Chris May's Best Jazz Books of 2012

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Are the best books always about the past rather than the present, or is it simply easier to write about events on which the dust has settled? Whatever. These three books are all about the past and each is outstanding.Matthew Ruddick Funny Valentine: The Story Of Chet BakerGrippingly written and meticulously researched, Matthew Ruddick's 828-page opus is the definitive biography of trumpeter and singer m: Chet Baker. More than that, it is a vivid account of the junkie subculture that ran through mid-to-late 20th century jazz, as seen through the incident-packed life of one of its most spectacular participants. The book combines some of the best qualities of saxophonist m: Art Pepper's unflinching autobiography, Straight Life (Schirmer Books, 1979), and m: Ian Carr's scholarly musical biography Miles Davis (Quartet, 1982). It is a compelling and authoritative page-turner in the highest rank of jazz biographies. Baker, born in 1929, found fame early, in 1952, as a member of baritone...continue...

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