Behind the wheel is a glamorous brunette, a chinchilla stole draped over her shoulder and a long cigarette holder clinched in her teeth. Nicas dream traces the story of a fascinating woman across her thirtyyear reign as the jazz baroness, but it also explores a transformative era in twentiethcentury american culture. Hannah rothschild is a writer and director whose documentaries have appeared at film festivals including telluride and tribeca. The subtitle of the book is the search for nica, rebellious rothschild and jazzs secret muse, and the book focuses much more on the first half of that title than the second.
A silver rollsroyce screeches to a stop at the neonlit doorway of a 52nd street jazz club. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. Hannah rothschild recaps quite a bit of the rothschild family history, quite an amazing tale of success against the odds to say the least, so that the baroness own life story is set into context. Hannah rothschild on her aunts unlikely marriage to thelonius monk nov. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the baroness. She also serves on the boards of various organizations. Hannah mary rothschild cbe born 22 may 1962 is a british writer, businesswoman, philanthropist and documentary filmmaker. Nannies, servants, governesses and chauffeurs attended her when she was a child. We have new and used copies available, in 1 editions. The life and legend of the jazz baroness by david kastin.
The secret life of the jazz baroness she was the rothschild beauty who scandalised the dynasty by walking out on her family to become muse to the jazz demimonde of new york. I believe that she could no longer live in any ivory tower after what she saw in. Grabbing the best from cannes in competition titles a prophet, bright star 2009bright star link, fish tank, white ribbon, a sampling of venice items bad lieutenant, life during wartime, the road with a bit of sundance and berlin thrown in for good measure, telluride is stealing a little bit of that north american premiere thunder from tiff. David kastin penetrates the myths and legends about the jazz baroness. The fake book is a central part of the culture of playing music in public, particularly in jazz, where improvisation is particularly valued. Featuring narration by helen mirren and interviews with quincy jones, sonny rollins, archie shepp and t.
It is now the 1920s, and lilly esmes daughter and rose jinxs daughter find themselves experiencing the pangs of young womenhood as they fight against wanting freedom from the life their parents want for them. The life and legend of the jazz baroness, david kastin tells the story of pannonica rothschild, an adventuress, barons wife and fabulously wealthy member of the rothschild. Pannonica nica rothschild 191988 was known as the jazz baroness because of her passion for the jazz world and her allembracing support of some many jazz musicians, including thelonious monkwith whom she had an unusually intimate relationship that was probably not sexual and charlie parker who died in her apartment. The second book in the daughters of fortune series, baroness picks up with the daughters of esme and jinx introduced in book one. There she immersed herself in the jazz world and found what she. Her biography, the baroness, was published in 2012 in the uk, us and twelve other territories. The wild life of a rothschild black sheep makes for a riveting read. She was a british rothschild, her family rich, powerful, influential. The baroness s adoption of new yorks predominantly black jazz family in the wars aftermath thus seems less the act of a louche dilettante than of a survivor bent on resurrection and rebirth. In 1950s new york, for a white woman to be alone with a black man in a hotel suite was cause enough for scandal. The majority of the narrative takes place in harlem during the 1920s.
She didnt go to school or mix with other children outside her social class. In august 2015, she became the first female to chair of the board of trustees of the national gallery in london. Now, a new biography called nicas dream tells the story of. Her first novel, the improbability of love, published in 2015 won the bollinger wodehouse prize for best comic novel and was runner up for the bailey. The drugs belong to monk, but pannonica protects him. If you, like me, wanted to read this to get more insight into the relationship between nica and the new york jazz scene of the 1950s60s, you may wind up disappointed. The first biography of the legendary rothschild heiress who reigned as new yorks jazz baroness. Nica, the jazz baroness, grew up in a sheltered pastoral world far from the mean streets of american jazz.
The search for nica, the rebellious rothschild and jazz s secret muse by hannah rothschild online at alibris. The jazz baroness will be shown on the bbcs storyville series next year. In later years she arranged to meet nica in new york and was given the full jazz baroness treatment. But the source of her extraordinarily deep bond with jazz musicians. The night bird died in the suite of the baroness youtube. Originally published october 25, 20 share to facebook share to twitter print this article share to email share to facebook share to twitter print this article share to email.
Nicas story told in technicolor, with the grandeur to match her own. Known as the jazz baroness, she was a patron to the likes of thelonious monk and art blakey. Rebel aunt an inspiration hong kong book fair 2016 duration. The book offers more concrete information about the baroness than has ever before appeared between covers. Hannah rothschild cbe is a british writer, documentary filmmaker, businesswoman and philanthropist. Barry doyle harris born december 15, 1929 is an american jazz pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger and educator. For a white, jewish baroness to be alone with the famous black drug addict musician on the night of his death sent society into an orgy of speculation. Filmmaker hannah rothschild, pannonicas greatniece, offers a compelling portrait of a woman who became an unlikely patron of the arts in the documentary the jazz baroness. One day pannonica, in the company of jazz composer thelonious monk, is arrested for drug possession. Both the film and david kastins book ascribe rothschilds. The baroness of jazz pannonica rothschild was a descendant of europes greatest banking dynasty and a savior to struggling american jazz musicians. The search for nica the rebellious rothschild kindle edition by rothschild, hannah.
The remarkable life of baroness butterfly 19 feb 2008 then, threequarters of the way through her book, rothschild shows us the emergence of the jazz baroness. She has written for british vanity fair, vogue, the independent and the spectator. Part musical odyssey, part love story, the baroness is a fascinating portrait of a modern figure ahead of her time who dared to live as she wanted, finally, at the very center of new yorks jazz scene. Based on interviews with musicians, family members, historians, and artists, david kastins probing biography unwraps the life of this enigmatic figure and.
Moodys mood for love sant andreu jazz band magali datzira eva fernandez andrea. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the jazz baroness near you. Still, this books suffers from a lack of dimension and meaty research about its subject. The life and legend of the jazz baroness, david kastin tells. The books subtitle may brand nica as the rebellious rothschild, but as the baroness illustrates, rebellion is the jazz worlds native tongue. The search for nica, the rebellious rothschild and jazzs secret muse. Monk david kastin has written the definitive biography of one of the most elusive, beguiling, and pivotal personalities in twentiethcentury music. Nica was a true eccentric but also a courageous character. Although the book is focused on nica rothschild, the parts of the book that i. The jazz baroness jazz great thelonius monk had a unique sound that won him millions of fans and it certainly stole the heart of the baroness.
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