October 2023 MBR The Graphic Novel Shelf

The Graphic Novel Shelf

Mingus
Flavio Massaruto, author
Squaz, illustrator
NBM Publishing
www.nbmpub.com
9781681123097, $29.99, HC, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mingus-Comics-Biographies-Flavio-Massaruto/dp/1681123096

Synopsis: Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 - January 5, 1979) was an American jazz upright bassist, composer, bandleader, pianist, and author. A proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians and composers in history, with a career spanning three decades and collaborations with other jazz greats such as Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Max Roach, and Eric Dolphy.

Mingus's work ranged from advanced bebop and avant-garde jazz with small and midsize ensembles, to pioneering the post-bop style on seminal recordings like Pithecanthropus Erectus (1956) and Mingus Ah Um (1959), and progressive big band experiments such as The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963).

"Mingus" is graphic novel style biography by author/biographer Flavio Massaruto and artist/illustrator Squaz that reveals the jazz legend's troubled life, his battles against racism, and the brilliant music of a true master who has left an indelible mark on the jazz scene. From his beginnings in Los Angeles in the 1940s to his heartbreaking end in Mexico, this is the story of a man of indomitable and rebellious talent who crossed styles while always remaining himself, in perpetual struggle against a society that wanted him marginalized and subordinated.

Critique: Fascinating, informative, entertaining, "Mingus" is especially and unreservedly recommended as a 'must read' pick for the legions of Charles Mingus jazz fans, and will prove to be a welcome addition to personal, professional, and community library 20th Century American Biography collections and supplemental Jazz Music History curriculum reading lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of jazz enthusiasts that this NBM Graphic Novel edition of "Mingus" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note #1: Flavio Massaruto has been writing about jazz since 2000 for specialized newspapers and magazines. Currently he is a music critic for il manifesto. He has written short stories, comic stories and published several non-fiction volumes. He investigated the relationship between jazz and comics with the books Assoli di china, finalist at the Naples Prize for Italian language and culture 2012. He directs the San Vito Jazz festival and has conceived and curated multidisciplinary projects over the years that have involved music, cinema, comics and theater. (https://nbmpub.com/collections/artist-massarutto-flavio)

Editorial Note #2: Squaz is the pen name for Pasquale Todisco, an Italian comic artist with a very hard-edged expressionistic style of art reminiscent of the famous Argentine artist Jose Munoz. (https://nbmpub.com/collections/artist-squaz)

Murder on the Orient Express: The Graphic Novel
Agatha Christie
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063160354, $25.99, PB, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Orient-Express-Graphic-Novel/dp/0063160358

Synopsis: Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Without a shred of doubt, one of his fellow passengers is the murderer.

Isolated by the storm, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man's enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again.

Critique: A classic mystery by the legendary Agatha Christie, "Murder on the Orient Express: The Graphic Novel" is beautiful, full-color graphic novel adaptation by Bob Al-Greene who brings this favorite mystery to life and is a perfect pick for longtime Agatha Christie fans and new mystery/suspense readers alike. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99), "Murder on the Orient Express: The Graphic Novel" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Mystery/Suspense & Graphic Novel collections.

Editorial Note #1: Agatha Christie (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie) is the most widely published author of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her books have sold more than a billion copies in English and another billion in a hundred foreign languages. She died in 1976, after a prolific career spanning six decades.

Editorial Note #2: Bob -Al-Green (https://www.behance.net/bobalgreene) is an illustrator living and working in New York City.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no funds from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, internet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested individuals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.

The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "California Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwatch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview (dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugalmuse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publisher, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review