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ericode's review against another edition
2.0
There are musicians whose genius extends beyond music and flows into literary composition. Sadly, Duke Ellington was not one of those musicians. Or, if he was, he chose to not put those writing chops to use in this book.
I try to avoid writing negative reviews, especially when it comes to literature. Heck, most of the time, I don’t write a review at all! There’s always a good chance a book I didn’t enjoy will be loved by someone else. But this book was drudgery from beginning to end. As Gertrude Stein said, “There is no there there.” I kept hoping for some meat to the stories – something other than the superficial. Instead, the pages read like a long, long, HORRIBLY long and uninteresting journal. “We went here. We flew on this kind of plane. We had this kind of meal. We played at this location. They really dug our music! We gave several encores! That night, I stayed in this really groovy suite on the fifteenth floor overlooking the pool. They had great room service. The next day…” This sort of play-by-play goes on for the great lion’s share of the book.
If you’re hoping for stories about trial or obstacles or the challenges of managing a traveling band of disparate personalities or of the creating processes – if you’re looking for actual story telling – this is not the book for you.
I should also mention that, over and over, I found myself reading the same stories multiple times. I kid you not. Almost word for word. The first time it happened, I wondered if I had earlier flipped ahead and read that section before returning to wherever I left off. Instead, no, it’s simply the exact same stories being told in more than one section of the book. I have no idea who the editor was, but they did not do their job.
The sections that thankfully do not read like a stack of uninspired postcards are instead mundane snapshots of the musicians in the band. “He plays a mean trumpet and is a creative soloist. We found him playing for (fill in the blank) and brought him on board right away. His wife is a great cook.” That would be fine in small doses, but these cut-and-paste descriptions go on for page after page after page.
I was looking forward to finally reaching the interview portion at the end, and even this section was a disappointment. His responses were glib and, I dare say, not particularly honest.
Q. Wouldn’t it be marvelous to develop a study center similar to those Frank Lloyd Wright set up in Arizona and Wisconsin for young people to study architecture, so that what you began and accomplished in music may continue?
A. I am not a teacher.
Q. How do you feel about the new young composers who are said to be causing a revolutionary turn in music?
A. When I hear something new, I will give you an honest answer.
The book ends with the line, “The only reason an interviewer sometimes asks the interviewee stupid questions is because the interviewer thinks the interviewee is stupid.” What a sad statement on which to end a book.
I’m sure there are some brilliantly written biographies out there on the genius who was Duke Ellington. My advice: Find one of those, and stay far away from this slog of an autobiography.
I try to avoid writing negative reviews, especially when it comes to literature. Heck, most of the time, I don’t write a review at all! There’s always a good chance a book I didn’t enjoy will be loved by someone else. But this book was drudgery from beginning to end. As Gertrude Stein said, “There is no there there.” I kept hoping for some meat to the stories – something other than the superficial. Instead, the pages read like a long, long, HORRIBLY long and uninteresting journal. “We went here. We flew on this kind of plane. We had this kind of meal. We played at this location. They really dug our music! We gave several encores! That night, I stayed in this really groovy suite on the fifteenth floor overlooking the pool. They had great room service. The next day…” This sort of play-by-play goes on for the great lion’s share of the book.
If you’re hoping for stories about trial or obstacles or the challenges of managing a traveling band of disparate personalities or of the creating processes – if you’re looking for actual story telling – this is not the book for you.
I should also mention that, over and over, I found myself reading the same stories multiple times. I kid you not. Almost word for word. The first time it happened, I wondered if I had earlier flipped ahead and read that section before returning to wherever I left off. Instead, no, it’s simply the exact same stories being told in more than one section of the book. I have no idea who the editor was, but they did not do their job.
The sections that thankfully do not read like a stack of uninspired postcards are instead mundane snapshots of the musicians in the band. “He plays a mean trumpet and is a creative soloist. We found him playing for (fill in the blank) and brought him on board right away. His wife is a great cook.” That would be fine in small doses, but these cut-and-paste descriptions go on for page after page after page.
I was looking forward to finally reaching the interview portion at the end, and even this section was a disappointment. His responses were glib and, I dare say, not particularly honest.
Q. Wouldn’t it be marvelous to develop a study center similar to those Frank Lloyd Wright set up in Arizona and Wisconsin for young people to study architecture, so that what you began and accomplished in music may continue?
A. I am not a teacher.
Q. How do you feel about the new young composers who are said to be causing a revolutionary turn in music?
A. When I hear something new, I will give you an honest answer.
The book ends with the line, “The only reason an interviewer sometimes asks the interviewee stupid questions is because the interviewer thinks the interviewee is stupid.” What a sad statement on which to end a book.
I’m sure there are some brilliantly written biographies out there on the genius who was Duke Ellington. My advice: Find one of those, and stay far away from this slog of an autobiography.
nick_lehotsky's review
4.0
Certainly an unparalleled work, like his music. Equal parts sketches, memoirs, notes on trips, and anecdotes—a little oddly structured at points. The Q&A wraps this one up nicely, and with an appendix listing every Ellington composition, you can see just how productive and influential this man was.
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