[78-L] Gene Lees obit

[Jeff Sultanof]

Gene was somebody you either loved or hated, he had that kind of
personality. I loved him, and at the same time I understand those who say
that he always insinuated himself in stories about others. He was not the
first or the last to do this, however.

Gene did his homework and some of his things are just plain brilliant. His
essay on the english language from olden times to the present is a fabulous
piece of writing; when he did presentations on lyric writing, he rarely
discussed his own work. He loved Hart, Lerner and especially Mercer.

Jeff Sultanof

On Tue, Apr 27, 2010 at 5:55 PM, Cary Ginell <soundthink at live.com> wrote:

>
> I enjoyed his Woody Herman book and thought it was the best thing he ever
> did. I also have his two "Singers and the Song" books, which he was able to
> add a lot of personal insight to, since he did know more as a musician than
> most writers.
>
> Cary Ginell
>
> > Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:54:01 -0500
> > From: bmcclung78 at gmail.com
> > To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> > Subject: Re: [78-L] Gene Lees obit
> >
> > He never gets in the way when I read him.   I guess I am so focused on
> the
> > musicians he is writing about that things just unfold through his eyes
> and I
> > usually don't see him at all.  I simply enjoy his writing and since I
> never
> > met him I'm not having to see through anything else.  As I read my mind
> just
> > edits him out.
> >
> > The first two books of his I read were "Meet Me at Jim & Andy's" from
> 1988
> > and "Waiting for Dizzy" from 1991 in which he is pretty transparent.
>  With
> > his later books you do see more of him so maybe I just learned to see
> > through him early and just kept on seeing through him.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Apr 27, 2010 at 4:25 PM, David Lennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca
> >wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > Did you learn more than you want to know about Gene himself? That was
> > > always a problem with his writing. Sorry, I refuse to join in the
> hosannas,
> > > although I was able to get through his Woody Herman bio.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Definitely not a fan..we put up with his ego and his "I was there"
> radio
> > > interviews and a little of him went a long way. He never heard of STFU
> and
> > > let the subject speak for itself.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > dl
> > >
> > > > Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:42:49 -0500
> > > > From: bmcclung78 at gmail.com
> > > > To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> > > > Subject: Re: [78-L] Gene Lees obit
> > >  >
> > > > I've only been reading Gene Lees for a couple of years and find him
> to be
> > > > one of the most enjoyable and informative writers I have ever read.
> "Meet
> > > > Me at Jim & Andy's" is an absolute delight. I'm writing of him in the
> > > > present tense because he lives on my bookshelves and in the way I see
> him
> > > > and the musicians he wrote about and he will for a long, long time.
> > > >
> > > > On Tue, Apr 27, 2010 at 1:22 PM, Taylor Bowie <bowiebks at isomedia.com
> >
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > In today's NYT:
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/arts/27lees.html?hpw
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