Preview
  • But Beautiful

  • A Book About Jazz
  • By: Geoff Dyer
  • Narrated by: Dion Graham
  • Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (24 ratings)

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But Beautiful

By: Geoff Dyer
Narrated by: Dion Graham
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Publisher's summary

In eight poetically charged vignettes, Geoff Dyer skillfully evokes the music and the men who shaped modern jazz. Drawing on photos, anecdotes, and, most important, the way he hears the music, Dyer imaginatively reconstructs scenes from the embattled lives of some of the greats: Lester Young fading away in a hotel room; Charles Mingus storming down the streets of New York on a too-small bicycle; Thelonious Monk creating his own private language on the piano. However, music is the driving force of But Beautiful, as is wildly metaphoric prose that mirrors the quirks, eccentricity, and brilliance of each musician's style.

©1996 Geoff Dyer (P)2019 Tantor
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What listeners say about But Beautiful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Captivating Attitudes and Spirits of the Musicians

This book describes not merely stories or anecdotes, but captures the attitudes and spirits of the musicians. It is beautifully written, poetic, and witty all at the same time. The narrating performance is equally superb, adding much more color and richness to the characters. I've listened to it twice and also bought the book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Masterful writing equally well performed

The author’s deep love of the music just shines. And the choice of narrator couldn’t have been better, with his mellifluous baritone the perfect instrument for the piece.

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3 people found this helpful