Bob Powers

MARIETTA, OH, USA - Jazz has been around for well more than a century, but its popularity has remained far behind other types of music. While there may be millions who enjoy an especially tuneful example of today's jazz, they're far outnumbered by those who prefer the sounds riding high on the pop music charts.

I fell in love with jazz after being introduced to it by a close neighbor and musician friend, Luther "Kooch" Bolen. Those long-ago days in Gauley Bridge High School back in Fayette County, West Virginia, remain strong in both our memories. While I was a snare drummer in the high school marching band and occasionally played with a small group at the Eagles Club back in Montgomery, W.Va., during the early '50s, I never entertained any ambitions to become a working musician. I recognized the fact that I possessed little, if any, talent. That hasn't kept me from retaining my enthusiasm for various forms of jazz for six decades. (There's a good reason why my beard is white: I earned it.)

My old pal Kooch was for 29 years director of the junior high school band in Chillicothe and continues to play weekly with a Dixieland jazz group at a well-known club there in that city.

In my newspaper career, I had the chance to meet and interview many musicians, most of whom had some relationship with the field of jazz. Getting a chance to talk to such famous and immensely talented people was one of the reasons that I became interested in getting into newspaper work. Having the chance to meet and talk with singer Rosemary Clooney, who died a year ago, was one of the major highlights of those years. My wife Betty and I visited with Rosemary back stage many times. Late in life she started calling me "The Writer." I realized she probably had trouble remembering my given name, but I was happy being "The Writer."

One of the most admired jazz creators was Charles Mingus, a brilliant string bass player and composer who also was one of the most fabled performers in the history of jazz. Mingus, who died more than two decades ago of Lou Gerhig's Disease (properly known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.) A doctor told him he had three to six months to live.

Mingus exceeded that physician's expectations, but he died in 1979 at the age of 57. Jazz lost one of its most talented and forward-thinking members. Mingus is subject of a brilliant remembrance written by his long-time partner, Sue Graham Mingus. Tonight at Noon: A Love Story (Da Capo Press, $16.95) must qualify as one of the best looks into the life of thia jazz genius. Sue Mingus writes with great love and amazing ability about the man who was the center of her being for so long.

Mingus, a black man, had many quirks and idiosyncrasies which his wife details with exacting fortitude. He could be irascible and at times seemingly had several screws not completely tightened. His thought processes were unlike the average person. He often saw beyond the surface of matters, instinctively reaching down to the bottom of matters. A man of huge appetites, Mingus could out-eat and out-love most of his contemporaries. But his talents as a musician are still being studied and marveled over. Playing the double bass, piano and composing huge amounts of music that set the pace for the modern avant-garde movement.

If you haven't listened to Charles Mingus you don't have a thorough knowledge of what he continues to mean to today's jazz. His contributions were staggering and he will continue to affect newcomers to jazz for many years.

If you enjoy modern jazz of the type made famous in the '50s through the '70s, this beautifully written book should keep you entranced and eager to delve into the deep catalog of Mingus compositions and performances. Besides being a truly innovative and stunning master of this kind of music, Mingus was one of those special characters whose way of living his life caused both problems for him and those involved with him. The anecdotes revealed in Tonight at Noon paint not only an indelible portrait, but give insight into genius, which sometimes shows up in unexpected places.

Sue Graham Mingus, who at one time edited and published a highly respected magazine in New York City, has given us one of the best books I've encountered on the life and loves of a jazz giant. Her contribution is magnificent and if you have any interest in jazz or into the intricacies of genius, Tonight at Noon richly deserves your time.

Bob Powers always is interested in hearing from record distributors who deal in jazz, rock, folk, and anything that's good. For instructions on getting your album reviewed, contact him at oldbob@localnet.com.

---

+++ The PREVIOUS POWERSSOUND +++ THE NEXT POWERSSOUND +++

---

---

MY GLASS HOUSE |THE PREVIOUS EVENT |COMING ATTRACTIONS |THE WRITERS/GUIDELINES |

---

© 2003, GENERATOR 21. E-mail your comments. Send your kudos, brickbats and suggestions to Our Editor.