Weird Music That Goes on Forever: A Punk's Guide to Loving Jazz

by Bob Suren, Brian Walsby (Illustrator)

Once you've collected every 7" from your favorite label, broken your back in the mosh pit, and become so well-versed in the interpersonal dynamics of every hardcore band that there's nothing more to learn, what's a punk to do? Try jazz, recommends Bob Suren. No, really. Suren, who wrote Crate Digger about his life and work in punk, turns his obsessive gaze onto another form of rebellious, improvisational outsider music, but this time with more sax.What does Dixieland have in common with D.R.I.? Did Charles Mingus write the first punk song? And who was the Butthole Surfer of jazz? Suren answers these questions and many more. Reading his irreverent guide to jazz, filled with punk references and colorful language, is more fun than getting arrested for vandalism. Learn about the surprising history and scandalous etymology of jazz, explore its connections to punk, and take in biographical sketches of over 25 notable artists—with plenty of recommendations thrown in for your listening pleasure.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Jazz, Biography

255 pages, Paperback

Published March 26, 2024

Reviews

[Ryan Berger · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid intro to jazz packed with great fun facts but the frame of connecting punk to jazz is flimsy. It would be more accurate to say this is a book about jazz told by a punk fan-- a punk fan whose sense of humor is pretty insufferable after five minutes. It doesn't paint a comprehensive picture of jazz history or its movements but it doesn't really promise to. What the book does deliver on is a series of personal histories that don't link together, but through repetition paint a picture of the things that made jazz what it is: culture decaying into counter and para-culture, rigorous laser-sharp precision combined with the freewheeling spiritualism of the solo, discrimination, and rampant drug use. The repetition isn't a knock against the book-- it's the bleak history of what is arguably America's most significant cultural export.

If I never hear Kevin Seconds's name again it will be too soon.

As a coffee table book and conversation starter, it's a killer addition. It's probably earned some permanent real estate in my present and future homes.

[Alana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written for people like me. I don’t know a lot about jazz, didn’t think I liked it. But Bob has the ability to merge punk with jazz, exploring the history and the deep cultural influence of both.
Besides an autobiography on each musician, he includes a list of music for one to explore, to get to know each person creative process.
Bob’s writing style is informative with a dash of humor.
The volume is a great teaching tool for people who are new to jazz. And it gives a salute to the punk movement.
This book belongs on any reference shelf if one’s interest is music or American culture.
And it might encourage want to buy a turntable to listen to those jazz records – what is good jazz without the crackle and pop of the needle skating across the vinyl?

[Dennis Seese · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a passionate, albeit, lighthearted work by a diehard music nerd produced for other diehard music nerds (I certainly represent as one of those).
However, I had to deduct an entire star because the author asserts, in Max Roach's chapter nonetheless, that Roach played on Kind of Blue. This is a glaring, easily correctible mistake that could've been avoided with 5 extra seconds of work. It made me sad. I felt, and feel. that now I have to be wary of the veracity of the other nuggets of information imparted that were new to me.
We all make mistakes, but this is egregious, particularly because of Kind of Blue's appearance as the #1 jazz starter album in the list at the end of the book. Making a mistake about an album this iconic and important, in reality, and within the overall context of the book, undercuts the author's credibility somewhat. It would be like saying Keith Morris sings on Damaged, or something, for those more into the SST side of things.
Full disclosure: I haven't listened to Kind of Blue in a long time and my initial recollection was that 'Philly' Joe Jones played drums on the album, so right there my instincts screamed confirm personnel before asserting anything even in something as low stakes as this review. Sorry Jimmy Cobb.
This book still has value for rock-oriented fans looking to start their jazz odyssey. The author seems like a nice dude that I would love to have a coffee or bourbon with and nerd out over records.

[Eric Kortschak · Rating 5 out of 5]

To quote Tim Yohannan’s review of Die Kreuzen

“This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great! This is fucking great!”

I don’t know exactly what I expected when I borrowed this on a whim from the band teacher, but it definitely lived up to it. A book by an old punk rock enthusiast who found himself on an odyssey into jazz (I think it almost borders on the stretchiest possible definition of memoir), this is basically a guy obsessively gushing about the history of a genre he’s grown to love, caged in the language of a genre he’s loved forever. It’s immensely engaging and very accessible, and as someone who respects jazz and punk a ton and have been meaning to dive more into both…well, I guess I’ve got some listening to do. I think my favorite part of this book is the recommendation aspect. Suren REALLY wants the ready to go on a journey too.

One of the few books I bought as soon as I finished.

[Joe Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always had an interest in jazz music, but I never went all in on it until a few years ago. This book would have been a great resource back in 2020. Punk rock has been my home genre for the last two decades. As such, a jazz history book written for jerks like me is great. Especially one written with the same tone you'd find in zines like Razorcake.

There are certainly more in depth books on jazz musicians and jazz history, but Suren isn't trying to be authoritative. He's just introducing cool shit to people who might appreciate it. I think that rules. If you want something more scholarly, I don't know, go read one of Ted Gioia's books or something. If you want a solid introduction to serves as a jumping off point, this is a great place to start. Especially if you're well versed in the world of punk

[DJ Yossarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great idea for a book, with a clever (and accurate) title, and it's pretty well executed. Suren uses humor well, and he has a solid knowledge of punk, especially hardcore -- I discovered a few bands to check out from him mentioning them. His knowledge of jazz is not especially profound, but for the purposes of this book it's good enough.

There are a few areas where some info is lacking. He might have mentioned Sons of Kemet, whose last two albums ("Your Queen Is a Reptile" and "Black to the Future") have an attitude that any punk would love. Also, he rightfully devotes a lot of ink to Miles Davis, but overlooks the defiant "I'm black all right" coda on side 2 of the "Jack Johnson" LP, which is punk as feck.

But these are minor points. If you're a punk looking to appreciate jazz, "Weird Music That Goes On Forever" is a great place to start.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

The history and appreciation of jazz, for punk rockers.

I liked the style of this book. It takes a genre that I know nothing about (jazz) and talks about it through the context of a music that I'm more familiar with (punk). The first third or so is a history of jazz. The remainder is mini-biographies of some major players in the genre. It's interesting how the life of a jazz cat followed one of two trajectories: (1) Pick up an instrument, move to New York, work hard, set the world on fire, die of drugs or some horrible disease in our 30s or 40s (2) Pick up an instrument, move to New York , work hard, set the world on fire, play and tour into your 80s and then die peacefully.

It made me look up some of the recommended artists and albums on youtube and have been listening to them. But the author talked about Kevin Seconds so much I'm not gonna look him up. How's that for punk?

[Gordo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A humorous introduction to jazz from a punk rock perspective. As a punk fan I saw this book and it intrigued me. I had been listening to jazz for a few years by the time I read this. However I had never received a proper education on its key sub-genres and artists. This book opened up my eyes to musicians and albums I wasn’t familiar with.

The structure of the book is in two sections, the first being a brief history of the genre and the second a series of short biographies of jazz’s central figures. The writing is engaging and funny. Highly recommended for any punk rock fan needing a solid introduction to jazz. After reading this book I still have much to learn, but this primer got me further down the road in my jazz journey. Two devil horns up.

[Ross Mckinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I listen to jazz regularly, and I've read a fair bit about it. Despite that, this book is like sitting at a bar with a good friend who wants to tell you all about jazz and jazz musicians because they really love the music. The friend is smart, a bit flamboyant, and more than a little salty. The result is a fun way to get educated about jazz and the foibles of its practitioners. Recommended. A fun read.

[Sammy Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this book is a simplistic history of jazz, written for people that know absolutely nothing about jazz. The second half is full of quick biographies of numerous jazz luminaries. The comparisons to punk come across extremely corny, but the biographies are entertaining and informative. Luckily, this is a quick read, but unless you are a huge Kevin Seconds fan, probably not worth the time.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jazz music seen through the eyes of a punk music lover. What I love about it is the short biographies on the artists and some suggestions to listen to. Plus the illustration by Brian Walsby are really fun. What I don’t like was there were more women artists than I think he highlighted — I know not all were thought of highly by the boys, but some were more influential.

[Jesse Hassinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

A super fun book for punks who might not care about jazz but should, and this book spells out why. It’s not going to win over many jazz fans but as an intro to the genre it is a fun access point.

[Lesley Shuman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book. The Author kept it funny yet interesting. I liked how he talked about different jazz musicians and snuck in a section about Kevin Seconds

[Rob Townsend]

Non-essential, but super fun!

[Matt Heavner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it - I may be the exact target audience. Great overview and perspective on jazz.

[Jonathan Siemasko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been interested in Jazz but never knew where to start. I feel like Bob Suren's book let's you in the side door by giving you an outsider's intro to jazz. Quick, readable and doesn't take itself or it's subject matter too seriously.