YET ANOTHER CITATION FOR AFRICAN RHYTHMS, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF RANDY WESTON (Composed by Randy Weston, Arranged by Willard Jenkins; Duke University Press)
2011 Winners: ARSC Awards for Excellence
The Association for Recorded Sound Collections is pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 ARSC Awards for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research. Begun in 1991, the awards are presented to authors and publishers of books, articles, liner notes, and monographs, to recognize outstanding published research in the field of recorded sound. In giving these awards, ARSC recognizes outstanding contributions, encourages high standards, and promotes awareness of superior works. Two awards may presented annually in each category—one for best history and one for best discography. Certificates of Merit are presented to runners-up of exceptionally high quality. The 2011 Awards for Excellence honor works published in 2010.
All of the honorees have now been notified, and certificates and one year memberships to ARSC are being produced and distributed. The winners will also be acknowledged at the awards ceremony at the ARSC national conference in Rochester New York in May 2012.
[ Best Research in Recorded Jazz Music ]
Best History (tie)
That’s Got ‘Em!: The Life and Music of Wilbur C. Sweatman, by Mark Berresford (University Press of Mississippi)
Best History (tie)
Hot Jazz For Sale: Hollywood’s Jazz Man Record Shop (Book + CD), by Cary Ginell (lulu.com)
Certificate of Merit
African Rhythms: The Autobiography of Randy Weston, by Randy Weston (Duke University Press)
HERE’S A CLIP FROM RANDY WESTON’S RECENT RESIDENCY AT DUKE UNIVERSITY, WHICH ALSO INCLUDED AN INTERVIEW/BOOK SIGNING FOR “AFRICAN RHYTHMS” WITH RANDY AND WILLARD JENKINS. THIS WAS A REHEARSAL OF DUKE DANCE STUDENTS TO RANDY’S MUSIC, CHOREOGRAPHED BY OUR FRIEND ANDREA WOODS.
THE FOLLOWING CLIP IS AN INTERVIEW WITH THE JAZZ VIDEO GUY ON THE SUBJECT OF “AFRICAN RHYTHMS”
Reviews of African Rhythms
“Weston has dedicated his life to spreading African music throughout the world and forging a bond with his identity as an African American musician. African Rhythms ably recounts his sometimes arduous journey to becoming a true cross-cultural ambassador.”—Jon Ross, Downbeat
“Whether advocating black musicians’ rights in the 1960s, recording with traditional African musicians in the 1990s or inaugurating the new Library of Alexandria in Egypt in the 2000s, the common thread which runs through African Rhythms is Weston’s enduring love affair with African culture and its importance as the progenitor of jazz and pretty much everything else besides. This is an important addition to the jazz historiography and a long anticipated read for fans of this giant of African American music, aka jazz.”—Ian Patterson, All About Jazz
“. . . [P]art memoir, part travelogue, part philosophical treatise. Mr. Weston is especially informative about how he briefly fled New York in his early 20s to escape the drug scene that was becoming endemic among young jazzmen, as well as about the making of classic albums like Uhuru Africa and Blue Moses.” —Will Friedwald, Wall Street Journal
“Randy Weston is a monumental figure in contemporary jazz, a man whose creativity remains undimmed at the age of 83. He is a living link with the golden era of the 1950s and 60s, a time during which trailblazing musicians and revolutionary thinkers wholly energised African-American arts and politics. As this absolutely fascinating biography reveals, Weston. . . has lived a very full life that has seen him not only excel as a musician but also make hugely important cultural and political statements that had the intent and effect of uplifting blacks in America during a time of second class citizenship. A recurrent theme in the text is thus Weston’s focus on concrete initiatives to improve civil rights. . . . Essential reading for anybody interested in learning something of a great man as well as a great musician.” —Kevin La Gendre, Jazzwise
“Randy Weston knows more about jazz and more about Africa than most of us. Hence this book—more musical, philosophical and spiritual, with a more personal voice than most jazz autobiographies—is loaded with knowledge and insights about both topics. . . . From Stearns to the Gnawa musician healers of Morocco, from poet Langston Hughes to Dizzy Gillespie, Weston’s fascinating journey is well worth the read.”—George Kanzler, All About Jazz- New York
“[I] highly recommend this book for anyone that has a fascination for African music, culture, and of course the life of Randy Weston. In this autobiography, Randy does a great job of not only highlighting his music career, but also discussing the social and cultural barriers he had to constantly deal with, being an African-American jazz musician growing up in Brooklyn.”—Pat Les Stache, American Athlete
“No jazz fan should neglect Randy Weston.”—Greg Burk, MetalJazz.com
“No one has done more to explore and celebrate the African roots of jazz than pianist/composer Randy Weston. Weston demonstrates a pride in his ancestry and culture that is both the primary source of his artistic inspiration and the central theme that suffuses this fascinating autobiography. . . . Weston refers to himself as ‘a storyteller through music’ rather than a jazz musician. He’s unsurpassed as a goodwill ambassador.”—Jay Trachtenberg, Austin Chronicle
“Randy Weston’s autobiography, African Rhythms, is a rich journey leading from his childhood in Brooklyn to Africa, around the world, and back again.”—David Greenberger, Metroland
“African Rhythms . . . will bring the jazz pianist-composer wider attention because he has a great story and a profound vision to impart. . . . [T]he man is a fascinating artist-teacher. His book is part musicology, part travelogue and part anecdote all woven together into a magnificent, insightful tapestry.”—Roger Levesque, Edmonton Journal
“True jazz buffs will welcome this well-detailed, informative memoir, African Rhythms, by one of the most innovative musicians in America, Randy Weston, for it pays earnest tribute to the African origins, traditions, and their primary influence on the sounds that rose from Congo Square long ago. It is the finest jazz autobiography since that of the big band maestro Duke Ellington’s glorious remembrances, Music Is My Mistress. . . . Brilliantly rendered, intricately detailed, African Rhythms, a true collaboration between Weston and Jenkins, is a wonderful testament to a wise, spiritual man’s soulful quest to embrace the knowledge of his ancestors and elders while composing sounds that enlighten and nourish the heart.”—Robert Fleming, African American Literature Book Club
“This renowned jazz musician considers himself to be primarily a storyteller, and a central theme in this book and in his life is remembering where he came from, so that creating music is his way of connecting with his African heritage. A moving testament to a life well lived.”—June Sawyers, Booklist
“Now in his 80’s, Weston, in this book, sounds eternally optimistic and full of wonder about his life. He comes off as joyous and spiritual as his music. Reading this is enough to make you want to dig out whatever Weston CDs you might have and listen to them again with a greater understanding of what went into the music. This book is worthy of his expansive talents.”—Jerome Wilson, Cadence
“African Rhythms is perhaps the next truly wonderful jazz autobiography. It succeeds so fully not because of hyperbole or personality but because Weston—a pianist and composer criminally underappreciated even among serious jazz fans—has a unique musical story to tell. This story is highly recommended to jazz listeners, in large part, because it makes you want to dive back into one of the most gripping discographies in the music. . . . If you haven’t heard Weston’s music, really listened to it, then African Rhythms is the strongest possible incentive to tune in. Is there any higher praise for a book about music than that it got you to start listening?”—Will Layman, PopMatters
“As much as anyone and in a singular way, Weston has shined a bright light on jazz as a confluence of sound, rhythm and spirit that emanates from African origins and speaks of a reality forever rooted in the experience of black people, wherever they’ve lived. . . . The new autobiography . . . [is] essential reading, and not just because Weston is one of jazz’s greatest living players and has a career path that overlaps with much of the music’s modern history.”—Larry Blumenfeld, Jazziz
“In this compelling autobiography, Weston outlines his upbringing in Brooklyn, his career as a jazz musician, composer, and bandleader, and most significantly his connection to the African continent. . . . Some chapters offer fascinating behind-the-scenes accounts of his travels throughout Africa and around the globe. Other chapters showcase his recording projects, his associations with jazz artists/composers such as Max Roach, Melba Liston, Duke Ellington, and Dizzy Gillespie; and his tireless efforts to promote African cultural heritage. . . . Recommended. All readers.”—D. J. Schmalenberger, Choice
“Add this idiosyncratic autobiography to the mix and you have an even more vivid picture of who Randy Weston is – not just his influences, but his passions, experiences, and justifiable sense of having accomplished something worthwhile. On each page his personality comes through directly, especially since his ‘arranger’ Willard Jenkins has taken care to preserve the rhythm and flow of Weston’s voice as he told Jenkins his story during the lengthy series of interviews they did for this book.”—Pamela Margles, The Whole Note
“This is a worthy entry in the jazz-lit idiom and a fine account of a life well lived.”—March Chénard, La Scena Musicale
“African Rhythms is a rich and heartfelt book, a good, informative read. My good friend Willard Jenkins (who is listed as arranger of it, with Weston as composer) has done an excellent job of organizing the material. His periodic insertions of the voices of many of the principals of the tale add flavor and perspective. Well done.”—A.B. Spellman, Chamber Music America
“Randy Weston’s long-anticipated, much-talked-about, consciousness-raising, African-centered autobiography, African Rhythms, is a serious breathe of fresh air and is a much-needed antidote in this world of mediocre musicians, and men. He takes the reader on a wonderful, exciting journey from America to Africa and back with the ease of a person who loved every minute of it. The book is hard to put down and is an engaging, pleasing literary work that is worthy of being required reading in any history or literature school course.” —Larry Reni Thomas, JazzCorner
“Weston and Jenkins have created a delightfully unusual autobiography. African Rhythms lets this musical giant take you into one of the richest lives you are likely to encounter anywhere.”—Dave Barber, Inside CityFolk
“African Rhythms is filled with anecdotes told in a conversational and generous manner that brim with cultural history and pride.”—Clarence V. Reynolds, The Network Journal
“Weston’s book, African Rhythms, is just as powerful as his music, more so because it pierces the mind with stimulating words that will feed the spirit and may move readers to action. The life of Weston takes you on an exciting journey from Brooklyn to Africa, around the world and back again.”—Ron Scott, Amsterdam News
“Packed with fascinating anecdotes, African Rhythms encompasses Weston’s childhood in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood—where his parents and other members of their generation imbued him with pride in his African heritage—and his introduction to jazz and early years as a musician in the artistic ferment of mid-twentieth-century New York.”—Bobbi Booker, Philadelphia Tribune
Interviews in Washington Post, NPR’s Talk of the Nation, NPR’s Jazz Set, Sirius radio’s On with Leon, WNYC’s Soundcheck, Excerpts in Jazz Times, Point of Departure. Mentioned in Time Out New York, Los Angeles Sentinel, NPR’s Music blog, Valley Advocate (Northampton, MA). Listed in Publishers Weekly, Choice.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011
African Rhythms: Randy Weston’s Story
In 25 years of working at Cityfolk, few experiences have provided me more pleasure than presenting pianist/ composer Randy Weston. He has performed at the Dayton Art Institute Renaissance Auditorium three times: as part of our inaugural Jazz Tradition series in 1986, again in the mid 1990s and once more under the auspices of the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters program 4 years ago.
His new autobiography, a collaboration with writer/producer and jazz advocate Willard Jenkins, is about as close to real proximity as you can get and it rarely gets better than being in the presence of Randy Weston. He savors everything in his path; food, art, people, LIFE, and it all comes pouring off the pages of the book African Rhythms: The Autobiography of Randy Weston. His beginnings in New York, experiences with mentors such as Thelonious Monk, his continuing exploration of the music of Africa–he was pioneering the frontier that came to be known as “world music” long before it became a handle, or later, an industry–and a constellation of collaborators are all packed into the book in rich detail.
And while Weston brings the stories of longtime musical partners such as composer/arranger Melba Liston out of the shadows, the book lets other musicians from bassist Ron Carter to pillars of his recent bands like T.K. Blue and Alex Blake provide their own perspectives on his generous spirit. Still going strong in his 80s, he has been an inspiration to listeners and his fellow musicians for the better part of six decades. Weston and Jenkins have created a delightfully unusual autobiography.African Rhythms lets this musical giant take you into one of the richest lives you are likely to encounter anywhere.
“African Rhythms”; the as-told-to autobiography of NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston, composed by Randy Weston, arranged by Willard Jenkins, is now available; as a hard copy from major book outlets & on various e-reader devices, including Amazon’s Kindle (www.amazon.com).
— Dave Barber, CityFolk; Dayton, OH
The current issue of Chamber Music magazine includes an expansive and laudatory review of African Rhythms written by poet-author (Four Lives in the Bebop Business) and retired National Endowment for the Arts exec (and principle advocate in the development of the NEA Jazz Masters program) A.B. Spellman. Here’s how A.B. closes the piece:
“African Rhythms is a rich and heartfelt book, a good, informative read. My good friend Willard Jenkins (who is listed as arranger of it, with Weston as composer) has done an excellent job of organizing the material. His periodic insertions of the voices of many of the principals of the tale add flavor and perspective. Well done.”
African Rhythms was a nominee for Best Book of the Year in the 2011 Jazz Journalist Association’s annual Jazz Awards.
Jazz Alive Fundraiser to Honor Randy Weston, 9/26
The Greenwich Village-Chelsea Chamber of Commerce will host their third annual Village Jazz Alive fundraiser at the Blue Note on September 26. The event will honor legendary jazz pianist and composer Randy Weston. All guests will be treated to a performance by Mr. Weston and his African Rhythms Quartet as well as three-course meal and a drink ticket. VIP tickets will include an invitation to a pre-show cocktail hour and meet-and-greet with Mr. Weston.
“I’m honored to have been chosen as this year’s Village Jazz Legends Award recipient and performer with my African Rhythms Quintet. The Village is a very important place which contributed to the history of this great music called jazz,” said Weston. For tickets and more information on the Village Jazz Alive event, please visit: http://www.villagechelsea.com/village-jazz-alive-2011/
September 26, 2011; Set at 8:00pm ONLY with Randy Weston, piano; Other musicians, TBA.
For information on tickets, please click here: http://www.villagechelsea.com/village-jazz-alive-2011/
The event will take place at The Blue Note; 131 W 3rd. St, New York, NY 10012. Doors open at 6pm. Set is at 8:00pm.
Read more: http://tunes.broadwayworld.com/article/Jazz-Alive-Fundraiser-to-Honor-Randy-Weston-926-20110912#ixzz1Y3IENkiM
Read more: http://tunes.broadwayworld.com/article/Jazz-Alive-Fundraiser-to-Honor-Randy-Weston-926-20110912#ixzz1Y3HPXMEY
JazzTimes Magazine 2010 The Expanded Critic’s Poll (pub. March 2011 issue)
Best of Industry
Book
1. AFRICAN RHYTHMS: The Autobiography of Randy Weston by Randy Weston and Willard Jenkins (Duke University Press)
2. Coltrane on Coltrane: The John Coltrane Interviews by Chris DeVito (editor) (Chicago Review Press)
3. Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original by Robin D.G. Kelley (Free Press)
4. A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers by Will Friedwald (Pantheon)
5. Saxophone Collosus: A Portrait of Sonny Rollins by Bob Blumenthal and John Abbot (Abrams)
6. Pop: A Life of Louis Armstrong by Terry Teachout (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Here’s what they’re saying about “African Rhythms”:
“True jazz buffs will welcome this well-detailed, informative memoir, African Rhythms, by one of the most innovative musicians in America, Randy Weston… It is the finest jazz autobiography since that of the big band maestro Duke Ellington’s glorious remembrances Music is My Mistress. Brilliantly rendered, intricately detailed, African Rhythms, a true collaboration between Weston and Jenkins, is a wonderful testament to a wise, spiritual man’s soulful quest to embrace the knowledge of his ancestors and elders while composing sounds that enlighten and nourish the heart.”
– Robert Fleming/aalbc.com (The #1 site for African American Literature)
“While Weston is credited as the composer of African Rhythms, Willard Jenkins is listed as the arranger, stringing together hours upon hours of interviews into a structurally sound and engaging narrative. African Rhythms ably recounts [Weston's] sometimes arduous journey to becoming a true cross-cultural ambassador.”
– DownBeat magazine
“…Essential reading for anybody interested in learning something of a great man as well as a great musician…”
– Jazzwise magazine
“This is an important addition to the jazz historiography and a long anticipated read for fans of this giant of African American music, aka jazz…”
– All About Jazz
“…If you’ve glanced at any of [Randy Weston's] new autobiography, African Rhythms, you know he’s full of vivid, incredible tales…”
– National Public Radio/A Blog Supreme
“African Rhythms: The Autobiography of Randy Weston is “composed by Randy Weston/arranged by Willard Jenkins.” “[Randy] Weston’s a unique and important figure in jazz: physically powerful piano player, composer with a personal musical vocabulary, and Afrocentric musical thinker… Thanks to Willard Jenkins for making it happen…”
–Ned Sublette, author
