Max Harrison RIP

[Jazzrook]

The jazz & classical critic Max Harrison died aged 87 on May 7, 2017 following a debilitating stroke in 2012.
I well remember reading his erudite reviews and articles in Jazz Monthly and hearing his enlightening jazz programmes on Radio 3.

http://classicalsource.com/db_control/db_news.php?id=4564

JR

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

The jazz & classical critic Max Harrison died aged 87 on May 7, 2017 following a debilitating stroke in 2012.
I well remember reading his erudite reviews and articles in Jazz Monthly and hearing his enlightening jazz programmes on Radio 3.

http://classicalsource.com/db_control/db_news.php?id=4564

JR

Sad to hear. One of the really big influences on my "tastes", that book with the silver cover, ""Essential Modern Jazz Records"? Elmo Hope, Jackie, Art Pepper, Hasaan, Harold Land, et all. Jazz Monthly then was what a jazz magazine should be. Erudite, sharp and culturally aware, not yer puffery and Tyner's new trousers... "But that was long ago..." And far away...

BN.

[Jazzrook]

Sad to hear. One of the really big influences on my "tastes", that book with the silver cover, ""Essential Modern Jazz Records"? Elmo Hope, Jackie, Art Pepper, Hasaan, Harold Land, et all. Jazz Monthly then was what a jazz magazine should be. Erudite, sharp and culturally aware, not yer puffery and Tyner's new trousers... "But that was long ago..." And far away...

BN.

Max Harrison's excellent book 'A Jazz Retrospect'(Quartet Books, 1991) has a foreword by Richard Cook and contains several Jazz Monthly articles.
S/H copies are still available via Amazon.

JR

[Alyn_Shipton]

Max was certainly opinionated, but he always backed up those opinions, however cranky, with evidence of hours of listening and thinking about the music. He had his oddnesses (he alone used to write of "Chew" Berry) but I would not have got going as a jazz writer without his enthusiastic help and he was very supportive of my first book on Fats Waller. So I, for one, will miss him greatly.

[Serial_Apologist]

Max was certainly opinionated, but he always backed up those opinions, however cranky, with evidence of hours of listening and thinking about the music. He had his oddnesses (he alone used to write of "Chew" Berry) but I would not have got going as a jazz writer without his enthusiastic help and he was very supportive of my first book on Fats Waller. So I, for one, will miss him greatly.

Me too; jazz criticism at his level of sophistication is nowadays getting harder and harder to come by, so, people looking for it are welcome here, of course!

RIP Richard - greately appreciated.

[elmo]

Sad to hear. One of the really big influences on my "tastes", that book with the silver cover, ""Essential Modern Jazz Records"? Elmo Hope, Jackie, Art Pepper, Hasaan, Harold Land, et all. Jazz Monthly then was what a jazz magazine should be. Erudite, sharp and culturally aware, not yer puffery and Tyner's new trousers... "But that was long ago..." And far away...

BN.

I had that book also - full of good stuff and besides Max, excellent contributions from Jack Cooke, Michael James and Ronald Atkins all contributors to the best Jazz magazine "Jazz Monthly". Jazz Journal in those days was nearly as bad as reading the "Daily Mail". Second thoughts nothing could be that bad.

elmo

[Rcartes]

"Jazz Monthly". Jazz Journal in those days was nearly as bad as reading the "Daily Mail". Second thoughts nothing could be that bad.

I can agree with that! One of my treasured memories of a "review" in JJ was the one of Thelonious Monk that went something like "Monk may amuse by his antics in dismantling the piano whilst playing but he [and then some disparaging comment or other]."

And Jazz Monthly, under the magnificent Albert McCarthy, was one to treasure. I still have my back copies to enjoy on rainy days.