"Pops": Can you put music into words?
I admit that I'm not the biggest fan of e-books and mutant offspring such as the vook. But if ever the concept made sense, it is with the book I'm reading: "Pops," a new biography of Louis Armstrong.
Author Terry Teachout, a Wall Street Journal drama critic who also happens to be a trained musician, does an admirable job explaining Armstrong's personality and his place in the pantheon of jazz gods. But what am I (who has never played anything but the radio) to make of this stylistic description: Armstrong "plays two solo choruses, both of which begin with a raggy arpeggiated figure ... . The first chorus, however, ends with a sharp upward rip, the second with quarter-note triplets that float freely and excitingly above the steady 4/4 beat, a pair of devices soon to be recognized by musicians everywhere as Armstrong trademarks."
You might as well try to describe a vivid sunset to a blind person. The book had me scurrying to YouTube and other websites for examples of Armstrong's sound (at least there is a YouTube to scurry to). And it brought into sharp relief the shortcomings of the printed word.
Great authors can trigger emotions with words. Stephenie Meyer, for all her shortcomings as a writer, has found a huge audience for the Twilight series because she makes readers recall the feeling of that first, innocent love. But putting music into words -- whether it's Armstrong's jazz, Eric Clapton's blues or Aretha Franklin's soul -- is much, much tougher.
Comments
Dave,
I'm currently reading Pops, too, and I've realized one big difference between now and the last time I read a big music biography: Lala.com hasa arrived.
If you don't know Lala, it's worth checking out: I've been going to it pretty much every time Teachout mentions a song I'm not familiar with, and I've been able to find nearly all of them there. It makes the experience of reading the book much, much richer.
Posted by: Levi Stahl | November 25, 2009 8:34 AM
Levi, I see what you mean. That's a great site. How could anyone appreciate a music biography in the olden days?
Posted by: Dave | November 25, 2009 9:25 AM
I must be dreaming. Can it be true that Dave Rosenthal is actually admitting that the printed word has shortcomings? His next post may be: "Ten Reasons Why I Love the Kindle."
Posted by: Gail Farrelly | November 25, 2009 10:28 AM
As a former musician (if drumming counts), I understand the description of Satch's playing. Still, I've maintained for decades that the worst writing in the world is about jazz. It usually appears on albumn covers. Jazz writers can't resist attempting to improvise like jazz musicians, and the result is gibberish. Does the book say who said that to go on that road a musician needs only a tooth brush and a photo of Armstrong? I almost think Miles Davis said that, but what I almost think is almost always wrong.
Posted by: Patrick K. Lackey | November 25, 2009 10:37 AM
Gail, let's not get carried away!
Patrick, that's a great quote, probably mouthed by many a musician. I found another attribution, to Benny Goodman's trumpeter Bunny Berigan. Here's the link: http://ahivfree.alexanderstreet.com/view/660603
Posted by: Dave | November 25, 2009 10:44 AM
Great news Dave!
Terry Teachout will be talking about his book, POPS, at the Central Library in two weeks! Wed, Dec 9, 6:30pm, Poe Room.
Hope you can make it.
Posted by: Roswell Encina | November 25, 2009 12:02 PM
This is getting a bit more subjective, but I much prefer the Zune Marketplace. The interface is colorful, has more flair, and some cool features like 'Mixview' that let you quickly see related albums, songs, or other users related to what you're listening to. Clicking on one of those will center on that item, and another set of "neighbors" will come into view, allowing you to navigate around exploring by similar artists, songs, or users. Speaking of users, the Zune "Social" is also great fun, letting you find others with shared tastes and becoming friends with them. You then can listen to a playlist created based on an amalgamation of what all your friends are listening to, which is also enjoyable. Those concerned with privacy will be relieved to know you can prevent the public from seeing your personal listening habits if you so choose.
Posted by: Jeff O. Koch | December 2, 2009 3:33 AM