The Producer: John Hammond and the Soul of American Music

by Dunstan Prial

A "behind the music" story without parallel
John Hammond is one of the most charismatic figures in American music, a man who put on record much of the music we cherish today. Dunstan Prial's biography presents Hammond's life as a gripping story of music, money, fame, and racial conflict, played out in the nightclubs and recording studios where the music was made.
A pioneering producer and talent spotter, Hammond discovered and championed some of the most gifted musicians of early jazz—Billie Holliday, Count Basie, Charlie Christian, Benny Goodman--and staged the legendary "From Spirituals to Swing" concert at Carnegie Hall in 1939, which established jazz as America's indigenous music. Then as jazz gave way to pop and rock Hammond repeated the trick, discovering Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Bruce Springsteen, and Stevie Ray Vaughan in his life's extraordinary second act.
Dunstan Prial shows Hammond's life to be an effort to push past his privileged upbringing and encounter American society in all its rough-edged vitality. A Vanderbilt on his mother's side, Hammond grew up in a mansion on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. As a boy, he would sneak out at night and go uptown to Harlem to hear jazz in speakeasies. As a young man, he crusaded for racial equality in the music world and beyond. And as a Columbia Records executive—a dapper figure behind the glass of the recording studio or in a crowded nightclub—he saw music as the force that brought whites and blacks together and expressed their shared sense of life's joys and sorrows. This first biography of John Hammond is also a vivid and up-close account of great careers in the Bob Dylan recording his first album with Hammond for $402, Bruce Springsteen showing up at Hammond's office carrying a beat-up acoustic guitar without a case. In Hammond's life, the story of American music is at once personal and the story of a man at the center of things, his ears wide open.

Genres: Music, Biography, History, Nonfiction, Jazz

368 pages, Hardcover

First published June 27, 2006

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hammond was one of those guys who played small but highly important roles in the biographies of quite a few major musicians. He was there at the beginnings of careers by Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Teddy Wilson, Charlie Christian, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, among others. He wasn't really a record producer the way we understand the term - his ideal recording was one microphone with the band just playing and singing live. But he had a track record of discovering and encouraging some of the most important artists this country ever produced. Prial's bio lays out the basic facts of Hammond's life, without ever probing much deeper into his personality than what could be gleaned from all the works which have mentioned him before. Prial is also not really a music guy - he admires many of these people, most notably Dylan, Franklin, Springsteen, and Vaughan - but he offers no major insights into what made them special. Hammond was also heavily involved in Civil Rights work from an early date - Prial overstates the case that integrating jazz bands was a precursor to integrating baseball which was a precursor to integrating society, but Hammond was also a board member of the NAACP from the 30s to the 60s. An interesting bio of an interesting figure and his times, though not one of the deepest books I've read.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems to be the definitive biography of Hammond a figure whose importance to American music cannot be overstated. I knew most of Hammond's list of discoveries (Billie Holliday, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Teddie Wilson, Charlie Christian, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, George Benson, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Ray Vaughan) didn't realize the extent to which he led the efforts to integrate swing bands and thereby American music.

[J. Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating history of one man’s trip through and influence on American music in the 20th Century.

Well researched and cleanly written, the pace is good and the anecdotes are rich and factual.

Having heard the name for decades without really knowing the man, this was exactly what was needed.

[Joe Schilp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incomprehensible how many seminal performers this man discovered and produced.

[Possiblymaybe · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing prism for understanding the production and (in some cases) popularization of brilliant music by African-Americans in the 20th century.

[RA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Music impresario/producer John Hammond, who "discovered" or "uncovered" the likes of Benny Goodman, Billie Holliday, Count Basie, Lena Horne, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Leonard Cohen, Teddy Wilson, Big Joe Turner, Charlie Christian, George Benson, Pete Seeger, and others, had a more important role in music and popular culture. Because of his somewhat radical socio-political beliefs, he was a driving force behind the integration of music groups, and music venues, in the 1940's. A fascinating man who rarely took royalties from his "producing," a minimalist style, he was someone who loved music, but sometimes had a limited viewpoint about the direction of his artists. Regardless, he remains one of the most important figures in the music business in the 20th century.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always had a little difficulty knowing exactly what John Hammond did. He's associated with some of the absolute giants of American music from Benny Goodman to Stevie Ray Vaughan. He's often described as "discovering" all these people, which is not really accurate, but he had a hand in all their careers to the extent that any one of those two, or Billie, or Dylan, or Aretha, or Bruce, might not have became what they did without his influence. The author describes each relationship clearly and entertainingly.

[Naomi Krokowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prial really makes a good case that Hammond had a huge effect on moving America toward integration through the music industry. I knew Hammond had a great talent for finding & nurturing talent (Billie Holiday, Charlie Christian, Aretha Franklin, Dylan, Springsteen, Stevie Ray Vaughn!) but this book is much better than its goofy cover. I have much respect for Hammond and thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Jason Cupp · Rating 2 out of 5]

when i came across this one at the library book sale, it was in perfect condition and i think: "who would give up this book?". after reading, i know why she was dumped. record production is basically all i think about. i am obsessed. but even i was left shrugging after this one. some aspects of the book are fulfilling but mostly i say "schhhmeeah..."

[Todd Stockslager · Rating 2 out of 5]

Breezy bio of Hammond crosses into breathless homage too often to merit any better rating. Hammond is interesting because, as outlined here, he came from privilege into the music industry as an avocation, and is credited with discovering Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, as well as earlier jazz artists Billie Holliday, Aretha Franklin, and others.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's really impressive how instrumental (no pun intended) Hammond was in the development of some of music's biggest artists. Anyone who discovered Dylan and Springsteen and Stevie Ray Vaughan is worth reading about, and that was in the later, slower stages of his career. Quite a guy.

[Steven Spector · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's a guy who danced with every musical genre producing some of the greats. He wasn't a looker but was a guy with a good pair of ears and great (ok mostly) business judgement. An easy read. A very satisfying read. Shelved with joy.

[Tom Spann · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful. if you want to learn about jazz history this is one to add to your reading list. beautifully researched and skillfully written. can't wait to read Hammonds auto bio.