Snap Judgements 1

Clifford Brown & Sonny Rollins (cliffordbrown.net)

I've been trying to think of a way to get a little more writing into this blog, which is pretty heavy on images but not much commentary.  At the same time, I don't want to feel obligated to spend a lot of time every day trying to think of something to spout off on.  So, what I've come up with is an idea to once a week or so have an installment called "Snap Judgements" in which I briefly review books I've recently read, movies I've recently seen, music I've recently heard, or even on occasion a bowl of soup I've recently tasted.  I've no reason to think my opinions on these things matter to anyone, but I'm really mostly interested in just exercising my composition skills, such as they are.  If you'd like to take issue with anything I write, feel free to leave a comment.  Here's the first batch of snap judgements:

Movies:
Good Ol' Freda-- This breezy documentary about the down-to-earth young woman who ran the official Beatles fan club from their days at Liverpool's Cavern Club through their breakup caught me completely off-guard.  Who knew there was anything more to learn about the most popular band ever?  Most striking to me was Freda's insight into the boys' family lives (especially with regard to their parents), and the refreshingly respectful perspective she offers on their transition from local heroes to international superstars.  You come away from this realizing that that despite the immensity of Beatlemania at its height, there were real people at the center of it all who were much more human-scaled than the media personas suggested.  (Netflix)   

Footnote-- Gripping story about an elderly academic who feels his life's work is entirely unappreciated until he is named the recipient of a prestigious award.  Unfortunately, once in the limelight he can't resist settling some old scores, including against his more accomplished son, himself a noted scholar.  Elements of this suggest a black comedy, but in the end more of a classic tragedy defined by the old man's hubris.  (DVD)

Book:
James Wolcott, Critical Mass-- Fine collection of work from the critic Wolcott, who I first encountered when he wrote the TV column in the Village Voice back in the 70s.  I found his essays on television and music to be the most entertaining here (maybe because I watch a lot of TV and listen to a lot of music), but I learned the most from his book reviews.  Wolcott is a lively stylist, and his blog (link at right) demonstrates the same sly insights that are abundant in this book. 

Record:
Sonny Rollins, Plus 4-- I don't listen to jazz all that often, but every now and again I get hooked on something and it stays in rotation for several days.  This is my current buzz.  The "4" of the title are Clifford Brown, Max Roach, Richie Powell and George Morrow and while I would count Rollins himself as perhaps my all-time favorite jazzman (and he's great here), Brown and Roach elevate this beyond swing, beyond bop-- in fact, I'd say it rocks.  Not bad for a near sixty year old record.