John Chilton (1) (1932–2016)

This is an excellent biography. Chilton's book covers Eldridge's career in truly amazing detail, often tracing week-to-week changes in venue and performing partners. The author, a trumpeter himself, discusses his subject's technical and improvisational achievements in ways that manage to address technique without drowning the reader in detail. There's much discussion, too, of Little Jazz's lifelong relationships with many musicians; the book portrays him as competitive, enthusiastic, driven, rather touchy, and generally likable. All the detail makes for a fairly long book, but it's well-written and quite readable.

Less detailed, but regularly touched upon are two subjects that are not directly jazz related but are clearly relevant--racial politics, and his long and apparently stable marriage. I'm rather curious about the marriage; Eldridge was often away from home for long periods and seems to have regularly had casual affairs. These are not really my business, of course, but the book tells enough to catch my interest. Vi Eldridge must have been a remarkable woman, but here she's not fully drawn.

Those reservations notwithstanding, this is an outstanding book.… (más)