Thanks, René. Copy editing my own copy is a pain in the butt. I go over it, but it's so easy to see what I meant to type rather than what actually showed up. A bigger mistake was in the original of the first paragraph, when I typed Jan. instead of June for the date of the Rollins / Marsalis concert. I really appreciate anybody who points out mistakes. It makes me focus harder the next time.
I'm glad you don't mind. I do this for other writer friends whose Substacks I follow--even the best writers make typos, and it's often hard to see your own. Even though I do this professionally, I know people find typos in my copy, too. Recently someone noticed that a composer's name had been spelled two different ways in another annotator's essay (which I had edited and proofed)--and I was horrified that this mistake wasn't noticed until the printer's proof!
You can focus hard consistently, and it does make your work better, but I think an extra set of eyeballs (unfamiliar with the previous drafts) is essential. This is (for now) a free Substack, so I figure free proofing is a small price for your grateful readers to pay!
I enjoyed your take on this colossus, Steve; thanks for bringing him to mind. I particularly like 'Falling In Love' from a 1989 session. He was great at synthesis, and rather than reject free jazz, came to terms with it and make it more accessible for my ears.
I'll check out the book, just to learn where the name "Newk" came from, and dig into his "bridge" period. That is a fascinating thing, three years practicing, rather than busking, on the Williamsburg Bridge. Appreciate you.
Thanks, Mike. I didn't know where Newk came from, either, but it's obvious to someone my age or older once it's pointed out. (Actually, probably many people my age wouldn't even get it right away, but I was a nerd about the past when I was young - oh, kinda like I am now). The bridge period is covered in depth, and it is fascinating.
Great review, Steve! I, too, am now curious about the Reed book (I've read the other bios). I've heard complaints about Levy's style there, but I'm more interested in the depth of research and close focus he might bring. At any rate, MIGHT you have seen Rollins at Mississippi Nights in the early '90s? He played a somewhat lackluster first set, it seemed half the people left, then he set the place ABLAZE during the second set, with astonishing versions of "St. Thomas" and "The Tennessee Waltz." Al Foster was on drums.
This is what I get for not researching further. I just checked the Mississippi Nights book here at the record store - I need to get this for myself at home but I haven't yet - which includes an index of every artist who performed there and the years they played. Rollins was at M. Nights in 1991 and 1992, which means I conflated the two shows I saw into one, and magically moved them to a few years earlier. My memory is that the first tune he played was the incendiary one, so it's possible that in the year you didn't see him, that happened. It's not impossible that I left after the lackluster first set the other year, though I would hope I didn't. At any rate, I sure wish I could go back and hear those shows (and the one at Webster College now University) with the fresh ears I have after reading this book.
Fantastic review, Steve. I did notice one typo that you might want to fix (should be Touhill, not Touhull).
Thanks, René. Copy editing my own copy is a pain in the butt. I go over it, but it's so easy to see what I meant to type rather than what actually showed up. A bigger mistake was in the original of the first paragraph, when I typed Jan. instead of June for the date of the Rollins / Marsalis concert. I really appreciate anybody who points out mistakes. It makes me focus harder the next time.
I'm glad you don't mind. I do this for other writer friends whose Substacks I follow--even the best writers make typos, and it's often hard to see your own. Even though I do this professionally, I know people find typos in my copy, too. Recently someone noticed that a composer's name had been spelled two different ways in another annotator's essay (which I had edited and proofed)--and I was horrified that this mistake wasn't noticed until the printer's proof!
You can focus hard consistently, and it does make your work better, but I think an extra set of eyeballs (unfamiliar with the previous drafts) is essential. This is (for now) a free Substack, so I figure free proofing is a small price for your grateful readers to pay!
I enjoyed your take on this colossus, Steve; thanks for bringing him to mind. I particularly like 'Falling In Love' from a 1989 session. He was great at synthesis, and rather than reject free jazz, came to terms with it and make it more accessible for my ears.
I'll check out the book, just to learn where the name "Newk" came from, and dig into his "bridge" period. That is a fascinating thing, three years practicing, rather than busking, on the Williamsburg Bridge. Appreciate you.
Thanks, Mike. I didn't know where Newk came from, either, but it's obvious to someone my age or older once it's pointed out. (Actually, probably many people my age wouldn't even get it right away, but I was a nerd about the past when I was young - oh, kinda like I am now). The bridge period is covered in depth, and it is fascinating.
Great review, Steve! I, too, am now curious about the Reed book (I've read the other bios). I've heard complaints about Levy's style there, but I'm more interested in the depth of research and close focus he might bring. At any rate, MIGHT you have seen Rollins at Mississippi Nights in the early '90s? He played a somewhat lackluster first set, it seemed half the people left, then he set the place ABLAZE during the second set, with astonishing versions of "St. Thomas" and "The Tennessee Waltz." Al Foster was on drums.
This is what I get for not researching further. I just checked the Mississippi Nights book here at the record store - I need to get this for myself at home but I haven't yet - which includes an index of every artist who performed there and the years they played. Rollins was at M. Nights in 1991 and 1992, which means I conflated the two shows I saw into one, and magically moved them to a few years earlier. My memory is that the first tune he played was the incendiary one, so it's possible that in the year you didn't see him, that happened. It's not impossible that I left after the lackluster first set the other year, though I would hope I didn't. At any rate, I sure wish I could go back and hear those shows (and the one at Webster College now University) with the fresh ears I have after reading this book.
I knew about the Webster show but could not afford it at the time.