Jazz: Its Evolution and Essence

by André Hodeir

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Genres: Music, Jazz

295 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

André Hodeir (22 January 1921 – 1 November 2011) was a French violinist, composer, arranger and musicologist.

Hodeir was born in Paris. His initial training was as a classical violinist and composer. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he took Olivier Messiaen's analysis class, and won first prizes in fugue, harmony, and music history. While pursuing these studies, he discovered jazz, and embarked on an exploration of all music forms, jazz as well as classical. Initially, he recorded on violin under the pseudonym of Claude Laurence (see Tom Lord's "Jazz Discography"). Subsequently as a critic he expressed vigorous disgust with nearly all early jazz (Jazz: Its Evolution and Essence; 1957).

Hodeir was a founder, in 1954, and director of Jazz Groupe de Paris, made up of nine musicians, including Bobby Jaspar, Pierre Michelot and Nat Peck. In 1957, at the invitation of Ozzie Cadena of Savoy Records, he recorded an album of his own compositions with a group of American musicians which included, among others, Donald Byrd, Idrees Sulieman, Frank Rehak, Hal McKusick, Eddie Costa and George Duvivier and, on one track, the singer Annie Ross. He was the author of two books of Essais (1954 and 1956), of numerous film scores, including Le Palais Idéal by Ado Kyrou, the Jazz Cantata for the film Chutes de pierres, danger de mort by Michel Fano, and Brigitte Bardot's Une Parisienne. Hodeir was the founder of his own orchestra during the Sixties (Catalyse, Arte della commedia dell', Transplantation, Crepuscule with Nelly, etc., available in an album by Martial Solal, in 1984). He wrote several works based on James Joyce, including the 1966 jazz cantata Anna Livia Plurabelle,[2] and the 1972 work Bitter Ending, featuring The Swingle Singers and a jazz quintet, on the final monologue of Finnegans Wake.

Reviews

[Jeff Crompton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The composer, critic, and jazz advocate Andre Hodeir died yesterday at the age of 90; I felt the need to pay tribute by reviewing one of the most important books ever written on jazz. Originally published in 1954 as Hommes et problèmes du jazz, this book was perhaps the first to go beyond general description and subjectivity in jazz writing. Hodeir examined musicians and recordings in great detail, and applied uncompromising, intelligent critical standards to jazz. His chapter on Duke Ellington's "Concerto for Cootie" was a revelation to me, and it remains among the best jazz criticism ever written.

Given this book's importance, and what it meant to me personally as a young man trying to learn about jazz, it feels strange not to give this book a five-star rating. But it's not without its flaws. Hodeir's critical stance is sometimes overly severe - he's particularly hard on New Orleans clarinetist Johnny Dodds, a musician whose music I love. Dodds was a limited musician who produced some beautiful music, but Hodeir can't forgive his weaknesses.

Hodeir wrote two more books on jazz; the third one, The Worlds of Jazz, is one of the strangest jazz books ever written. But that's a subject for another review. RIP, M. Hodeir; thanks for your music and your writing.

[Kurt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 40 years or so of recorded jazz from the perspective of a composer/conductor/critic whose background is in the European Classical tradition, creating in the modern idiom. So, Armstrong, Ellington, Bird, and Miles from the point of view of someone who is at home with Debussy and Ravel and Milhaud. While I don't agree with all of his insights or opinions, his close reading of such work as Concerto for Cootie, or Koko, or The Birth of the Cool recordings are rewarding. And while he does sell Armstrong's Hot 5 recordings short, he does give an entire chapter to the underrated Dickie Wells.

[Bailey Brosamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hodier is a very good critic for his time, but much of his analysis lacks the retrospect of many modern historical developments and a lot of his concepts are far too overexplained. The writing is also very much a product of the time. Overall, I would say there is more value in the writing of a more contemporary critic/historian, even in the work of Ted Gioia who attempts to access a wider audience than the jazz musician.

[David Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in college and found it fascinating.. Would love to find it again