Gateway to Music

Page 28 American Book Review movie about Thompson—eject when half over. In both cases, Thompson’s right-on genius deserves better.AndAmram does redeem himself in a brilliant and concise obituary for his friend in chapter 9, where he shines with passion and perception. Amram hits his stride in chapter 7, where a quote reveals the heart of his memoir: “Understanding music is a gateway to appreciating literature just as literature is a gateway to music. And that music and words together are a gateway to civilization.” In this chapter, he delves into the nuts and bolts of songwriting, especially scatting, make-up songs, and what he calls one-time-only rap recording. Included here are rich lyrics that read like poetry, tales from the famous Lion’s Head Bar, and numerous cool anecdotes about NYC. Worth the read alone is the fabled parade of jazz musicians down 57th in a futile but gallant attempt to save the Horn and Hardart Automat. Realistically, a life as full asAmram’s would be hard to chronicle in words without being overwritten. And I remain humbled by his boundless raw energy. I saw him on the week of his seventy-seventh birthday at a Kerouac celebration, and you literally couldn’t shut him up. The sly grins of his fellow presenters exposed their genuine affection for this over-amped piper and allowed them to indulge his stage-hogging. So I guess the reader’s job is to indulge the man as well; surely his life deserves it. His ego is graciously matched by his generous comments and tributes to assorted lost friends which fittingly make up most of the last chapter. Ultimately, somewhere in the reading of Upbeat , I was forced to find my patience. Like warming up to jazz, I learned to tolerate less engaging, even grating rifts, while waiting for passages that would speak to me. Kind of like real life, you might say. To sum up, I think this is one “weenie’s” memoir you should chomp down on. But be prepared to take small bites. One chapter at a time. And digest slowly. Scott Oglesby writes novels, memoirs, and essays about the South and NYC from his adopted home in Greenwich Village. Access at http://www.ridinghigh. net. gAteWAy to MusiC scott Oglesby uPBeaT: nine lives of a musiCal CaT David Amram Foreword by Frank McCourt Paradigm Publishers http://www.paradigmpublishers.com 400 pages; cloth, $25.95 In his new memoir, David Amram, composer, jazz artist, conductor, collaborator and world music pioneer, tells all about his remarkable life adventures. As a subtitle, Nine Lives is fitting, most of them involving a musical jam with someone somewhere. The man seems to have performed with, composed for, memorialized, and partied with every music star, famous writer, and melodic goat herder in the known world. As luck would have it, the last book I read before Amram’s was Teacher Man (2005), by Frank McCourt, who happened to write Upbeat’s foreword. McCourt threatens anyone critical of his friend’s new book to step outside. Thus, the power of an Irish friendship—and reason for me to stay inside. Amram is a farmer’s son, which might explain his corny style that makes urban cynics like myself roll the eyes at some of Upbeat’s more indulgent optimisms . In high school, we called people who bubbled over with excessive enthusiasm “weenies”; just fill in the type—band, sports, church, etc. Amram’s type is quite laudatory; he’s a tireless cheerleader for the spiritual and redemptive qualities of creativity and music. A true believer, he would have you trust that if Osama Bin Laden, George W. Bush, Hugo Chavez, and Vladimir Putin would just grab some flutes and drums and improvise a few riffs, they could solve the world’s problems. But once you adjust to this super-positive mode, you’ll discover a unique voice and perspective. It becomes the book’s greatest strength when combined with the wide scope ofAmram’s musical and cultural journey as he takes you with him through several decades of globe trotting. His sojourns inAfrica and Cuba are particularly insightful, as is his take...