Brian Case launches On the Snap at Upstairs Ronnie Scott’s
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Back in the day, there were certain writers in jazz publications who took your notice, some through appreciation of technique and musicianship, others by discographical and historical knowledge; and then there were those whose descriptive expertise took the reader straight into the bell of the horn.
Brian Case stood firmly in this last category. A writer sharp as a tack who saw beyond the boundary.
A South East London lad, Brian grew up in post-war Britain with a foot in the street but with an eye for the academic. Going on to study History at Hull, crossing swords with Larkin, he developed a penchant for 20th century American authors – Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald – then embraced the immediacy and economy of style shown by Hammett and other crime writers. After a flirtation with fiction (sadly brief, as his 1968 novel The Users is a good read) he entered the world of jazz writing, naturally so, being a long established visitor to the Flamingo, Ronnie’s and other clubs. A great hard bop man, he chewed the fat with Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, Art Blakey and others while working for Let It Rock, NME, Melody Maker, Time Out, etc. His interests also took him to interviews with writers, photographers and filmmakers – the results often pulling out the unusual; rabbits out of the hat; a knowledge box hitting on all cylinders.
Recent years have seen him taking a back seat, with occasional articles for The Times and Uncut, but last week saw the launch of On the Snap, three decades of snapshots from the world of jazz, film and crime fiction. In front of an appreciative audience upstairs at Ronnie’s, Brian blew in from out of town to be in conversation with Richard Williams (Brian’s ex-Editor at MM), who skilfully directed him to answer questions about his life and experiences, and rattle off anecdotes which had the place rocking with laughter; some of which, unrepeatable. Brian, straight on the beam, telling it like it is, the edge still there. The book is a collection of them, from the heart-warming (Dexter Gordon), via an almost telepathic understanding (Ellington), through the uncomfortable (Al Pacino), to the downright sinister (James Ellroy). From my point of view, a shame he didn’t include Babs Gonzales or John Cassavetes, but each recollection shows insight and a unique slant on proceedings.
After the talk, time was spent chatting and catching up as the strains of Chet Baker in Paris, Duke’s New Orleans Suite and Lester Young floated in the air. A gargle with tonsil paint before drifting off, pleased to see Brian back in the saddle.
– Matthew Wright
Brian Case’s On the Snap is published on 18 June by Caught by the River