Alice Coltrane: Conjurer of the Majestic
Andy Beta’s Alice Coltrane biography, Cosmic Music, is an excellent work about this forward-thinking and often misunderstood musician.
biography
How ‘Aguirre’ and ‘Cannibal Holocaust’ Defy the Wrath of the Green Inferno
Herzog’s Aguirre and Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust present the Amazon as a space of destruction, survival, and moral reckoning. Both approaches raise ethical questions.
‘Sun Ra: Do the Impossible’ Achieves the Seemingly Impossible
In its gorgeous embroidery of color, sound, and thoughtful reflection, Sun Ra documentary Do the Impossible achieves the seemingly impossible.
Justin Townes Earle’s Unrealized Future
Rolling Stone editor Jonathan Bernstein’s biography of Justin Townes Earle, What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome, is rooted in the quiet devastation of Saint of Lost Causes.
‘The Lowdown’ Finds Hilarity in the Lowest Places
At turns a twisty whodunit, historical drama, tender family comedy, and farcical urban safari, The Lowdown overwhelms, but never wears you down.
‘Peter Hujar’s Day’ Finds and Makes Meaning in the Mundane
Ben Whishaw achieves something close to dialectical mesmerism in Peter Hujar’s Day; his performance is simultaneously monumental and mundane.
The Beach Boys Sing for Peter Doggett
The Beach Boys’ biography Surf’s Up is Peter Doggett’s way of making sense of a clan of brothers who created some of the most dazzling pop of the 20th century.
Bob Dylan Rings in His Ears
Music theorist Steven Rings helps readers understand Bob Dylan the performer, not the lyricist or songwriter, in a welcome and indispensable addition to Dylan scholarship.
Ella Jenkins’ Biography Sings Her Song
Gayle F. Wald’s Ella Jenkins’ biography sings Jenkins’ commitment to social justice and her important multicultural and participatory approach to teaching children music.
Ray Brown Was an Elder Statesman of Jazz
Bassist Ray Brown navigated changing trends in jazz while upholding high standards, creating some of the finest music in the jazz repertoire.
How the Remarkable Tom Wilson Shaped Jazz and Rock
With his taste and track record, music producer Tom Wilson deserves the kind of fame afforded to his contemporaries Phil Spector and George Martin.
‘The Story of ABBA’ Neglects to Tell the Story of ABBA
In a typical biography, I’d permit ten pages that are completely unrelated to the subject. The Story of ABBA has about 100 such pages.