Conversations in Jazz: The Ralph J. Gleason Interviews

CONVERSATIONS IN JAZZ                         RALPH J. GLEASON

During his nearly forty years as a music journalist, Ralph J. Gleason recorded many in-depth interviews with some of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. These informal sessions, conducted mostly in Gleason’s Berkeley, California, home, have never been transcribed and published in full until now.
 
This remarkable volume, a must-read for any jazz fan, serious musician, or musicologist, reveals fascinating, little-known details about these gifted artists, their lives, their personas, and, of course, their music. Bill Evans discusses his battle with severe depression, while John Coltrane talks about McCoy Tyner's integral role in shaping the sound of the Coltrane quartet, praising the pianist enthusiastically. Included also are interviews with Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Quincy Jones, Jon Hendricks, and the immortal Duke Ellington, plus seven more of the most notable names in twentieth-century jazz.

PAT'S REVIEW

Mr. Gleason was a co-founder of the Rolling Stone magazine and also co-founder of the Monterey Jazz festival. Now here is a book with some of his interviews with a few jazz performers. I find all of these to be very good. These are much more than anything else you can get anywhere else. Most people don’t know who Bill Evans is anymore and you at least get to read some of the interviews. Along with Coltrane, Gillespie, Quincy Jones who most people don’t know started out as a musician. This was a good book and one that I was glad I was able to read I like music and I know all of the musicians in this book so I found it a very good read. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com