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MEZZ MEZZROW: Really The Blues

pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
edited December 2007 in Strut Central
Love this book. Memoirs of a second-tier jazz guy who hung with the right crowd, but never became a titan himself. And just like most biographies narrated by some back-in-the-day jazz or R&B artist, there's a whole shitload of archaic slang - some of the terms he uses haven't aged well at all, others sound just as current as tomorrow's newspaper. But then, that's part of what makes this book so great; Mezzrow was clearly the kind of person who couldn't mention an illness without putting the word "the" in front of it (if he were alive today, he'd probably refer to the HIV virus as "the AIDS").Mezz, who died in 1972 but wrote this book in 1946, also goes into great detail about racism, heroin addiction and the history of jazz in general. A white guy on a predominantly black scene, he hated to have to play to white audiences - IIRC, whenever some Becky asked his band to play real "hot," they'd intentionally play all lame and lifeless to a crowd that didn't know the difference.Anybody up on this book?

  Comments

  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    No, I've heard of it but never read it, in the stuff I have read about Mezzrow though he definitely sounds like a "colorful" character.
  • funky16cornersfunky16corners 7,175 Posts
    Love this book. Memoirs of a second-tier jazz guy who hung with the right crowd, but never became a titan himself. And just like most biographies narrated by some back-in-the-day jazz or R&B artist, there's a whole shitload of archaic slang - some of the terms he uses haven't aged well at all, others sound just as current as tomorrow's newspaper. But then, that's part of what makes this book so great; Mezzrow was clearly the kind of person who couldn't mention an illness without putting the word "the" in front of it (if he were alive today, he'd probably refer to the HIV virus as "the AIDS").

    Mezz, who died in 1972 but wrote this book in 1946, also goes into great detail about racism, heroin addiction and the history of jazz in general. A white guy on a predominantly black scene, he hated to have to play to white audiences - IIRC, whenever some Becky asked his band to play real "hot," they'd intentionally play all lame and lifeless to a crowd that didn't know the difference.

    Anybody up on this book?


    I read it years ago and dug it. Mezzrow was almost as well known for dealing grass as he was as a musician. He reportedly considered himself something of an assimilated black man (I can't think of a better descriptive term).

    I'd like to find a copy of Babs Gonzalez' memoir, which is also supposed to be cool.
  • 6fran506fran50 266 Posts
    a friend gave this book to me and it really made me love speakeasy jazz ...
    then i offered it to another friend who i hope offered it to another ...
  • oldjeezyoldjeezy 134 Posts

    Mezzrow was almost as well known for dealing grass as he was as a musician. He reportedly considered himself something of an assimilated black man (I can't think of a better descriptive term).


    Definitely was known as the jazz musician's "connection". Haven't you ever heard the term "the mezz"? Somewhere there's a recording where Louis Armstrong gives him a shout out along the lines of "love your stuff".

    And yeah, cosign on the book.
  • LokoOneLokoOne 1,823 Posts
    I picked this up 2 years ago and it blew me away. Couldnt put it down. The tales, the slang, the music.
    I finally understood the bl;ues/jazz connection. That scene when the qwhite jazz guys including Kruppa are leaving for NY and the old school black blues guys do the 'talking blues' song at them.,.... Frickin' legendary tale...

    All hip hop heads should track this book down.... or anyone that loves music. I also love the bit with Louie Armstrong playing with a busted lip. I'd rate this as one of the top 10 books Ive read...I was dumb enough to lend it though so i got to track another one down....

    The book is also begging to be made into a movie IMHO....Or an interactive online version with the original jazz tunes playing as their mentioned!!!!!
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    Great book. I read it years ago as a youngster and found a paperback from 1946 rercently. The pages were litterally falling out as I was reading it.

    My copy is a reprint from '73. I bought this joker used in '98 and while the pages aren't falling out of the book, the paperback is divided in half, if you get my drift.
  • CosmoCosmo 9,768 Posts
    I've had this book on my shelves for years and I've never picked it up. I guess right now would be a good time.
  • tirefiretirefire 203 Posts

    Mezzrow was almost as well known for dealing grass as he was as a musician. He reportedly considered himself something of an assimilated black man (I can't think of a better descriptive term).


    Definitely was known as the jazz musician's "connection". Haven't you ever heard the term "the mezz"? Somewhere there's a recording where Louis Armstrong gives him a shout out along the lines of "love your stuff".

    And yeah, cosign on the book.

    Didn't Bird write a song about him as well, or am I thinking of some other dope-dealer?
  • funky16cornersfunky16corners 7,175 Posts

    Mezzrow was almost as well known for dealing grass as he was as a musician. He reportedly considered himself something of an assimilated black man (I can't think of a better descriptive term).


    Definitely was known as the jazz musician's "connection". Haven't you ever heard the term "the mezz"? Somewhere there's a recording where Louis Armstrong gives him a shout out along the lines of "love your stuff".

    And yeah, cosign on the book.

    Didn't Bird write a song about him as well, or am I thinking of some other dope-dealer?

    I think it was someone else, i.e. 'Moose the Mooche' who was his LA smack connection.
  • tirefiretirefire 203 Posts

    Mezzrow was almost as well known for dealing grass as he was as a musician. He reportedly considered himself something of an assimilated black man (I can't think of a better descriptive term).


    Definitely was known as the jazz musician's "connection". Haven't you ever heard the term "the mezz"? Somewhere there's a recording where Louis Armstrong gives him a shout out along the lines of "love your stuff".

    And yeah, cosign on the book.

    Didn't Bird write a song about him as well, or am I thinking of some other dope-dealer?

    I think it was someone else, i.e. 'Moose the Mooche' who was his LA smack connection.

    That's the one. Thanks!
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