Easily Slip into Another World: A Life in Music

by Henry Threadgill, Brent Hayes Edwards

An autobiography of one of the towering figures of contemporary American music and a powerful meditation on history, race, capitalism, and art.

Henry Threadgill has had a singular life in music. At 79, the saxophonist, flautist, and celebrated composer is one of three jazz artists (along with Ornette Coleman and Wynton Marsalis) to have won a Pulitzer Prize. In Easily Slip into Another World , Threadgill recalls his childhood and upbringing in Chicago, his family life and education, and his brilliant career in music.

Here are riveting recollections of the music scene in Chicago in the early 1960s, when Threadgill developed his craft among friends and schoolmates who would go on to form the core of the highly influential Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM); the year and a half he spent touring with an evangelical preacher in the mid-1960s; his military service in Vietnam—a riveting tale in itself, but also representative of an under-recognized aspect of jazz history, given the number of musicians in Threadgill’s generation who served in the armed forces.

We appreciate his genius as he travels to the Netherlands, Venezuela, Trinidad, Sicily, and Goa enriching his art; immerses himself in the volatile downtown scene in New York City in the 1970s and 1980s; collaborates with choreographers, writers, and theater directors as well as an astonishing range of musicians, from AACM stalwarts (Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell, Wadada Leo Smith, and Leroy Jenkins), to Chicago bluesmen, downtown luminaries, and world music innovators; shares his impressions of the recording industry his perspectives on music education and the history of Black music in the United States; and, of course, accounts for his work with the various ensembles he has directed over the past five decades.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Jazz, African American, Art

416 pages, Hardcover

Published May 16, 2023

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had not heard of this artist before, but after reading this, would like to listen to his music.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been listening to Henry Threadgill’s music for many years. I always buy his album releases, and I have never been disappointed. He was an early member of the AACM (American Association of Creative Musicians), and in 2016 he won the Pulitzer for his album "In for a Penny, In for a Pound." Along with The Art Ensemble of Chicago and Roscoe Mitchell, he is my favorite AACM performer. From his arresting early work with Air through his many ensembles (Sextett, Very Very Circus, Make a Move, Zooid), Henry Threadgill has always tricked out my ears. While reading "Easily Slip into Another World," I’m taking the opportunity to listen again to his albums. Although I wasn’t able to get through them all before finishing the book, I remain as impressed with them as I ever was.

Three quotations that reveal somethings about the author and the nature of the book:

“Music is about listening. Nothing I can say can mean anything once you start to listen.” (259)

“If you really need to know, I can tell you—for whatever it’s worth—that anything can go into my music. I get ideas from all sorts of sources. It might be going to the theater or looking at a painting or just watching a tree branch outside the window. It might be reading about the muddy intricacies of trench warfare during World War I or poring over The Book of Five Rings (Miyamoto Musashi’s seventeenth-century book on sword-fighting tactics) or looking at the novels of James Joyce or Heinrich Böll. Anything can seep into the music.” (259)

Music is something that takes you into a dreamworld. A world where sound is matter and what matters is sound: everything is communicated and digested and comprehended in that form and that form alone. Not translated or approximated into something you can see or smell or taste or say—your senses start and end with what you can hear. (379)

The title, "Easily Slip into Another World," comes from Henry Threadgill’s 1988 album. Slipping into another world is an act of transformation, a search for creativity that requires slipping away from old habits and behaviors. This book is in part an autobiography, a musical memoir, but it is more than anything a practical reflection on his own creative processes, his changing creative processes, over the course of his life. It is a great book.
The book feels like it breaks into three parts:

The first part is about growing up in Chicago and his early experiences with music. His descriptions remind me of what I have read about jazz in South Central Los Angeles after WWII, a hotbed of talent, music education, and opportunity. The southside of Chicago in the 1950s and 1960s was full of talented, entrepreneurial, open-eared musicians who benefitted from great music education (high schools, colleges, music schools) and plenty of opportunities to practice, collaborate, and perform. He was living at a right time and place, and he learned not only the history of jazz and western classical music but through a generational cohort of adventurous musicians who formed the AACM he learned the lifelong habit of searching for the new/aspiring to creativity.

The second, quite lengthy section of the book is about his harrowing experiences in Vietnam. Threadgill tried to use music to avoid being sent to Vietnam, but a slightly adventurous arrangement he wrote for the band at Fort Leonard Wood got him in trouble and sent to Vietnam. Music takes a backseat in this section, and instead he focuses on all the horrific and harrowing experiences he suffered. It is amazing he survived. Initially, I thought that this section didn’t belong in the book, but I think it important to see how Threadgill’s musical talents and desires are overwhelmed by the war and his need to survive it. Also, Vietnam not only marked Threadgill but a whole generation of musicians who got stuck there. On his return, he notes all the musicians he works with who are Vietnam Vets. It is not clear, nor need it be, how Vietnam shaped Henry Threadgill’s creativity in its aftermath, but given the space that he gives to the war the impact had to have been significant. This section of the book reminded me that the jazz violinist, Billy Bang, released three albums, focused on his experiences in Vietnam.

In the final part of the book, Henry Threadgill focuses on his career as composer and musician. If this section were a novel, I’d call it a künstlerroman, but it isn’t so I won’t. He does explore the many creative arcs that have made up his career. Given how often his music has changed over the years, both in terms how he composes and the make up of his many different bands (instruments, personnel), his discussions in this section helpfully illuminate his discography. Since my knowledge of musical terminology is a bit rusty, I’m glad that he keeps musical terms to a minimum. Still, he clearly communicates the how and why of his choices and procedures. He and Brent Hayes Edwards make a good writing team. His purpose here, though, is not to get into the nitty-gritty of his compositions or performances but to offer a general guide to his creative work as it shifts over time: finding creative possibilities, developing them, recognizing when he’s approaching the exhaustion of those possibilities, initiating the search for new creative possibilities, and so goes the cycle. Thus, Henry Threadgill slips from one creative world to another.

I was happy to discover that Henry Threadgill is a curious and omnivorous knower and that his creativity is not narrowly musical but has pulled from his ever-broadening curiosity (see the second quotation above).

[Djll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read, story-packed life by and of Henry Threadgill, a great American composer and instrumentalist and bandleader. (He starts bands about once a year it seems.) Deep insights into living the artist's life, being Black in America (and Vietnam), keeping yourself sane.

100% recommended.

[Bells Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for book club - not something I’d pick up on my own. Absolutely filled w/history (1950s and on) and history of music. The author probably met every famous musician in the Chicago area and beyond. His story is interesting particularly if you are into music. I didn’t love it but take that w/the knowledge that I’m not that interested in music.

[Nat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be percolating on this one for a long long time. An incredible journey through a singular life.

[SUVENDU SUVASIS DASH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry Threadgill’s “Easily Slip into Another World” is a riveting memoir that encapsulates the essence of a life lived with unbounded creativity and resilience. Threadgill’s narrative, while steeped in the complexities of musical terminology, offers a profound exploration of his journey from a mischievous child to a legendary composer and multi-instrumentalist.

Threadgill’s recounting of his childhood is infused with a palpable energy. His early years, marked by mischief, are skillfully redirected into the disciplined art of music. This transformation is not just a testament to his personal growth but also highlights the profound impact of his teachers who recognized and nurtured his potential.

One of the most compelling aspects of the book is Threadgill’s vivid descriptions of his great-grandfather, whose wisdom and strength serve as a guiding light throughout his life. The memoir does not shy away from the darker chapters of his journey, including his time in Vietnam, the harrowing experiences with drugs, and the physical and emotional trauma of gonorrhea. These episodes are recounted with an honesty that is both raw and enlightening, offering readers a glimpse into the resilience required to overcome such ordeals.

Threadgill’s tours across America are peppered with fascinating anecdotes, such as his encounters with tornadoes and the chaotic yet exhilarating life on the road. However, the narrative reaches new heights when Threadgill finds solace and inspiration in Goa, India. His performances in Mumbai and Delhi, particularly in the presence of Indira Gandhi, are described with a sense of awe and fulfillment, showcasing his ability to connect with diverse audiences across the globe.

Interwoven with philosophical musings and life lessons, “Easily Slip into Another World” is not just a memoir but a profound meditation on life, art, and the relentless pursuit of one’s passion. For those unfamiliar with the world of music, some sections may be challenging, but Threadgill’s wisdom and storytelling prowess make this a truly inspiring read.

[Pramble · Rating 2 out of 5]

One problem is that Henry Threadgill is not a psychotic scoundrel like Miles Davis, nor did he go crazy like Mingus. He just seems like a rational, pleasant chap. While this is admirable, it does not make the book more fun.
At the same time, it was hard to see where the book is going.
Is it a collection of anecdotes from his career ? Is it an explanation of the philosophy of his music ? Is there a good technical analysis of the compositions ?
It never really goes in any direction.
Perhaps I will go back to some of his CDs to see if I can hear some of the sound characteristics he describes, but otherwise, the book did not do much for me.

[Jessica Dai · Rating 5 out of 5]

artists on their art, of course! i knew nothing about threadgill before reading this - you do not need to already be a Jazz Person to love it.

vietnam and how it shaped his psyche and his music; "the aerodynamics of stage performance"; the limits of institutional validation & commercialization ("my records aren’t a monument"). lists of people's full names and what they played and how they played it ("a kind of loping style"). obviously I didn't know the vast majority of them, but something feels important and intentional about the naming, the generosity of credit/citation and the sense that everyone was part of this greater bigger project together. so cool to hear someone with such a long and varied career explain their musical development (eg tonal, textural) like this

again and again this indignation about audiences demanding legibility, and a refusal to provide it:

Not everything is everybody’s business.... You don’t need to know what I might have been thinking about. Instead you need to... figure out your own reaction.

My song titles are not clues to some secret meaning.

I think that ultimately the listener gets more when the stimulation is not explained. Then you have to take it in as you listen, letting the language resonate with the way you hear the music. It’s when you don’t know exactly what it means or where it comes from that its full implications come into play.

the way he writes about music itself, what a way of thinking:

what I learned had to do with the way the music was arranged—the sense of space. They could lock into a groove, but they also knew how to be elliptical: to play a hint or a dollop in a way that suggested more.

for me, musical experimentation isn’t a matter of finding new content—I was never trying to depict the falling leaves in sound—but is instead a way of finding a formal instigation from an entirely unrelated source through a simple practice of observation. Making myself look elsewhere.

when you have that combination between drummers playing with such different senses of time, it makes for a very wide beat. The beat feels spacious and roomy. You can rummage around in it. When the beat is wide, you can put a lot of information into that space and finesse its delivery in microscopic ways. A commodious beat creates an implication of vastness in the music.

and on what makes art:

Music is everything that makes the musician: family, friends, hardships, joys, the sounds on the street, how tight you buckle your belt, the person who happens to be sitting across from you in the subway car, what you ate for breakfast—all of it.

Where is the love affair? If you haven’t had a love affair with the music, I don’t know what you’re doing in it. You have to give yourself over to it wholeheartedly and humbly without the thought of any kind of reward.

art in life, art as life, art as inescapable as gravity: a force that sneaks up on you as you’re going about your everyday business and takes you somewhere you didn’t know you needed to go.

[Philip Readsalot · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a friend. I picked it up on a whim, figuring I’d feel cultured reading the memoirs of a jazz musician.

Unfortunately, it was a bit of a slog and took me months to finish. It’s not all bad- there are some truly fascinating sections, especially Threadgill’s experiences fighting in Vietnam and his take on the effect it had on his generation. His travels in South America and Italy are also interesting. There’s a great Zeitgeist quality to the book, where the events of Threadgill’s life unfold against the backdrop of American history. It has a bit of a Forrest Gump feel that’s quite enjoyable to take in.

But there’s a ton of laundry-listing. Threadgill seems to name every bandmate of every band he ever played in- and there are a lot of them. He virtually lists every song of every setlist at every club, often adding details about the club owners’ families or which other jazz musicians played there. It just goes on and on, and isn’t all that compelling for the casual reader.

Sadly, I can’t recommend the book in good conscience. The strong sections are very strong, but they’re buried under too much mundane name-dropping and “here’s what I ate for breakfast the next day” kind of stuff.

[Dipak Sen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling read, and re-read again. A powerful personal, remarkable, eventful and entertaining story of one the great American composers of our time. This book shows Threadgill's lifetime of imagination, ideas, exploration and innovation, a dedication to art and music. A darker, more harrowing side of the story his Vietnam experience, where for a young musician and soldier in the jungle, death is never far away, a fine war memoir. The rest of it deals with his childhood, upbringing in Chicago, education, his travels as a musician, the important meeting with the AACM, then moving to NYC and for next five decades forming one one amazing ensemble after another, and remaining at the forefront of the contemporary music scene. I found interesting in the later part of the book, how long he had lived outside the US in Goa, India and done of his writing there. He discusses the principles behind his music and the most recent ground breaking project Zooid, which is all fascinating material to read and learn from.
Highly recommend to any fans of the artist or anyone curious about a modern original.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

this is engaging from the first pages/entries. like many of my musician friends i've talked to, i didn't want to put it down.

after reading aidan levy's SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS, the new biography of sonny rollins, i enjoyed in EASILY SLIP what i wasn't getting from the former - a first hand account. while SC has lots of quotes from the venerable master saxophonist and his peers, the prose is often luke warm, functional.

threadgill reminds us something i've known for a long time - it's the act of living that makes the art. so the balance here is the everyday and the wild adventures that give an artist scope, vision. the book veers from the early days of chicago's AACM (association for the advancement of creative music), to the battlefields of viet nam and the r0ad - the place where musicians put their craft to the test. we get a first hand account of the saxophonist/composer's journey from school(s) to stage(s).

threadgill tells us that it isn't words that connect the audience to music, it's listening. forget the story in your head while you're confronted with new music; just listen. the music tells all.

[RA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent biography of the multi-instrumental, writer, arranger, composer, veteran, world-traveler Henry Threadgill.

This book is highly entertaining and informative, lots of fun, unique stories from Mr. Threadgill's amazing life, enhanced by his thoughtful self-analysis about himself & his obsession with music.

Henry Threadgill is one of the great modern composers of, and thinkers, about music. Primarily this was a lot of fun to "read."

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't aware of this musician, despite my love of jazz (thank you brother Dennis for the gift of this book). There was an amazing amount of biographical detail (including some painful parts of his Vietnam War experience) that informed the development of his music. There was also a great deal of articulate explanation of his experimentation, the theories he developed, and his ideas about what music can be. I will now go and listen to as much of it as I can find.

[David Strassman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been listening to Henry Threadgill's music since his earliest recordings right up to the present time. After reading this excellent biography, I feel like I will have to re-listen to all those albums again, now, with new ears. That is quite an accomplishment for a a book about a musician. Mr. Threadgill has a knack for drawing you in with all the stories of his amazing life. Thank you Henry Threadgill for this great book and all the musical enjoyment you have given me!

[Jason Cady · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last chapter, in which Threadgill explained his personal composition techniques, was the most interesting. But, learning about his life was also fascinating. Although there are some great Jazz memoirs, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, et al, this is the only one by an avant-garde artist. Important document of this culture.

[Debra Fairweather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was introduced to this book by someone sitting next to me at a local theatre production who was reading the book and recommended it to me. This book to me to a new world of music experimentation and a musician who challenges the conventional around him.

[Kurt Reighley · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't need to be well versed in jazz or classical music to appreciate Threadgill's reflections. Articulate, insightful and evocative. Checked it out from the library and am now buying a copy because I want this book in my home forever.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining, insightful peak into the mind and life of a brilliant musician. In addition to discussing his musical philosophy, Threadgill discusses various other aspects of his life, including his time in Vietnam and experiences with racism. Good stuff.

[Maryam · Rating 3 out of 5]

i didn’t love or hate it, it was a bit too long and meandered off in places that felt disjointed. i also wish there was more about the music, which i think was in the first half (the stronger half). but overall very interesting

[kevin moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

World class artist influenced by his globe trotting experiences. Multi talented performer, composer band leader... and wonderful story teller.

[Renato · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Putting rhythm at the center of conservatory education would forge a totally different brand of musician, performers with a deep polyrhythmic facility." (pg. 368)

[Jeff Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

He has a great way of intertwining his thoughts about artistic practice with the story of his life.

[Laura Birnbaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sleeper hit considering I picked it for the cool cover. Like most biographies, the first half is stronger than the second.

[James May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some wild stories in here but also some insights into composing and music that resounding profoundly with me.

[Shawn Persinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful.

Unexpectedly, I found Threadgill's accounts of his time in the Vietnam War unprecedented – truly a unique take.

[Dan Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look into the mind and life of a creative original.

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book compelling on my levels but what I most love is the way he talks about music and how he approaches composing. What an interesting man and fascinating artist.

[Steve Bowie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vital and vivid account of an interesting life from a compelling and original voice in American Music.

[Jeff Sunbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

At age 79, Henry Threadgill has written a powerful autobiography that spans his childhood in Chicago and early development as a musician among friends and schoolmates as a member of the highly influential Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM); interrupted from 1967-69 by a maddening nightmare of military service in Vietnam, a shocking digression from his singular ambition and devotion to music that nevertheless is essential to understanding his creative genius as he struggles to resume his life post-Vietnam with travels to the Netherlands, Venezuela, Trinidad, Sicily, and Goa, immersing himself in the volatile downtown scene in New York City in the 1970s and 1980s; collaborating with other AACM artists including Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell, Wadada Leo Smith, and Leroy Jenkins, always mindful of the historical perspective of his art as it relates to Black music, capitalism and education in America today, his determination earning recognition in 2016, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Music and also the Vietnam Veterans of America Excellence in the Arts Award. His story is a powerful meditation on a brilliant career in music and an inspiration to us all. Highly recommended for all music lovers, not just fans of free jazz.

[Naeem · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the three best books on music I have read. The story telling is stupendous with scenes from Caracas, Port of Spain, the War on Vietnam, Goa, Chicago, Sicily, and New York City. The humor comes in waves. The biography fascinates because Threadgill has tried so many crazy things that it is a wonder that he lived to tell the tales. Along the way we meet many of the biggest names in jazz, and almost all of the characters from the so called "free jazz" movement and specifically those associated with the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians). Most important, this book takes you inside the mind of the artistic process as it unfolds in the full life of one musician and his collaborators. We find here too a diagnosis of what is wrong with musical pedagogy.

I slowed my pace when I approached the end and then restarted the book immediately. I didn't want to part with this voice in my head.

The other two great music books I have read are John Miller Chernoff's African Rhythm and African Sensibility: Aesthetics and Social Action in African Musical Idioms and, Hermano Vianna's The Mystery of Samba: Popular Music and National Identity in Brazil. All three of these books are historical, cultural, and theoretical events. These are books that one reads many times. Treat yourself to this gift.