Re: Gould and jazz

[Anne Smith <smithqa@nexicom.net>]

Valeria asked:

"Someone know more about the relationship Gould/jazz?"

>From what I have read, I gather that GG had mixed feelings about jazz.
There is a short chapter in "The Art of Glenn Gould" on Claus Ogerman and
Bill Evans.  Ogerman was Barbra Streisand's coach.  He wrote  a work for
piano and orchestra called "Symbiosis" for Bill Evans.  Glenn Gould used it
on one of his radio broadcasts.

The editor of the book, John Roberts, commented that it was strange that GG
was not drawn to jazz because he was such a good improviser himself.  GG
remarked in the radio broadcast that the written out parts of "Symbiosis"
were remarkable, but he didn't seem to care for the parts that had
improvising.

In the Spring 1999 issue of Glenn Gould magazine there is an article by
James G. Shell called "Glenn Gould and Jazz".  He mentions that there were
only a dozen jazz recordings in GG's collection. He also says that GG's
opinions on jazz were contradictory.  "he was eager to tell us that he loves
to listen to jazz."   "I love jazz, but I must say in very small doses."  "I
tolerate jazz".

Anne