Discussion
I suppose this really ought to be over on the Books and Literature forum, but my only excuse for posting it here is that this place gets about ten times the traffic, and this is very much aimed at music lovers.
I have just spent a fascinating few days reading 'The Producer - John Hammond' by Dunstan Prial. I got a cheap second hand copy on Amazon quite easily.
If you have an interest in the evolution of jazz and popular/rock music in the USA since the 1930's you really ought to read this. Despite being born into the lap of luxury as part of the Vanderbilt family, Hammond found his spiritual home in the jazz clubs of Harlem, and began work as a talent spotter (A&R man in today's language) and record producer. The list of musicians he spotted and mentored is staggering - Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Lionel Hampton, Charlie Christian and more.
When swing bands fell out of fashion after WW2 he went on to bring the likes of Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Ray Vaughn to the recording studio. Oh, and he found time on the way to be the first musical director of the Newport Jazz Festival.
He was deeply involved in the Civil Rights movement and was on the committee of the AAACP for some 30 years. It was due to him that swing bands first became multi-racial in the late thirties. The book spends a lot of time describing this side of his life, which was not uncontroversial. Some black musicians found him patronising. Duke Ellington refused to have anything to do with him.
It's a really good read and I guarantee you'll be delving deep into Spotify and YouTube to look up some of the musical moments described in the book. You won't be disappointed.
I have just spent a fascinating few days reading 'The Producer - John Hammond' by Dunstan Prial. I got a cheap second hand copy on Amazon quite easily.
If you have an interest in the evolution of jazz and popular/rock music in the USA since the 1930's you really ought to read this. Despite being born into the lap of luxury as part of the Vanderbilt family, Hammond found his spiritual home in the jazz clubs of Harlem, and began work as a talent spotter (A&R man in today's language) and record producer. The list of musicians he spotted and mentored is staggering - Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Lionel Hampton, Charlie Christian and more.
When swing bands fell out of fashion after WW2 he went on to bring the likes of Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Ray Vaughn to the recording studio. Oh, and he found time on the way to be the first musical director of the Newport Jazz Festival.
He was deeply involved in the Civil Rights movement and was on the committee of the AAACP for some 30 years. It was due to him that swing bands first became multi-racial in the late thirties. The book spends a lot of time describing this side of his life, which was not uncontroversial. Some black musicians found him patronising. Duke Ellington refused to have anything to do with him.
It's a really good read and I guarantee you'll be delving deep into Spotify and YouTube to look up some of the musical moments described in the book. You won't be disappointed.
Edited by Roofless Toothless on Thursday 12th October 16:30
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