Wynton Marsalis and Carl Vigeland’s Jazz In The Bittersweet Blues of Life is a “small” book and I mean that in the best possible way. In life, sometimes it’s the small moments you remember most.
So this is not your run-of-the-mill “on the road with musicians" book —full of gigs, women and parties — though those things hover around the edges. It’s more about the in-betweens than the highs and lows…the quiet moments…where serious musicians get down to “the work.” It’s about relationships and creating art and music. It’s as much about the bus ride to the gig as the gig itself. It’s missing your family when you have to work one night, and going out with your boys the next. It’s about the space between the notes — and the conversations — and how that affects the whole of the parts. It’s about life.
Much like your favorite jazz record, this is a book to savor; to read, consider and appreciate. It is a book I would put down, contentedly, and then come back to with fresh eyes and ears. It is an entirely satisfying and worthwhile read and highly recommended.
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