For the first time, he offers an in-depth look at how he came to
understand his adoption, survive sexual abuse, and overcome heroin
addiction. The book creates a vibrantly-written portrait of the jazz
world in New York in the late 1980s and early 1990s, showing how a
generation of musicians met and sparked off one another to take the
music in new directions. The atmosphere of the clubs, the creative scene
in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and Brad's early experiences of touring are
brilliantly brought to life. The formation of the "Mood Swing" quartet
with Joshua Redman is described, as is the growth of Brad's own groups,
leading to his acclaimed Art of the Trio series of recordings with
bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy. The trio's later life
with Jeff Ballard joining in place of Rossy; Brad's solo ventures; and
his explorations of other areas of music, are also covered. There is no
holding back when it comes to Brad's period of heroin addiction - his
painful personal decline and ultimate redemption make for compelling and
often distressing reading. Yet throughout the book, his own reading and
listening are a constant frame of reference and often inspiration, from
the works of James Joyce and Thomas Mann to the sounds of Prog rock and
Bob Dylan, not to mention critics from Harold Bloom to Terry Eagleton.
The book can be read as a bildungsroman, but this coming-of-age is no
novel, it is vividly lived personal experience.
