Larkin's Jazz: Essays and Reviews, 1940-84 (Bayou S.) - Tapa blanda

"Unfailingly readable." --The Irish Times, October 13, 2001 "Larkin was not only a great poet but also an outstanding book reviewer. . . . These pieces repeatedly show passionate sympathy with the predicament of Black Americans . . . and the prose is some of the most distinguished ever devoted to jazz." The Daily Telegraph "This marvelously readable gathering . . . is so full of good things that the editors enticingly devote a page of their introduction to a mini-anthology of 'those glancing blows thrown away en passant' . . . that will delight the general reader. They show the 'poet at work' and often involve a literary cross-over explained, where necessary, in the exemplary notes. . . . This is a treasury to relish; an essential addition to the Larkin canon." The Independent "Memorable reading [Larkin's] reviews are gems of thought-provoking commentary There is never a dull moment in these writings by Larkin. The Palmer & White introduction and Plater's introduction are insightful examples of jazz journalism at its finest a remarkable book, interesting in its descriptions and details, fascinating in its approach to jazz as a musical art form, and enjoyable reading. If you are looking for an unusual collection of jazz writings, this book will captivate your interest and prove entertaining reference reading over and over again. This is Larkin at his best." Jazzreview.com "Stimulating there is some dazzling writing here, worth the time of anybody interested in good music or good criticism." Cox News Service "Unfailingly readable." The Irish Times, October 13, 2001 "Stimulating...dazzling writing...worth the time of anybody interested in good music or good criticism." -The Palm Beach Post, September 30, 2001

This collection is a corrective to the impression that Larkin was a jazz reactionary, based on his polemical introduction to All What Jazz, a collection of Daily Telegraph reviews. These reviews for other papers show he enjoyed later jazz and wrote incisively about it.