Palmer uses the introduction of his book to demonstrate the important position Chambers occupies in the jazz canon. He selects 20 of the most important jazz albums that Chambers played on as sideman, contending there are few jazz enthusiasts who would not own at least a handful (this reviewer included). Palmer argues that, like other bass players, Chambers has often gone relatively unnoticed compared with the front-line players he worked with. He states that the purpose of his book is ‘to pay homage to the unsung heroes of jazz, its bass players’ and to explore ‘the quiet legend that is Paul Chambers’ (p. 3).
Chapters 1 and 2 discuss Chambers' formative years in Detroit and his pre-Davis gigs in New York. We learn about the difficult paternal relationship between Chambers and his father, an important theme which Palmer returns to towards the end of his book. Early musical influences include tutor Gaston Brohan (a stern taskmaster who insisted on German bow technique) and Slam Stewart, whose Arco technique Chambers studied from a book.
Palmer also outlines a relationship with mentor Ray Brown who would often come over to practise with Chambers. Unfortunately, the accounts of this important affiliation are a bit sketchy, perhaps due to a lack of available evidence. The positive experience with Brown contrasts sharply with a chastening first encounter with Oscar Pettiford – who demanded Chambers play ‘Body and Soul’ at a New York jam session before snatching the bass from him – illustrating the tougher side of bass contemporaries. Chapters 1 and 2 also provide a good feel for the playing opportunities Chambers experienced both in Detroit and New York, completing an interesting and informative start to the book.
Chapters 3–8 focus on the period 1955–1960. This was the most musically productive period of Chambers' life and covers most his employment with the Miles Davis Quintet and Sextet. It is surprising to discover just how busy Chambers was in addition to the Davis group. Palmer's approach is comprehensive, listing recording sessions in turn with an entire paragraph dedicated to review each track. There are positives to be found in this thoroughness – it aptly depicts the stamina required of an in-demand jazz musician and provides balanced assessments which demonstrate the varied levels of success across sessions. However, the meticulous nature of Chapters 3–8 make for an exhausting read – we experience the gruelling pace of Chambers' lifestyle first hand as Palmer tests the determination of each reader to plough through a seemingly endless series of sessions.
Nevertheless, interesting themes do reoccur. Palmer provides valuable insights into the gritty life of a working jazz musician, arguing that generating a reasonable income for his family was foremost in the mind of Chambers (rather than an involvement in ‘historic works’). Examples of low pay (Philly Joe Jones refusing the Porgy and Bess session) and less than satisfactory conditions (Jimmy Cobb forced to sit at a distance from the Sextet on the Ellington Orchestra drum-kit) are eye-opening.
Palmer discusses the legendary Garland–Chambers–Jones rhythm section, in particular its ability to change gear depending on which soloist it was supporting. He argues the contrasting qualities of its members – Garland (reticence), Chambers (strength) and Jones (power) – created a formidable unit in which each man played to his strengths. Palmer is on firm territory here and it is a pity he does not expand further on musical relationships and performance units at the expense of some of the less important recording dates.
Although the book does focus on the double bass style of Chambers, its content remains relevant to the general reader. Of particular interest is Chambers' search for ‘sound’, including visits to Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Hackensack every Saturday for a month to develop the correct recorded sound and asking UK bassist Malcolm Cecil (on tour) to play his ‘lady's head’ bass on different parts of each stage so he could decide where to stand.
However, as the book progresses it becomes increasingly hard to ignore the fact that we are not getting to know Chambers as a man. Aspects of his personal life – in particular family matters and drinking/drug habits – make scant appearance. Chapter 8 attempts to steady the ship with anecdotal insights into his personality, yet Chambers' traits are discussed in very superficial terms. To Barbara Gardner he was youthful looking and a casual dresser (p. 221) whereas Val Wilmer felt he was lackadaisical but with an alert mind (p. 221). Mark Gardner perhaps gets closest to the truth when he describes Chambers as softly spoken and reserved (p. 221). This is an issue with the book which Palmer struggles to solve; like his contemporaries we find Chambers hard to get close to.
Chapters 9 and 10 focus on Chambers after the Davis groups. Trio work (with Wynton Kelly and Jimmy Cobb) aside, during this period Chambers experienced a massive reduction in demand for his services at recording sessions. Palmer uses this drop in activity as an opportunity to fill in more details about Chambers' personal life. In terms of marital and alimony issues this makes sense since these problems come to a head about this time. Yet we also learn about longstanding health issues which could have received greater attention throughout the book. Alcoholism now becomes a central theme which Palmer explains in terms of: (1) easing the temptation to return to heroin addiction; (2) a difficult relationship with his father (a hell and brimstone character who chastised Chambers' love of jazz); and (3) psoriasis which caused severe discomfort. In the final chapter, we gain a possible insight into what might have prompted Palmer to postpone these important topics. Pierre Chambers expresses the understandable concern that the Chambers family ‘don't want to see his contribution taken and made into a story about a drug addict bass player’ (p. 331).
Chambers maintained a high standard of performance until his early death, even shipping his bass into hospital to continue practising. This leads Palmer into an interesting discussion about the fickleness which can surround music. Although not much older than the new generation of bass players, Chambers had not embraced rock music or free jazz. This left him little more than a jobbing professional despite the monumental achievements of 1955–1963 during which he represented the double bass and defined its role within small group jazz.
Palmer is at his most interesting during these final chapters and we finally begin to get a feel for what made Chambers tick. Palmer ultimately does achieve his goal of exploring ‘the quiet legend that is Paul Chambers’ (p. 3) and his attempt to put the music first throughout Chapters 3–8 is commendable. However, Palmer's attempt to represent the scale of Chambers' output makes for heavy reading, whereas important issues that defined his personality appear relegated to the end rather than comprehensively discussed throughout.
