Stormy weather: The music and lives of a century of jazzwomen

DAHL, Linda

Pantheon Books

Morning Glory: A Biography of Mary Lou Williams

Mary Lou Williams -- pianist, arranger, composer, and probably the most influential woman in the history of jazz -- receives the attention she has long deserved in the definitive biography by a leading scholar of women in jazz. The illegitimate child of an impoverished and indifferent mother, Williams began performing publicly at the age of seven when she became known admiringly in her native Pittsburgh as "the little piano girl of East Liberty," playing one day for the Mellons at bridge teas and the next in gambling dens where the hat was passed for change. She grew up with the jazz of the early part of the century, championed by the likes of Earl Hines and Fats Waller, yet unlike so many other musicians of her time, she was open to new forms in jazz -- she was an early champion of bop, and a mentor and colleague to its central figures, such as Thelonius Monk and Bud Powell -- and in broader musical styles as well (after her conversion to Catholicism, she wrote masses and other sacred music). Most of the other famous women in jazz -- Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald -- have been singers. Williams was instead a phenomenal pianist who performed solo, with small groups and big bands, in vaudeville and clubs, and on numerous records. But she is equally well known today as a composer and arranger of remarkable versatility and power, having worked with, among others, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman. Her compositions have been recorded by artisits as varied as Marian McPartland, Dizzy Gillespie, Nat "King" Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and herself -- and, more recently, by cutting-edge players Geri Allen and Dave Douglas. But Williams was more than "just a musician"; her interests were catholic in both senses, and she struggled to combine her love of music with her love of God. She was a tireless humanitarian, and made ongoing attempts to help dozens of down-and-out musicians; in the 1950s, her apartment was, at times, virtually a rehab. Though she was often in emotional despair, she found comfort for her many disappointments and hurts not only in her music but in her spirituality. Linda Dahl, granted unprecedented access to the large Williams archive, has given us the whole of Williams's very full life, from her often harrowing days on the road to her tumultuous marriages and love affairs, from the ups and downs of her unique fifty-year career to the remarkable spirituality that came to inform both her daily life and her music. This is a striking protrait of one of our least understood and most important musicians.

Humor & Entertainment

Pantheon

Stormy Weather: The Music and Lives of a Century of Jazzwomen

Traces the history of the impact of women on the development of jazz and profiles the careers of influential female jazz musicians and singers

Arts & Photography

Music

Traces the history of the impact of women on the development of jazz and profiles the careers of influential female jazz musicians and singers

STORMY WEATHER

"In this comprehensive biography, compiled from meticulous research and interviews with many of McCorkle's confidants . . . Dahl reconstructs a career distinguished by great promise and great sadness . . . doing her best to address a large, looming 'Why?' that can never be completely answered." — New York Times "A compelling, sympathetic but often chilling view not only of McCorkle's complexities but also of the difficult business of music itself and of the widespread always potentially fatal illness now better known as bipolar disorder, which the singer hid from so many, even from herself for many years." — Newsweek “ Susannah's life was dark and daunting. Her music was suave and sunny. Both are honored in this remarkably well-researched and constantly revealing keyhole peek into a haunted life that is both chilling and exhilarating. I could not put it down.” — Rex Reed “ Susannah McCorkle was a mesmerizing singer with a dark side she hid even from her closest friends. Now, thanks to this probing and courageous biography, we can understand the gut ambition that took her to the top of her field and the turmoil that brought her down.” — James Gavin, author of Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker “ Haunted Heart strikingly resembles the woman it describes: it is vivacious, tender, saturnine, industrious, and deeply intelligent. Like Susannah's way with certain ballads, it opens a wound and begins the work of healing it. I am grateful for Linda Dahl's diligence and sympathy.” — Leon Wieseltier Linda Dahl is the author of Stormy Weather: The Music and Lives of a Century of Jazzwomen and Morning Glory: A Biography of Mary Lou Williams. Visit the author’ s website at www.dahljazz.com.

Haunted Heart: A Biography of Susannah McCorkle

University of Michigan Press

"In this comprehensive biography, compiled from meticulous research and interviews with many of McCorkle's confidants . . . Dahl reconstructs a career distinguished by great promise and great sadness . . . doing her best to address a large, looming 'Why?' that can never be completely answered." ―New York Times
"A compelling, sympathetic but often chilling view not only of McCorkle's complexities but also of the difficult business of music itself and of the widespread always potentially fatal illness now better known as bipolar disorder, which the singer hid from so many, even from herself for many years." ―Newsweek
“Susannah's life was dark and daunting. Her music was suave and sunny. Both are honored in this remarkably well-researched and constantly revealing keyhole peek into a haunted life that is both chilling and exhilarating. I could not put it down.” ―Rex Reed
“Susannah McCorkle was a mesmerizing singer with a dark side she hid even from her closest friends. Now, thanks to this probing and courageous biography, we can understand the gut ambition that took her to the top of her field and the turmoil that brought her down.” ―James Gavin, author of Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker
“Haunted Heart strikingly resembles the woman it describes: it is vivacious, tender, saturnine, industrious, and deeply intelligent. Like Susannah's way with certain ballads, it opens a wound and begins the work of healing it. I am grateful for Linda Dahl's diligence and sympathy.” ―Leon Wieseltier
Linda Dahl is the author of Stormy Weather: The Music and Lives of a Century of Jazzwomen and Morning Glory: A Biography of Mary Lou Williams. Visit the author’s website at www.dahljazz.com.

Mary Lou Williams―pianist, arranger, composer, and probably the most influential woman in the history of jazz―receives the attention she has long deserved in this definitive biography.

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

University of California Press

Spine creased, page edges tanned. Shipped from the U.K. All orders received before 3pm sent that weekday.

Quartet Books Ltd.

STORMY WEATHER. The Music and Lives of a Century of Jazzwomen.

(Limelight). This book delves into the history of the involvement of women in jazz. It covers how women participated in the music as well as in-depth interviews, and also includes a discography of recordings by female artists. "Dahl boldy goes where no man (or woman) has gone before. For people who love jazz...who get bleak when they think of what happened to Billie Holiday, this is their book." Los Angeles Times Book Review

Stormy Weather: The Music and Lives of a Century of Jazz Women

Limelight Editions

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by DAHL, Linda. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by DAHL, Linda

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by DAHL, Linda. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Stormy weather: The music and lives of a century of jazzwomen

Morning Glory: A Biography of Mary Lou Williams

Stormy Weather: The Music and Lives of a Century of Jazzwomen

STORMY WEATHER

Haunted Heart: A Biography of Susannah McCorkle

Haunted Heart: A Biography of Susannah McCorkle

Morning Glory: A Biography of Mary Lou Williams

Stormy Weather: The Music and Lives of a Century of Jazzwomen

STORMY WEATHER. The Music and Lives of a Century of Jazzwomen.

Stormy Weather: The Music and Lives of a Century of Jazz Women