Jazz Visions: Lennie Tristano and His Legacy - Equinox Publishing

Peter Ind [+–]

Musician

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Peter Ind lives in Twickenham. In addition to writing and painting, he runs his own CD company, Wave Marketing Limited, and has recently launched a new career as leader of a jazz band “Bass Clef International” in memory of the jazz club he ran for ten years.

PUBLISHED IN PAPERBACK JUNE 2007

Lennie Tristano was one of jazz’s most extraordinary innovators, possessing a superb piano technique and an awesome musical imagination. Unheralded by the general public, the blind pianist’s work was revered by many jazz greats including the legendary Charlie Parker. Tristano’s persuasive personality made him an ideal teacher, and he proved that (against the accepted theory of the time) jazz improvisation could be taught. His guidance played a big part in the development of many instrumentalists including saxophonists Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh and double-bassist Peter Ind. It is Ind’s long, direct involvement with his subject that makes this such a revealing book: the story of an English musician going to New York to study with a neglected Jazz giant. In the process, Tristano’s genius is examined and his reputation revalued, with Ind making a persuasive case for the pianist to be placed at the centre of jazz developments in the mid-20th century.

Series: Popular Music History

Table of Contents

Preface

Preface vii – viii

Part I – Lennie: The Man and His Music

1. My Early Contact with Jazz – the Sounds of Lennie Tristano and of Charlie Parker (Bird) [+–] 3 – 9

First contact with Lennie Tristano

2. My Early Experiences of New York Jazz [+–] 10 – 27

New York Jazz

3. Living in New York – Working with Lennie in the Early Days [+–] 28 – 38

Arriving and living in New York – the experience of working with Lennie Tristano

4. Other Inuences on Jazz Musicians and Artists During the Fifties [+–] 39 – 50

The cultural scene in New York, the strengh of Jazz music.

5. Lennie and the Changes in Jazz from the Fifties [+–] 51 – 69

The USA starts to recognize jazz music as a unique artform.

6. Lennie’s Inuence and What Happened to His Associates from Those Fifties Days [+–] 70 – 97

What happened to the people who played with Lennie.

7. A Reection on Lennie as I Knew Him – the Man and Musician [+–] 98 – 108

About Lennie

Part II – Lennie: A More Technical Consideration of Jazz Improvisation and His Legacy

8. What Do We Mean by Jazz? [+–] 111 – 119

Explaining what is jazz

9. Appreciating Jazz Improvisation [+–] 120 – 127

Improvisation is the essence of jazz

10. The Technical Base of Jazz and Lennie’s Approach [+–] 128 – 142

About Lennie’s teaching techniques

Part III – A Reconsideration of Lennie’s Legacy

11. Mythmaking About Lennie [+–] 145 – 156

Lennie’s legacy

12. Lennie Tristano and the Enigma of Non-recognition [+–] 157 – 172

Lennie’s non-recognition as a musician

13. Mythmaking and Prejudices in Jazz [+–] 173 – 195

Prejudice against jazz

14. Reappraisal [+–] 196 – 204

Reappraisal

Bibliography

Bibliography [+–] 205 – 206

references

Index

Index [+–] 209 – 214

index

Select Discography

Select Discography [+–] 207 – 208

selection of albums

Reviews

A remarkable book which presents a fascinating double portrait of the subject and the author.
John Chilton, professional jazz trumpeter and writer on jazz

This book is just what is needed to inform musicians, students, teachers, and historians around the world with an ‘up close and personal’ view of the genius of jazz pianist/composer/teacher, Lennie Tristano. Bassist, Peter Ind describes vividly how exciting it was to be living in New York City as a creative musician. Peter’s writing skills throughout will also enlighten and entertain the novice and non musician as well. The best part for me, is that it was written by a great player who was there right in the thick of it all.
Rufus Reid, Jazz Bassist

The Lennie Tristano story has needed telling for a long time. Who better than Peter Ind who knew Lennie and his music probably better than anyone.
Ira Gitler, doyen of New York jazz critics

Jazz Visions is a remarkable book about a remarkable musician.
Joe Lang, Jersey Jazz

Ind’s book has a great feel to it. As one of his subject’s steady bassists, he has personal insight into Tristano.
Francis Lo Kee, All About Jazz website