Ralph Gleason occupies a unique position in the history of music journalism. He highlighted the connections between music and society, different genres, and the past and present.

Introduction

In writing my book, The Life and Writings of Ralph J. Gleason, I had the good fortune of interviewing several prominent music critics. They include Jon Landau, Ed Ward, and John Swenson. I was particularly interested in interviewing Greil Marcus. He read Gleason’s columns in the San Francisco Chronicle. Greil worked with him during the early days of Rolling Stone magazine.

We agreed to an email interview, and I sent him my questions. My final question was: “How do you see Ralph’s place in the history of music journalism?” Greil’s reply was, “That’s your job.”

This response surprised me. While Greil’s other answers had been substantial and insightful, this three-word reply left me feeling unsatisfied. However, I realized that Greil had done me an excellent service. As Ralph Gleason’s biographer, it was my responsibility, not his, to define Gleason’s place in the history of music journalism.

And so, with Greil’s prompting, I strove to answer my question. My conclusion: Ralph Gleason was music journalism’s greatest synthesist.

Gleason had a unique ability to take dissimilar concepts—such as “jazz” and “rock,” or “music” and “politics”—and uncover their commonalities, yielding new insights into the nature of popular music. He was able to do this because of his diverse tastes, progressive politics, and unconventional viewpoints.

Ralph Gleason’s Diverse Tastes

Gleason had a keen interest in all genres of American music. While he was best known for his writings on jazz and rock, he also explored blues, folk, country, rock and roll, soul, pop, and styles like ska. Moreover, he approached musicians of all genres—whether Miles Davis or Hank Williams—with equal respect and fascination.

In addition, Gleason refused to separate highbrow from lowbrow culture. He actively defended music that faced public disdain, often praising bold artists who challenged the establishment, especially those who diversified the industry or expanded freedom of expression.

By focusing on the social impact of artists, Gleason discovered connections between different genres. For instance, he recognized similar calls for freedom in Beatles songs and Miles Davis improvisations. Furthermore, he valued authenticity in artists, whether they played folk or avant-garde rock.

Gleason’s cultural tastes extended beyond music; he wrote passionately about literature, film, and stand-up comedy. For example, he reviewed books like Jack Kerouac’s On the Road and James Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son. He also connected the sensibilities of authors like Nelson Algren and Ken Kesey with those of jazz and rock musicians. In one noteworthy instance, he compared the Beatles to the teens in Colin MacInnes’ Absolute Beginners.

Although he did not review films, Gleason loved cinema, as shown in his introduction to Casablanca: Script and Legend. Additionally, he reviewed “sick comics” such as Lenny Bruce and Mort Sahl, and admired Dick Gregory. Ultimately, Bruce became a close friend, even babysitting Gleason’s son! My book contains great anecdotes about Bruce and the Gleason family.

Ralph Gleason’s Progressive Politics

Gleason’s diverse cultural interests were closely linked to his leftist political views. However, he often criticized the liberal establishment for not going far enough.

As part of the first generation of American student protesters at Columbia University in the mid-1930s, Gleason participated in anti-fascist events and co-edited University Against War, an anti-war magazine. Later, he worked for the Office of War Information during World War II, utilizing the power of jazz and popular music to promote democratic values.

Furthermore, during the Civil Rights Movement, Gleason fervently supported racial equality, using his writings on jazz and Black musicians to speak against Jim Crow laws. His political views became more radical with the rise of the New Left, as he highlighted figures like C. Wright Mills and supported leaders such as Malcolm X and Frantz Fanon.

Despite objections from editors at the Chronicle and DownBeat, who urged him to tone down his rhetoric, Gleason continued to blend music criticism with social commentary. Moreover, as opposition to the Vietnam War grew, he played a key role in supporting student protesters in the Bay Area, utilizing his columns to advocate for their causes.

Throughout his life, Gleason seamlessly merged cultural criticism with social commentary. This came naturally; Gleason refused to conform to any professional or social norms that thwarted his freedom of expression.   

Ralph Gleason’s Unconventional Viewpoints

Gleason’s ability to blend music and politics was more profound and impactful than that of many of his contemporaries in the mass media. However, his unique perspective and willingness to express unconventional opinions sometimes put him at odds with mainstream society and occasionally even with members of his community.

As a result, Gleason experienced alienation throughout his life. In high school, for instance, Gleason’s admiration for Duke Ellington unsettled his classmates. In the 1930s, in Chappaqua, New York, it was uncommon for white students to be ardent fans of Black musicians.

Moreover, even at Columbia University, a center for student activism and jazz, his passion for Black jazz music distanced him from many of his peers. However, after graduating and joining the vibrant 1940s jazz revival, Gleason discovered the freedom that came with nonconformity. For example, it freed him to criticize jazz critics respected by his peers, such as Leonard Feather.  

In the following decades, as Gleason became a professional music critic, his opinions often clashed with popular tastes and sometimes diverged from those of his fellow critics. For instance, during the height of Elvis Presley’s popularity in the 1950s, Gleason reversed his earlier praise for Presley’s blues-based music and instead criticized the singer for his influence on young girls in the audience.

Conversely, after initially panning Bob Dylan and the Beatles, Gleason later praised them as the defining figures of modern pop music. Ultimately, one of the traits that made Gleason stand out in 20th-century music journalism is his willingness to embrace alienation in the pursuit of honest reporting. This quality, in particular, makes him more relatable to me. After all, who hasn’t experienced the fear and empowerment of being the only person in a room sharing an unconventional opinion?

Coda

My own problem is that right when I needed to talk to political soul brothers, if such exist, the most I had was none. I’m too young or too old, too left or too right. I don’t fit.

Ralph Gleason to  Eric Hobsbawm following the Kennedy Assassination