out of
>the
>>> >> post-Holocaust Zionist context.  (Ingredients in a Recipe For
>Soul,
>>> ABC
>>> >> Paramount (LP), 465, rec. 1963 - don't know if it's on
>CD) -Hankus
>>> >>
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >----------------------
>>> jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+
>>> >