Life of the ``Divine One,'' by the author of the well-received Nat King Cole bio Unforgettable (1991). Gourse has a lively subject in Vaughan (1924-90), whose voice was a soaring and dipping bebop instrument that charmed most listeners but also bored or offended a few with its slow and seemingly overinvolved delivery. Musicians adored playing with Vaughan, although her later repertoire—with its saccharine Percy Faith strings, Beatles tunes, and pop sentiments—saddened purists. Vaughan doesn't provide Gourse with as dramatic a personal history as did Cole. Choir-singing Vaughan showed early talent in Newark, with an ear for copying with voice and piano anything she heard on radio. She skipped school or climbed out the bedroom window to hear musicians at clubs or in theaters. Despite adulation by Billy Eckstine, Earl Hines, and others who hired her, she was gap- toothed, rail-thin, and shy until her first husband, trumpeter George Treadwell, revamped her, had her teeth capped, and became her manager. With a phenomenal ear for chords, Vaughan always felt she'd learned most from her work with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, though she long thought her best recordings were with trumpeter Clifford Brown. Later, she took up concertizing and even worked with symphony conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. Life with her husband dissolved into fighting, with Treadwell overbearing, abusive, and jealous—though he could be charming and generous as well. Eventually, Vaughan had five, often jealous, husbands and won and lost several fortunes. She died of lung cancer and was mourned by musicians everywhere. Says Gourse: ``In her twenties and thirties, her voice had been as light and brilliant as fine wine; by her sixties it was as robust as cognac.'' Too much shifting bandstand personnel to keep steady interest. (Thirty-two photos.)
Pub Date: Jan. 12, 1993
ISBN: 0-684-19317-5
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Scribner
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1992
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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