As Serious As Your Life: Black Music and the Free Jazz Revolution 1957–1977

by Val Wilmer, Richard Williams (Foreword)

In this classic account of the new black music of the 1960s and 70s, celebrated photographer and jazz historian Val Wilmer tells the story of how a generation of revolutionary musicians established black music as the true vanguard of American culture.

Placing the achievements of African-American artists such as Albert Ayler, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane and Sun Ra in their broader political and social context, Wilmer evokes an era of extraordinary innovation and experimentation that continues to inspire musicians today.

As vital now as when it was first published in 1977, As Serious As Your Life is the essential story of one of the most dynamic musical movements of the twentieth century.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Jazz, History, Biography, Criticism, Art

432 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1977

About the author

Valerie Sybil Wilmer (born 7 December 1941) is a British photographer and writer specialising in jazz, gospel, blues, and British African-Caribbean music and culture.

Reviews

[Geoff]

The "New Thing" in jazz from the 60's, 70's and beyond has had such an important impact on my life, my personality, my state of being, my worldview, etc.- it was especially very influential on my late-teens, early-twenties self. It is hard for me to describe just how vital it was for me to find improvised music, the energy, freedom, revolutionary creativity it inspired not only in me, but inspired me to see and seek out in the world around me, the fire it lit beneath my feet as a young man. At a certain point it may have actually saved my life, or at least instilled in me again the idea that life can be beautiful, at a point when I really crucially needed that reinforcement. In some ways I owe my present self to people like Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, countless others that came before and came after in their tradition. In a time when I was questioning the value of life, they showed me how creative expression can be the defining experience of existence, the thing that saves existence from being absolutely valueless. That the act of creativity can be what justifies life itself. This music is still a big part of my life, I have high hopes for this book, which I've known about but neglected to read for some reason...

[Declan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for anyone curious about the revolution in jazz which was improvised into being in the 60s and 70s by players like Cecil Taylor, Albert Ayler and Rashid Ali. Val Wilmer was there to witness the emergence of this amazing explosion of energy and creativity. She photographed all of the main musicians, she talked to them, she befriended their wives and partners and she wrote about it all as nobody else could. This is a unique and invaluable account of a wonderful time in music history.

[Fin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am once again asking why there are no half stars on this bloody website???

This is a deeply inspiring book providing an overview of the Free Jazz (or, more appropriately: "New Thing") movement in 60s and 70s NY/Chicago that is honestly stunning in its level of breadth, detail and personality. Pretty much every figure on the scene at the time - Sun Ra (a mostly loveable if regrettably misogynistic early pioneer), Rashied Ali (Ra's inverse in all his youthful force of personality), Cecil Taylor (a kind of elder statesman at that point: a living Bach of the free music) etcetcetc - is quoted at great length throughout, and though it is unfortunate that Coltrane, Dolphy, and Ayler tragically died before Wilmer could record their thoughts for this, the space it leaves for other younger, less exhaustively analysed musicians to speak gives the book a fresh and unique quality of insight that has endured to this day.

Every chapter has clearly been written with a deep (and wholly understandable) love for the music and the people making it up, but this does not mean her overview degenerates into a tired reification of the artists in question; rather, the socio-politics underlying the music, its formation and its practice are positioned as integral to understanding it, and the shockingly high cost that its performers incur by working with such transgressive and forward-thinking musical ideas within a profit-driven and white-owned industry. A strong socialist and feminist perspective is central to Wilmer's writing style, and indeed it is hard for you not to take that perspective while reading about the conditions of the jazz artist, let alonee the avant-garde jazz artist. Even if it must be said that, when justified, Wilmer treats record companies with a fair hand, it is hard not to be equally as angry as her upon reading that perhaps America's most important and talented composer of its only major cultural heritage, Ornette Coleman, was forced to fly to London to record a new orchestral work when the record company he was tied to refused to use its in-house Orchestra without a steep fee higher than the advance for the album.

It's anecdotes and descriptions like these, as well as numerous other, less depressing stories (BYG's '69 concert where Frank Zappa sat in with Shepp and co sounds just incredible, as do all of Ayler's early performances and fashion choices lmao), that bely the incredible perspective Wilmer offers here. Even as a white woman writing about a fundamentally black art form, her level of respect, devotion and knowledge is just incredible - it's pretty clear that this is THE definitive biography of the free jazz revolution.

My few gripes mainly concern the structure, which felt to me excessively formulaic and slightly tiring: artist summary, artist biography, artist legacy, repeat; followed by clearly delineated sections on other elements of the movement. While at the level of the sentence Wilmer is an engaging and more-than-serviceable writer who brings to life the scene in ways more poetic than my upholding of her knowledge may suggest, the structure of this work is more useful from an academic, referencing-focused perspective than it is readable and inspiring. This is rather disappointing when considering the subject of this book is concerned primarily with the eschewal of confining and formulaic structures, although far from a fatal flaw. I was also a bit bemused by her shitting on 70s Miles Davis, insinuating Bitches Brew, In A Silent Way, and even presumably On The Corner demonstrated him becoming a "slick sell-out" - if I wanted to sell out, I'm not sure Karlheinz Stockhausen and African tribal rhythms would be my first point of reference.

I've rambled poorly about this book for way too long, so I'll end here by reaffirming that despite what problems I have with the book, it still remains an absolutely remarkable window into one of the most fruitful movements in recorded (in both senses) history: a rich and nuanced survey of a staggering collective musical epiphany: absolutely essential.

[Joe Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

The music of the free jazz, spiritual jazz and avant-garde jazz movements represent the music which is closest to my heart, but given their significance (and that of jazz as a whole) and ties to both the struggles and the successes of black people, I feel as a white man compelled to approach it with a sense of openness, reverence, respect and a keenness to learn of the historical, social, political and traditional values which informed it.

Thankfully, photographer and writer Val Wilmer was uniquely positioned (as a white, female non-musician) throughout the late 50s to late 60s to capture an unbiased view of what was then largely referred to as the 'new music' - a sound which embodied the history, the traditions, the spirituality and ultimately the future of African American culture, in a manner that has come to represent the musical pinnacle of self expression.

Covered within are detailed examinations of the forefathers of the movement - Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane and Albert Ayler. These chapters are a pleasure to read as they feature some first and second hand encounters,  explorations of the musicians' personalities, backgrounds, and how their sound evolved. Essential reading for anyone looking for a way into such potentially forbidding music.

Also covered in more general sociopolitical context is the (largely restricted) role of women in the new music, the role of the record label and producer, the cross-cultural significance of rhythm, as well as various improvisatory collectives and their significance in the technical development and cultural education of the younger wave of musicians perpetuating the new music.

Aside from the aforementioned titans of the genre, there are bucketloads of quotes, opinions, philosophies and stories from musicians such as Archie Shepp, Milford Graves, Frank Wright, Art Blakey, Andrew Cyrille, Rashied Ali, Pharoah Sanders, Anthony Braxton, Ed Blackwell, Don Cherry, Malachi Favors, McCoy Tyner, Frank Lowe, Art Davis and Roscoe Mitchell - to name but a few. If you're at all interested in the genre these names will certainly draw you right in, but if you aren't, these are but a few of the musicians that can and will change your entire outlook on life and music, if you let them.

Lastly, to fully embellish Val Wilmer's significance in the scene she immersed herself in, we are treated to thirty immaculate musician photos in the book's mid-section. These images perfectly communciate the vibe of the subjects in their environment. They complete what I believe is a must-read for anyone with a serious or even passing interest in the music known as free jazz, or of the contexts and the musicians who paved the giant steps which led us here.

[Devin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An invaluable document of New York (and elsewhere) jazz in the 1960s and 70s! I appreciate how rich the book is with quotes from the musicians themselves, a result of the close personal access the author seems to have enjoyed with them. The two-part structure of the book is also of interest, starting with more or less descriptive celebratory essays on a number of key artists, before moving on to some pretty challenging discussions of the politics of race and gender that prevailed in the scene(s), not to mention a critique of a culture of dedication to the music that required musicians to relinquish pretty much anything else of value in their lives, and often face severe poverty as a result. Certainly the music industry didn't help much. The cultural critique reads like an artifact of its time (the 70s) (at times, problematically) and it's almost as though the book needed a third section to synthesize the musical appreciations of the first section with the second section's examination of the culture that produced them.

If you have any interest in the set of amazing free jazz pioneers this book covers, you won't be disappointed, and your appreciation of their work will be enriched. I finally get that Cecil Taylor was absolutely the funkiest muthaf---a on the planet.

[Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 — really really cool to read a solid history of this period written right at the end of it. there are so many amazing anecdotes and interview quotes from the musicians themselves that help to paint a many-sided portrait of the New Music scene that complements and contradicts itself. incredibly readable, pleasant, funny, moving, and down to earth. So much Philly in this of course :) Huge props to Val Wilmer for being a white british woman who was able to really become a part of this scene for so many years in a way that built trust and garnered transparency and candidness from some of the most amazing artists of the last century that really no one was paying proper attention and respect to, thank you for doing this! I love music <3

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really great book on the evolution of Free Jazz and where it stood in the wider world by the end of the 1970s. Wilmer does a great job of delving deep into a stellar list of musicians, but even more interesting is how she uncovers the lives of these musicians, giving particular attention to the financial and personal struggles of keeping the music going. At first I was disappointed because I wanted to read more specifics about the music, but once I caught onto where Wilmer was going I was really appreciative of how she uncovered the financial and societal realities of this music.

[Samuel Goff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bless Val Wilmer and her insightful forays into not only the music, but the lives of the renegades and vanguards who tried to elevate jazz in the 60's and 70's into.........something different. As much as the old jazz heads and keepers of the guard would like to forget this moment in the history of jazz, evolution can obviously only happen with change and these pioneers dared to face poverty, ridicule and misunderstanding to further the beautiful art of jazz. Reading a book DEVOTED to Albert Ayler, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Milford Graves, Sonny Murray and others and not glossing over these figureheads in passing is exhilarating. Wilmer delves deep into the music, but also chronicles the repercussions of this art. A lot of these free jazz, avant garde artists were forced to exile to Europe to escape racial tensions and actually make a little bit of money in doing this. Wilmer also examines the family dynamic of these musicians. This music did not make anyone rich so a lot of the time basic means of living were left to the spouses of these musicians. A fascinating history of the inception and evolution of this art form. Highly recommended.

[Jill Flanagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating but frustrating book perhaps because I wanted it to do something different than what it was doing... While there is valuable information about a lot of pioneering free jazz musicians this is more of a sociological history of the new music movement than fleshing out any of the specific artist's biographies. That being said there's a great wealth of fascinating anecdotes here, one of my favorites was reading about Cecil Taylor trying to play at a jam session in the 1950s and as soon as he would show up all the other musicians would leave because they didn't understand the way that he was playing.

[Molly Jones]

I got a degree in Jazz Studies, and I can't believe this book wasn't required reading or that it took me until my 30s to find it. Introduced me to some players, voices, and albums I didn't know. Captures the diversity of musicians' perspectives on their contemporary work (1970s). A treasure in that way, engaging and informative.

[Joshua Line · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and original celebration of the radical 70s free jazz world in NY. Incredible writing and powerful statements, ultimately strongly life affirming.

[Fernando Pestana da Costa · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 1977, this book by the British writer and photographer Valerie Sybil Wilmer is a classic about (as the subtitle states) the Free Jazz revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. Divided into five parts, about diverse aspects of the free jazz scene, it provides a very good panoramic about it in its several dimensions: from fulls chapters about the life of some of its most important musicians (Coltrane, Cecil Taylor, Ornette, Sun Ra, Albert Ayler, and the AACM) to shorter references to others, less prominent but also very relevant ones, like the drummers studied in two chapters (Rashid Ali, Andrew Cyrille, Ed Blackwell, Elvin Jones, Sunny Murray,...), or jazzmen like Bill Dixon, Jimmy Lions, Frank Lowe, Marion Brown, and many, many others. Some other aspects, maybe surprising at first, like two chapters about the role of women in free jazz, both as supporters and companions of their jazzmen husbands, and as musicians themselves and what they had to battle against the resistance of male jazzmen. Other chapters, such as one about the politics of recording, are also very enlightening. An appendix with more than 160 biographical vignettes of jazzmen relevant to free jazz is also an extremely useful resource. In short: this is a very good, very readable book that everyone interested in jazz (in any style of jazz!) has to read and, after reading it once, they will almost surely return to it from time to time. A true classic!

[Antonio Depietro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of essays by Val Wilmer- who was one of the very few female music journalists in the 60s/70s and wrote for Melody Maker. Her beat was apparently Jazz- but not just any old Jazz she was obsessive on The New Jazz of the 1960s and 1970s. In it's time called "the new music" or "the new black music"- i think it's now referred to as Free or spiritual jazz. There's a lot to dig in here as she covers the lives and careers of Ed Blackwell, Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler, John Coltrane, Sun Ra and many, many others. my only complaint that as a book- these essays and articles can be repeptive as they were not intended to be read in a single volume. but within these - i learned about some amazing things like the genius drumming and art of Milford Graves and the Jazzmobile - which is the first U.S. not-for-profit arts and cultural organization created just for Jazz. Still going strong!

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal read. Wilmer divides the book up into a few sections. The first introduces the book, then it gives min-biographies of free jazz luminaries (Coltrane, Coleman, Ayler, Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, etc.). After that, things get more freewheeling and she riffs on several different topics, including fascinating essays on the role of drums in jazz music, women in jazz, and where free jazz would go onto after the fact (she released this book in 1977).

The only weird thing about the book was that she was really down on jazz fusion. I agree with her that most of it is terrible, but she specifically calls out Miles Davis and Anthony Williams as not being innovative once they turned to fusion even though they were making revolutionary music no one had ever heard. A very minor complaint.

Overall, this book has given me a deeper perspective on many beloved artists and given me new players to check out. Highly recommended for fans of free jazz, or people looking to get into it.

[Keith Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent accounting of the rise of avant-garde jazz since John Coltrane. My only quibble is that I wish there was a comprehensive discography. Wilmer discusses dozens of innovative musicians and does mention their recordings in the body of the text, but this is not codified as an appendix. However, that's a minor quibble. The music is artfully discussed and critiqued despite Ms. Wilmer's lack of technical musical knowledge. I will happily read good writing over technical writing any day. A nice touch in the appendixes is the inclusion of short bios of the major figures mentioned in the text.

Nota bene: I read the 1977 edition and not the more recent editions. This book is considered a classic in jazz criticism and I would be shocked if more recent editions haven't addressed the discography issue. However, I don't know for certain that this oversight has been corrected.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Passionate writing about "the new music," as it was called then, generally "free jazz" now, music from the late '50s to the later '70s, when this was published. Wilmer has clearly immersed herself in this world, has talked to everyone, and writes with compassion for the players and an intense love of the music. She doesn't shy away from the racism faced by the players, nor by the sexism exhibited by them. At times her devotion to the most challenging, least commercially popular jazz leads to somewhat snobbish dismissals of any jazz artists who've actually sold a lot of records, and woe betide those childish hacks who play "rock" music (which is just a passing fad anyway, surely). But still. A fascinating read, expecially if, like me, you already love and are familiar with a lot of these musicians.

[Adam Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific account of one of the most exciting and revolutionary periods in musical history, the so called free jazz movement from 1957 to 1977. A lot of biographical details of the leading figures of the time such as John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler and Archie Shepp are included in the context of the political and social climate of the time. It highlights the absolute single mindedness and belief in the music of the practitioners and this is evident in the available recordings. The author who is also a photographer has also included some wonderful pictures.

[dimwig · Rating 4 out of 5]

takeaways:

it's hard out there for a free jazz musician

john coltrane is some kind of a saint

milford graves is cool too

mixed feelings about taking the music out of its orig context into schools & europe in order to survive

it's v v hard out there for a free jazz musician

it is serious business and there is nothing more worthwhile

[Butch Lazorchak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. Covers in detail lots of people who don't generally get coverage of drummer Ed Blackwell and drummer Milford Graves. Having just seen the graves documentary I was pleased that his portrayal was consistent in this book. Great look at what it was really like to be a free-jazz musician in the 60's/70's (spoiler: it was hard!)

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe the best music writing I've read, and I've read a lot as can be seen here. Interestingly, the "John Coltrane and beyond" is not the title of the original text. Clearly a marketing ploy. There is a lot of Coltrane in here but the more minor figures of the free jazz school were actually considerably superior to the writing on Coltrane.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for anybody interested in free jazz/creative music.

Most of the content was an overview of things I already knew about, but the chapter about the social practice of the musicians using women as basically surrogate mothers to handle their day to day lives so they could fully dedicate themselves to music unimpeded was a bit shocking. Maybe it's not that shocking at all.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about the milieu of (what we now call) Free Jazz. Helps as a guide for getting into that era, not so much with music theory but just feeling like you're in that world and can hear what they were up to. The writing is a little clumsy but it rarely gets in the way of spending time with these characters, some of them well-known, many not so much.

[Rhodri O · Rating 4 out of 5]

An essential insight into some of the most vital, interesting music ever produced.

I was already a huge Milford Graves fan, but getting to learn how he developed his approach as well as the other extraordinary musicians in the scene, is absolutely fascinating.

It’s going to take some time to work through the playlist I’ve developed as a result.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this 25 years ago or so when I was initially checking out free jazz. I took in a lot more this time around now that I have much more familiarity with the music and the players. This is a classic.

[Dante]

a long read! Each page of Wilmer's account so well primed for flights of 'research' and hunting down of recordings (Milford Graves!)- a seminal text, and all the more intriguing for how she maps, basically, the political economy and productive systems of jazz and life as a musician.

[RA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the "new thing" in jazz"/Free Jazz," the period covering 60 and early/mid 70s, interviews with a wide variety of musicians involved in controversial, creative musical directions.

Compelling words from many sources.

[Sam T. Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There may be little first-rate writing on jazz, but few art forms have been better served by photographers.”

[James Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reportage, but a little light on analysis. This is still a classic work that anyone interested in 60s jazz should read.

[fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why don't more people read about jazz?

[Ale Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Took me a while to read bc I couldn’t find the energy to read but it was very interesting, technical at times.