When I've received a free copy of "Mandala", for having sent Jazz Britain a copy of the original colourful Mike Taylor's drawing (that he gave to Ron Rubin in 1967 and they've used for the CD cover), I was so upset that I wrote them this e-mail:
"Hi.
Thanks for having sent to me "Mandala".
Great music... but a really crap booklet text.
Apart ignoring the fact I've written the first and only biography about Mike Taylor, with that pathetically generic "a biography recently appeared" (and who's the author?)... but Heining's reconstruction of Taylor's life is terse and often wrong (for example, Mike's father died for "Aplastic Anaemia" and not, as he states, for an "unspecified illness"...).
Not to mention the tone of superiority and condescension towards those who have interpreted the story of the pianist as an 'enigma' (and if he had read and understood the meaning of my book, he would have to admit in all honesty that not everyone has ridden on the coattails of that cliché...). His way of mystifying the reality of the facts is not only ethically incorrect, but does not even meet the minimum required of a professional journalist as he should be. His readers and your jazz fans should revolt to it.
Apart very good reviews by English important magazines as "Jazz Journal", "Jazz Wise", "Record Collector" or "Jazz World", I'm very proud of John Jack's (manager of Ronnie Scotts) assessment of my book: "An excellent and obviously very painstaking piece of research. Thank you very much both from self and on behalf of the jazz community for preserving the memory of an unique artist".
Therefore, I kindly ask you to tell me where I should pay the money for this CD because I categorically refuse the Jazz In Britain's giveaway. To be ignored in this way, by arrogant English chauvinists who have contempt for the ethics of information, is really too much!
Regards,
Luca Chino Ferrari"
To set the record straight ... Jazz In Britain did not use the scan that Luca sent to us ... we got a better scan from Ron Rubin's family. Our only failure is that we omitted to tell Luca this. First time ever being described as an arrogant English chauvinist. I think we (I) have many friends around the world who might be a bit surprised by that description. But, hey ho, life goes on.
ReplyDeleteIt is certainly not the fact that Jazz In Britain did not use the copy Rubin gave me that makes this operation very objectionable. But it is the text of the booklet, full of omissions and errors, arrogant in form and substance. To the jazz fans who will read it the final judgment. After all, precisely, life goes on.
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