Recommended for those looking for something different. The story is fairly predictable--the ups and downs of a jazz musician in the early 1960s. It's the way the story is told that makes this stand out for me: Practically dripping with atmosphere, and no wonder--the author is a respected jazz scholar/historian with several nonfiction books to his credit. Many unique characters and lots of early-60s jazz slang, including what has to be one of the very earliest uses in print of "hipster"! Great cover, too.
The story is pretty routine--the ups and downs of jazz musicians in NYC and LA in the early 1960s. It's the writing that makes this stand out for me--practically bursting with atmosphere and lots of sharp dialogue. And no wonder: The author is a respected jazz music historian & scholar and has published several well-regarded nonfiction books on the subject. All this plus what must be one of the very first uses in print of the term "hipster"! Great cover, too!
