September 2024
Another wonderful recognition has been announced for Never Givin’ Up. The book has made the list of finalists for the annual awards for the Association For Recorded Sound Collections; specifically, the Jarreau biography is a finalist in the BEST HISTORICAL RESEARCH IN RECORDED JAZZ category. You can see the rest of the finalists in this category (and the other categories) if you scroll through this press release from the ARSC.
https://www.arsc-audio.org/pdf/ARSC_awards_finalists_press_release_2024.pdf
June 2024
Months after its release, Never Givin’ Up has received two nice honors in the last few days.
I know very little about the publishing world, but my publisher assures me that it is a big deal that Never Givin’ Up just won this “medal” in the Performing Arts & Music category from a large player in the independent book world. https://www.forewordreviews.com/awards/winners/2023/performing-arts-and-music/
A lesser, but still significant recognition came at the beginning of the week from CHOICE, which reviews books for the American Library Association, and is distributed to libraries all over the country. Never Givin’ Up was the “review of the week,” in commemoration of Black Music Month. https://www.choice360.org/choice-pick/never-givin-up-rotw-6-10-24/
What’s important is that these two events should bring the book — and Al Jarreau — to a wider audience.
Late November, 2023: wouldn’t a copy of Never Givin’ Up be a great Christmas present for someone on your list? Order it from your favorite outlet, buy it at a local store, or if you want to get a signed copy, just get in touch with me through the contact button above (or in the menu). (I do have to charge for shipping, however.)
Five years ago I posted on this page the release of my last book, Wisconsin Riffs: Jazz Profiles from the Heartland. Now, in late August 2023, I’m posting about the release (a few weeks ago now) of Never Givin’ Up: The Life and Music of Al Jarreau.
What a journey the last few years have been. After the publication of Wisconsin Riffs, I taught one more year — my 39th — at Ripon College. The year was filled with reflection, and rewards with my students and colleagues, as well as quite a few events associated with Wisconsin Riffs. Upon my retirement at the end of the 2018-19 year I entered the new, mysterious and generally wonderful world of being unemployed — by choice. After a fair amount of traveling, and plenty of thought about my future, all of us were hit by the onset of the terrible COVID pandemic.
By that time, however, I had started on this next journey, having consulted with the late Al Jarreau’s manager Joe Gordon, who led me to Al’s sister Rose Marie Freeman, who I met (for a second time) in Milwaukee in the fall of 2019. Serious consideration and conversation led to me taking on the Al Jarreau biography, which is now available to everyone. Researching and writing the book was, of course, a huge undertaking: a lot of work, but ultimately, a true labor of love. I feel blessed to have been in the right place at the right time.
Look at the events page of the website to see upcoming readings/discussions of Never Givin’ Up in Ripon (September 13), Milwaukee (September 23), Madison (late October, to be announced soon) and Waukesha (November 4). I’ll also be interviewed soon for two Wisconsin Public Radio shows, University of the Air and BETA. Other events are in the works as well.
I think that this book will be interesting, satisfying, even inspirational to some readers. You can order it through the Wisconsin Historical Society Press, and many other online outlets (including the “big one,” where the book has been selling quite well so far).
For those of you who have been following my posts over the past few years, thank you for taking this journey with me. Enjoy the book!
Friends,
After some weeks of silence on this site, I am breaking that silence with an announcement that has long been in the works.
After making a significant connection with the family of singer Al Jarreau, and getting the go ahead from Joe Gordon, Al’s last manager, I’m letting all of you know that I am currently working on a biography of the late great singer.
Born in 1940, Al grew up in Milwaukee, attended Ripon College – my professional home for 39 years, got a master’s degree at the University of Iowa in vocational rehabilitation, then headed to California. After a number of years working by day as a counselor while doing gigs at night, he finally went full time into music in the late 1960s. Although he was able to make a living as a professional musician, he did not sign a record contract until 1975, very late in the game for most recording artists (you can do the math). After several successful albums, he finally hit the big time in the early 1980s with the albums This Time, Breakin’ Away (with its monster hit “We’re In This Love Together”) and Jarreau. His career was “made” at that point, but there were considerable ups and downs in the career of this extraordinary musician and person, right up until his death in 2017.
I’m trying to tackle all of that. Already I have had the wonderful cooperation of, especially (and very specially), Al’s older sister Rose Marie Freeman. Rose Marie, along with Al’s brothers Alphaeus (who just died recently) and Marshall, have been most generous with their memories and insights. Rose Marie has become a dear friend, who shares not only her knowledge, but her wisdom as well, during our frequent phone calls. Up to this point I have also spoken with a number of family friends, musical colleagues and business (and personal) associates. It is a fascinating, rich story that I am trying to track down as best as I can. Joe Gordon is being a wonderful facilitator.
From time to time, I will post some of what is going on with my research and writing on this site. This project is really great fun – as well as serious work.
Related to this, but looking back at Wisconsin Riffs as well, I will be giving an online presentation next week. My talk for the Wisconsin Historical Society Press’s “Book Bites” series is supposed to be about the book I’ve already written. But believe me, I’m going to be making some noise about the Jarreau project. (The Wisconsin Historical Society Press may or may not publish the Jarreau book.) This event will be streamed live at 7pm on Wednesday, March 3 on the WHSP Facebook page. If you can’t catch it live, or if you’re one of the “Philistines” who is still not on Facebook (I am one of those), you can watch a recording of it later at the WHSP site (or YouTube).
Here’s the announcement page for the event: https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Event/EV8004
The Historical Society Press’s Facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/whspress/
Finally, for those of you who know me personally, or my family, I invite you to check out this story. I am pleased and humbled to be a part of this story of philanthropy.
Very best wishes to all of you. Stay safe and healthy!
Kurt
TO SEE EVENTS CONNECTED WITH WISCONSIN RIFFS, GO TO THE COMING EVENTS (SEE ABOVE) PAGE OF THIS SITE.
TO SEE RECENT POSTS, INCLUDING THOSE ABOUT LYLE MAYS, RON KEEZER, STEVE SVEUM, BEVERLY DAHLKE, KAREN JOHNSON, FRANK DEMILES, HARVEY HALPAUS, JOAN WILDMAN, DAVE KIEPERT, CLIFF GRIBBLE AND FRED STURM, GO TO THE KURT DIETRICH PAGE.
IT’S HERE.
Released in the spring of 2018, Wisconsin Riffs is now available. You can order it from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or, if you want to more directly support the enterprise, the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
The WHSP did a great job with it. Well over 500 pages, with over 100 photos, it’s a really nice book.
This site is primarily for my professional work. It is especially dedicated (currently) to the new book, Wisconsin Riffs, and the events surrounding its release. To see the discography for Wisconsin Riffs, or to see upcoming events, or to contact me, click on the menu or one of the links at the top of this page.
Kurt Dietrich 