Yes, thanks for all of the good points you raise. From my
reading, Goodis seems to be doing more with his use of jazz
(and other music) than creating an ambience or a background
mood. IMO, the jazz pieces he listens to heighten his sense
of isolation and detachment. Anyway, I'm enjoying DARK
PASSAGE. One scene midway is great, a device I don't remember
reading before in a noir.
Ed
--- "E. Borgers" <
webeurop@yahoo.fr> wrote:
> Back to the original question : Goodis, jazz and his
work.
>
> You certainly remember the fascination Goodis had
for the
> low end of the entertainment places (bars, clubs…)
and his
> attraction for places run by Blacks.
> Knowing this we can say that at least he was
tolerant to
> jazz and r&b (the real stuff, not this pale
tasteless soup
> they serve under the r&b label
nowadays).
> You will remember also that in quite a number of his
novels
> music plays a role, direct or indirect (the pianist
of Down
> There, a singer in street of No Return). Besides, in
another
> novel he gave a realistic and frightening
description of a
> poor and violent Black neighbourhood (Street of the
Lost)
> wherein music is present in a kind of low class
bar.
> There must be other references to jazz in his
novels, but I
> cannot remember details.
> By the way, he also liked to use classical music
performers
> as characters (Down There…)
>
> As I remembered that Philippe Garnier in his
Goodis'
> biography described some of Goodis music tastes, as
confirmed
> by friends and witnesses, I quickly searched the
book and it
> appears:
> -Goodis learned the violin when he was a
kid
> -he always owned jazz records, and
classical
> -he liked Count Basie, Lionel Hampton (under
others)
> -he often played kazoo to support the records he
was
> listening
> -he liked to go to jazz clubs in Philadelphia West
(he met
> Duke Ellington)
> -his favourite song: "How High the Moon" -he played
it
> himself
>
> And of course, a lot of confirmations that he liked
to spend
> nights in Black neighbourhood, looking for women,
music and
> depravation (but he was not a heavy
drinker)
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