Bouncin' with Bartok in Night Lights

Bouncin' with Bartok

The powerful narrative/myth of the tortured jazz genius who leaves behind only a scattered number of recordings has been with us at least since Bix Beiderbecke (who left behind more than a scattering) and Buddy Bolden (who didn’t even leave any, save for one rumored cylinder that has never surfaced). Boston jazz pianist Dick Twardzik, who died of a heroin overdose at the age of 24 in 1955, fits right into this storyline of tantalizing brilliance and ultimately-unfulfilled promise. Jack Chambers, previous author of a Miles Davis biography, did a marvelous job of digging up a fair amount of detail about Twardzik’s life and influences, analyzing his bop-with-a-dash-of-classical-and-avant-garde style, and situating him in the vibrant Boston jazz scene of the late 1940s and early 1950s.