Item details
Date
Apr 14, 2025 7:00PM
Name
Book Club -- Upright Bass: the Musical Life and Legacy of Jamil Nasser by Muneer Nasser
Description
In this informative as-told-to memoir, Nasser highlights the musical career of his father, jazz bassist Jamil Nasser (1932–2010). Nasser's narrative captures the untold stories of two piano giants, Phineas Newborn and Oscar Dennard. He also shares anecdotes about his mentors: Papa Jo Jones, Lester Young, Charles Mingus, Oscar Pettiford, and Ray Brown. Moreover, Jamil describes his decade long tenure with Ahmad Jamal, which included a life threatening imprisonment in South America. Nasser spent nearly seven years interviewing his father and many of his fellow musicians and friends, and he weaves those conversations into a narrative dotted with articles and music reviews of the time. Born George Joyner in Memphis, Jamil began playing bass at age 16, then attended Arkansas State, where he performed with various bands. After college, he played for two years in B.B. King’s band in Memphis then moved to New York City with jazz pianist Phineas Newborn and his brother, guitarist Calvin Newborn. Jamil fondly recalls his relationships with many fellow musicians, including pianist Oscar Dennard, trumpeter Idrees Sulieman (who introduced Nasser to Islam), and, with more complex feelings, Charles Mingus (the volatile musician “shared valuable insights about arco and pizzicato technique” with Jamil, yet often flew into a rage toward him). An outspoken advocate of music education and the preservation of jazz, Nasser helped form the Jazz Foundation of America in 1982 to provide medical, legal, and financial assistance to jazz musicians. This is a celebratory and worthy tribute to a jazz great where we learn about the perils of heroin addiction, his plight as an outspoken, Muslim jazz artist fighting for greater union representation, media access, healthcare, and self-ownership.
Jazz St. Louis Book Club is free and open to anyone willing to show up, participate, and have a good time! Light refreshments will be provided at the conclusion of each book club meeting. While we encourage everyone to participate in reading each book, there is no requirement that you do so. Spread the word and register today!
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