The Books Briefing: The Artists Who Melodize Our Lives
There’s more to music than meets the ear: Your weekly guide to the best in books
Musicians are often able to wield language and sound in ways that transcend what can be communicated in writing. These unique sensibilities make the artists compelling and challenging biographical subjects.
Many biographers have written about the enigmatic trumpeter Miles Davis, but it is Davis’s own autobiography (written with Quincy Troupe) thatis best able to describe the inspiration for his inventive jazz. Robin D. G. Kelley’s biography of the eccentric pianist Thelonious Monk tries to disentangle the jazzman’s odd persona fromown terms, and acknowledging his mental health.
