When I heard about Ben Ratliff’s new book, in which he talks with jazz musicians about their reactions to recordings they listen to jointly, I was extremely excited. And I will acquire and read the book. But I hope that this video is not representative of the book’s contents:
fora.tv/2008/11/12/Ben_Ratliff_in_Conversation_with_Bennie_Maupin
In this video, Maupin provides almost no analysis of any of the recordings. The conversation gets reduced to historical anecdotes and things like, “That blew me away.” This was very disappointing, and if I had paid to hear this conversation, I would want my money back. Maupin cannot possibly be as unanalytical as this, and Ratliff therefore did a poor job of leading the conversation. If the problem is that of not wanting to get too technical, then the interviewer and interviewee need to consult with one another prior to the interview about how that problem is going to be addressed. And I wonder if Maupin really takes Ratliff seriously.
Ledocs World - A Prickly Expat Egghead In Gascony 
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