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One potential function of a book-length treatment of a subject is as a springboard to initiate a wider discussion. In the hands of a skilled writer, a book about a very specific topic \u2013 let\u2019s say the catalog of Prestige Records, to pick a not-exactly-random example \u2013 can serve as an opportunity to highlight (or even dig deeply into) the work of artists who recorded for that label.<\/p>\n
And that is part of what Tad Richards does with his wonderful Listening to Prestige<\/i>. On one level, it\u2019s an appreciation \u2013 a love letter, if you will \u2013 of Bob Weinstock\u2019s influential independent record label. But simultaneously, Listening t<\/i>o<\/i> Prestige<\/i> provides a canvas upon which Richards places the work of many \u2013 not quite all, but close \u2013 of the era\u2019s jazz artists into a larger context.<\/p>\n
Listening to Prestige<\/i> is neatly divided into chapters covering the recordings and artists associated with the label during its 1949-72 heyday. And within each chapter are sidebars \u2013 sometimes lengthy, sometimes brief \u2013 in which Richards takes a more personal look at specific records. (Hence the \u201cListening to\u2026\u201d of the book\u2019s title.) Readers largely unfamiliar with the jazz canon of the era may initially find themselves slightly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of names therein, but Richards\u2019 clear, concise and accessible writing style all but guarantees that those readers will nonetheless be drawn in by his work.<\/p>\n
Along with providing context that helps elucidate the work that those artists did for Prestige \u2013 whether it\u2019s a big name like Miles Davis<\/a>, Sonny Rollins<\/a> or John Coltrane<\/a>, or a relative obscurity like vibraphonist Dave Pike (a favorite of mine, by the way) \u2013 Richards helps the reader understand why what they did is worth a listen. And because the collaborative nature of that era\u2019s jazz meant that pretty much everyone of note seemed to work with everyone else at least one time, he weaves together the artists\u2019 stories in a way that makes as much sense as it can.<\/p>\n For those interested but relatively unschooled in jazz (this writer among that class of listeners), Listening t<\/i>o<\/i> Prestige<\/i> is a valuable resource, and a fine read. I suspect, too, that for those far more well-versed in the intricacies of jazz, Listening <\/i>to<\/i> Prestige<\/i> will prove a most worthwhile read as well. Recommended.<\/p>\n