Saga of the Book Tour
Part 3
Sophisticated Giant: The Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon
Europe, April-June 2019
The Red Wheelbarrow Bookshop, Paris
On April 2, 2019, I flew to Paris to spend what I once referred to as my annual trip (until 2020 when the pandemic changed my plans). The Red Wheelbarrow became my favorite place to meet friends and the café nearby was our go-to place for afternoon food and coffee. Penelope Fletcher is the bookseller and has a beautiful bookshop where people gather and make suggestions about what to read. “What are you reading” is always the first thing people ask. To get to the bookshop from my apartment, I take the 86 bus to Saint-Germain-Odeon and then walk over through some classic Paris streets. The bookshop is facing Luxembourg Gardens which means that I can also combine a walk in the park and sitting on a bench reading. Paris has become a home to me with friends who are now family and favorite cafes and a jazz club in walking distance from my apartment. I have been renting the same apartment for seven years now. My friend Wendy went to look at the apartment when I heard about it in a market in Napa, California one Saturday. When she saw the Café des Anges on the corner and met the owner Rachel, she told her “She will take it” and of course she was right. It is the perfect space for me to work and rest and live in Paris. A few select friends have come to visit and the couch opens up into a quite comfortable bed. I worked on Dexter’s biography there and when it was published, I was very excited to know that the book would be in a bookshop in Paris and that I would be giving a talk in the American Library where I had done research for the book.
Paris Desk
On April 9. 2019, I had a TV interview which went well with an interviewer who had read the book and talked about Bertrand Tavernier and the film Round Midnight.
On April 10, 2019, I had a book talk at the American Library in Paris with Jake Lamar, a renowned writer living in Paris since 1993. He is the author of a memoir, six novels, essays, reviews, short stories and a play. I met him some years ago and we are now good friends and meet to talk and eat delicious meals whenever we can find the time. Paris gets as busy as New York except that people will find time to gather and enjoy a café quite often. Bob O’Meally introduced both of us and was his usual gracious and over the top complimentary self. Jake brought along his copy of the book with more yellow post-its than I had ever seen on a book.
Jake Lamar’s copy of Sophisticated Giant
Many old friends including the drummer John Betsch came and asked good questions and then we all went to a nearby restaurant for oysters (huitres), mussels with fries (moules frites), crème brûlée, café noisette, and of course wine for those who still drink. We celebrated Paris style where there is no rush to get home and no deadline on having a good time.
The following day, April 11, 2019, I flew to Vienna and then took a bus to Graz, Austria to attend the Rhythm Changes conference there. I took a cab from the bus station in Graz to my hotel. When I told the cab driver that I was going to the Palais-Hotel Erzherzog Johann, he said, in English, “That is a very nice hotel but do not walk on that side of the river. Cross the bridge and stay on that side near the University. You will be safer.” I asked why and he replied, “IMMIGRANTS!” I asked where the immigrants came from and he said, Romania and Bulgaria. I remarked that my Grandfather had been an immigrant from Romania when he arrived in New York. He said, “Oh, that was then. It was different then.” This was not the best introduction to Graz. The presenters at the Conference were mostly European and men. There were, as I recall three other women and not one African American Jazz scholar. The subject of the conference was “Jazz Journeys.” My talk was about Dexter and Ben Webster in the Netherlands in 1976. I had a map of all the places they played and listed all the small towns that had Jazz concerts in a country the size of Maryland. I then played a recording of Dexter and Ben which lasted 8 minutes. One colleague noted that I had played more music than any other presenter. Some presentations on the topic of Jazz had no music at all. I met some old colleagues there and walked with them from the hotel to the University for the all-day conference. I sold some books and signed some books and had a pleasant meal with new friends from Birmingham, UK, and hung out with Francesco Martinelli, the translator of Sophisticated Giant into Italian. I must admit that when it was time to travel back to Paris, I was glad to be on my way.
I decided to take the train to Paris from Vienna with the idea of writing about train travel with the bands back in the 1970s. I thought I might have some memories about it and was considering writing a train essay. However, times had changed as they do, and the trains were not as charming. When we traveled in the 70s, there were compartments for six which meant a quintet and me and drums and bass and luggage all in one compartment. Now the seats were lined up and even in first class, there was no romantic train appeal. But I was determined to get back to Paris best I could. The trip should have taken 12 hours and I had thought of it as time to think and reflect and write. Wrong again. When the train got to Stuttgart, Germany, there was an announcement that it was the last stop because of a rail strike. This is something that can happen in Europe without notice. However, the man standing there making the announcement did not speak English and I do not speak German except to ask for a porter and an extension cord (my German left over from my road manager days). I kept looking for someone to translate for me when the universe sent me an angel. His name is Christophe Gallelo and he lives outside Paris and, as he explained, is Italian-French. He assured me that we would get back to Paris and we set out together. I followed his instructions and he was my guide and was hilarious.
We took the next train from Stuttgart to Karlsruhe. We both had First Class tickets on a more direct route, but Christophe said they would not notice. We found seats in First Class and he went off to find water and tea. He came back with lots of snacks and drinks. A woman came over to me and said that she thought I was in her reserved seat. He said,” That is not possible.” The woman left and we went on. In Karlsruhe, we took another train to Offenburg. We had to cross some railroad tracks and walk under a tunnel along with other people trying to get to Paris. He said that the trains were very good in Germany because they were built for the war. He said that we would get out and get to Paris, not to worry. For some reason, I did not worry. In Offenburg, we took a train to Strasbourg. Now we were on the border of Germany and France. I remembered a concert in Strasbourg when Dexter was on the same bill as Dizzy Gillespie’s band. Dizzy listened to Dexter from the wings and when the intermission came, he said, “I like the band and you sound good but you are playing Round Midnight wrong.” Dexter was shocked. He said, “I have played that 100 times since the movie. You never said anything.” Dizzy said, “I was waiting until I saw you.” Then he and Dexter and Cedar Walton went into a dressing room where there was a piano and Dizzy played Round Midnight for them. He said that he had written the introduction to the tune and most people leave it off and that was wrong. From that moment on, Dexter played it the way it was written. Those moments are indelible on my brain and just being in the train station in Strasbourg brought back every moment of that great night.
From Strasbourg, we had a two-hour train ride to Gare de l’Est in Paris. We parted company there and I thanked my new friend. Later I sent him a message on WhatsApp and he replied, “It was a pleasure to meet you and an honor to carry your bags.” It wasn’t the trip I had imagined but it was a memorable journey, nonetheless.
I stayed in Paris until May 4, 2019 when I went to Copenhagen for book events organized by Morten Friis Olsen. I had the same beautiful suite in the Kong Arthur Hotel that I always reserve. I love the hotel and the breakfast is the best anywhere. They serve Danish rye, herring, a soft-boiled egg, pastries, perfect coffee. I always eat more than enough to last all day and it is almost worth the trip to Copenhagen for breakfast at the Kong Arthur. The following day I took a boat ride to visit DexterGordonsVej, a street named for Dexter in a new area. DexterGordonsVej intersects with BenWebstersVej which makes it even more charming. I go there every time I am in Copenhagen which is every year for many years until this year.
On May 6, 2019, I had a book talk at the Frederiksberg Library where there was also a photo exhibit of Kirsten Malone’s great photos of Dexter.
Frederiksberg Library, Copenhagen
The next evening there was a screening of Round Midnight at the Cinemateket. I wasgoing to wait in the lounge until after the movie, but I started to watch it for what must have been the 100th time and was caught up with the music and the musicians and especially the scene with Cedar Walton and Freddie Hubbard. I never tire of the film and it brings back new memories every time I see it. The following day, May 8, 2019, I went to the Politikens bookstore where my book was prominently displayed. It was a thrilling sight to have it there in Dexter’s adopted hometown.
When it was time for the book event, which included a musical tribute to Dexter, I was escorted by armed guards (the newspaper Politikens has been bombed in 2010 after they regrettably ran a cartoon mocking Muhammed for which they apologized). Of course, I didn’t realize all of this until the armed escort took me to the basement of the newspaper for the book talk. I came in through the back to sit with two journalists and discuss the book. When the door opened to the room, there were 300 people there. I was completely shocked at the sight of that many people in one room for a book talk. They had sold all 100 books and the bookseller commented that they would have to order more. I signed books and then went back to my lovely hotel room and tried to recover from the event. It was overwhelming on every level. Dexter left a tremendous mark in Copenhagen. Several people told me how they will never forget hearing him when they were teenagers and how it changed their lives. I know Dexter would be pleased to hear that. I always enjoy being in Copenhagen and I know how much it meant to Dexter. Of course, like everywhere else, things have changed and it is not what it was but when I eat something deliciously Danish like Smørrebrød (the perfect open-faced sandwich), sit by the canal or walk past the building where Ben Webster lived or visit his grave near Hans Christian Andersen’s, I am glad I make the annual trip there.
It was good to get back to my life in Paris and see friends and go to the market on Thursdays and Sundays and have a noisette and a croissant at Café des Anges and take walks where something beautiful is around every new corner. On May 23, 2019, I took a train to Amersfoort, in the Netherlands. It is only 4-1/2 hours with one change of train in Rotterdam. I have spent days on trains in that little country and it all seemed very simple. In Amersfoort, I walked to the hotel which was charming and on a cobblestone street. The Festival was having a tribute to Dexter with a Dutch band with great musicians and a phenomenal singer, Deborah Brown, who I had never heard before and who is now a dear friend who invited me to Kansas City much later in the saga. The Festival has stages all over the town and it is free and the weather was perfect and it was full of very happy Jazz fans. The special event of the Festival was a focus on musicians from South Africa. There were dinners every night and I met the Ambassador from South Africa who was a Dexter fan. The sisters from South Africa invited me to hang out with them and we laughed and ate frites with peanut sauce served in a paper cone. There were also musicians from the Republic of Suriname and since it was a Dutch colony until 1975, many people from that country came to the Festival from Amsterdam and Rotterdam. I had a book talk and the Director of the Festival bought books and gave them as gifts to musicians and supporters. The entire experience was memorable and warm, and the music was great and went late into the night and then we hung out after the concerts. This is how it was years ago but isn’t quite like that too often anymore.
Amersfoort Jazz Festival
Back in Paris, I had a book event on May 26 at the Festival Saint-Germain at Café des Editeurs. The talk was in French but they sent a translator so that it could be in English and French. My friend Vincent Bessieres did the interview and I got to practice my French with the answers. Jake Lamar read Dexter’s words from the book. Friends came and sat right in front and asked questions and said very nice things about the book.
On June 11, 2019 I gave a talk at a James Baldwin class for students from the New School studying in Paris. They were young but very smart and thrilled to read Baldwin and walk where he walked. It was Rick Blint’s class and he is well prepared in all things Baldwin. Later that week I met with the students at Café de Flore where Baldwin wrote Go Tell It on the Mountain. My friend Wendy Johnson and I often go there and read Baldwin out loud to each other and have tea and crème brûlée. I told the students about having a photo of James Baldwin on my desk in Paris and asking him every day to please help me write my book. That photo is still in front of me every day.
On June 15, I took a trip with my friend Pamela Wilkie-Dove to Edinburgh in keeping with the promise to go somewhere I have never been every year. It had nothing to do with the Saga of the Book Tour but was inspiring and peaceful. We had a great time walking and seeing the castle and I even ate a Scottish breakfast. One time only. Pam insisted and she watched as I tried to eat it all. Of course, she is vegan and just watched and laughed.
So, what is in a Scottish breakfast? Ingredients vary from place to place, but the basic ingredients to a traditional Scottish breakfast include square lorne sausage, link sausages, fried egg, streaky bacon, baked beans, black pudding and/or haggis, tattie scones, fried tomatoes and mushrooms, and toast. And, don’t forget a cup of Scottish tea to wash it all down.
It was a great little vacation and Edinburgh was beautiful and welcoming.
A Day in Edinburgh with Pamela
On June 21, we had a going away party at one of my favorite restaurants in Paris, niébé.
IL ÉTAIT UNE FOIS UN HARICOT MAGIQUE ORIGINAIRE D'AFRIQUE, UNE GRAINE COULEUR IVOIRE RÉHAUSSÉE D'UN OEIL NOIR NOMMÉE "NIÉBÉ"
ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A MAGIC BEAN ORIGINATING IN AFRICA, AN IVORY COLORED SEED ENHANCED WITH A BLACK EYE NAMED "NIÉBÉ"
The next day I flew back to New York. Thus, ends The Saga of the Book Tour, Part 3. There is a final Part 4 coming soon. Thank you for taking this trip with me.
Maxine