A painfully funny play about motherhood (and fatherhood); about keeping control; and about letting go. Good friends should be there for one another - no matter what. But when Bea returns home after five years abroad; having made a bold choice about her life; old friends struggle to support her; or even to understand. One night in Brighton; things threaten to slide into chaos... The Distance premiered at the Orange Tree Theatre; London; in October 2014. It was a finalist for the 2012-13 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.
#967303 in eBooks 2014-09-26 2014-09-26File Name: B00OJNQFE4
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Very readable and informative.By CustomerI am certainly not a musician; and just a casual listener of jazz music. However; I found this book very interesting; informative and readable. I found it piqued my interest in learning more about the history of jazz; and some of its great performers and performances. Gioia does an excellent job - with minor exceptions - of interweaving three themes throughout the book. He sets the scene in American history - his historical accounts of 18th and 19th century New Orleans are particularly fascinating - in which the music existed. He does a great job of providing detailed accounts of the great jazz performers and their music. My personal view is that very little awareness of the artist or his / her most noted works is needed to appreciate and understand these descriptions. The third theme is the changes in the styles / trends / preferences of jazz music over the years. Certainly some understanding of music theory is helpful here; but not essential.I found the book highly readable; although it is a long read. The two minor quibbles I have about the book are the vocabulary; and the last chapter. The vocabulary is certainly at a fairly high level. I am certainly glad I had my dictionary app handy on multiple occasions. The vocabulary manifests itself in both musical jargon - which I presume is unavoidable - and in use of words such as interstices (on multiple occasions). The last chapter reflects the challenge of any historian - to try to identify trends and their future historical significance - that are contemporary to the writing of the book. As other reviewers have noted; Gioia resorts to listings of names of artists on multiple occasions that add little depth or value to the writing; or are of little help to the reader. However; in the same chapter; Gioias comments about the impact of present day technology on the distribution of and access to jazz music are very insightful; as is his linkage of his comments on Joshua Redman to the rise of formal jazz musical education and instruction.Overall; as a casual listener of jazz music; I highly recommend this book. In fact; I have already purchased Gioias latest work - The Jazz Standards - as a result of his deepening of my interest in this musical genre.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. So far an excellent read. Lots of facts and the backstory I ...By CustomerSo far an excellent read. Lots of facts and the backstory I knew nothing about. Lots of specific music cited; too bad there isnt some way to link from the book to another medium and listen to what hes talking about as you are reading. Now; Im switching between the book and Youtube.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. This narrative; complete in many ways especially the state ...By CustomerThis narrative; complete in many ways especially the state of jazz in todays world; the book from my perspective missed the inclusion of some incredibly important individuals in the development of this story.
