Doug’s most recent book is a novel,Poodie James. Previously, he published Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond. He is also the author of Jazz Matters: Reflections on the Music and Some of its Makers. He contributed to The Oxford Companion to Jazz and co-edited Journalism Ethics: Why Change? He is at work on another novel in which, as in Poodie James, music is incidental.
Doug Ramsey on Jazz and other matters...
Thanks sincerely for providing a jazz website which allows us to listen to and read about jazz and several musicians. Routine pleasure is not easy to find in today’s world. Best of luck.
I thoroughly enjoyed your bio of Paul Desmond. I am a 48 year old Toronto jazz pianist. I rememeber seeing the “Canadian” quartet of Ed Bickert, Don Thompson and Jerry Fuller perform on a CBC afternoon TV show,Take 30, in ’75 or 76. I was too young to go to clubs. I have had the opportunity of performing with Ed, who is now retired, Jerry, who is gone, and the ever-active Don Thompson. The book is the best jazz bio I’ve read.
You mention “Take Five’s” similarity to “Sunday, Monday or Always.” It is also very similar in phrase structure to the song “Breathless”. I’ve heard versions by Ozzie Nelson’s big-band, Skinnay Ennis and by Sue Raney, whose performance in 5/4 time hammers home the resemblance.
Thanks for the great writing.
(Clicking on Mr. Whiteman’s name in the upper left of this comment will take you to his website, where the “Recordings” section has samples of his work. –DR)