The Best Gig in Town
Jazz Artists at the White House, 1969–1974
Paperback | January 31, 2015 | 244 pages | $15
Ebook | December 23, 2015 | 228 pages | $0.99 A fresh view of the Nixon Presidency 2015 INDIEFAB Finalist, Performing Arts & Music 2016 ERIC HOFFER Nonfiction Ebook Honorable Mention 2016 BEST BOOK AWARDS Finalist, Performing Arts During his term in office, Nixon held thirteen jazz-related performances at the White House. This book pays homage to that handful of iconic entertainers who graced the East Room stage: singers Pearl Bailey, Peggy Lee, and Frank Sinatra; pianists Henry Mancini, Bobby Short, and Billy Taylor; New Orleans musicians Pete Fountain and Al Hirt; and the instrumental groups the Modern Jazz Quartet and the World's Greatest Jazz Band. In assembling these profiles, the author drew on published sources as well as archival taped performances, transcribing everything from Nixon's introductory and closing remarks to the statements made by the stars to the reaction of the glitterati in the audience. For all the tunes played or sung, Faine provides details on their origins and the comments from attending journalists and critics. To be expected, the entertainers performed their signature songs: Henry Mancini played "Moon River," Peggy Lee sang "Fever," Pearl Bailey belted out "Hello, Dolly," and Frank Sinatra crooned "One for My Baby." The Best Gig in Town offers a fresh view of the Nixon presidency, one rarely seen by ordinary Americans: a view of a White House at play with Nixon as genial and gracious host. |
Praise
“Faine’s book is a fun and exciting showcase of the jazz musicians who played at the White House during Richard Nixon’s administration. With pictures and anecdotes of all who strummed, crooned, and played for the president and his guests, Faine places the reader in a coveted spot where the turmoil of the outside world in the early 1970s did not invade nor impinge on these gatherings. Although Nixon was a classical music aficionado, he understood the importance of jazz being a wholly American invention, and its promotion was equal to platforming himself and the country. Faine’s writing is bold, insightful, and an absolute pleasure to read.”—US Review of Books
“Impressive is the depth of [the] author's research and the detail with which he describes these artists and their performances. Faine additionally provides background on the songs performed and includes comments on the performances by writers in attendance. As such, Faine's book provides a visual and aural snapshot of the period, one that grows dimmer and more misunderstood the further we get from it.”—C. Michael Bailey, AllAboutJazz.com “There's no shortage of jazz literature, so do we need more? If the tome is unique like The Best Gig in Town, the answer is yes. It's a book well written and well referenced—at times I felt I was sitting midst the blue-rinsed matrons and the portly governors and ambassadors listening to the finest music of the era.”—Lance Liddle, Editor, Bebop Spoken Here blog “I’ve looked up lots of music because of reading The Best Gig in Town that I wouldn’t have known about otherwise. . . . I love books that can transport me to another time and this book really does and I’ll have the souvenirs on my playlist to prove it. If you are a fan of jazz music, music history or even just White House history, I highly recommend this book.”—Kari Rothstein, The He Said She Said Experience blog “The Best Gig in Town profiles both the [jazz] events and the musicians and includes information that would benefit readers who aren't familiar with the music and its legends.”—Stephen Nielsen, Winchester Star “Faine engages the reader with writing that is focused and colorful, using a casual, informal tone that is suitable to the jazz topic. His penetrating choice of words keeps the narrative spicy: Nixon was “the most Shakespearean of American presidents,” while Peggy Lee had a “steamy pastel voice.” Faine’s knowledge of surprising details is at an expert level, but he is never pedantic or trivial, always keeping to the big picture. And he imparts the story with an undertone of balanced amusement at the realities of life, both political and musical.”—Jeffrey Chappell, Director of Jazz Studies, Goucher College “The author places [the jazz artists’] White House appearances in the context of their careers and reviews their music with obvious knowledge. . . . The guests of honor were varied—the least staid being the Duke and Duchess of Windsor the proto-celebrity scandal couple, and Felix Houphouet-Boigny the benevolent dictator of Ivory Coast who had $30 billion in Swiss bank accounts—interesting guy. It’s details like these that add up to a worthy read, a focused look at a very specific set of events that turn out to be an illuminating reflection of an extraordinary time and place through an unexpected lens.” —AllMusicBooks.com |