PERFORMING ARTS

The Seekers: Meetings With Remarkable Musicians (and Other Artists)

by John Densmore
Hachette. Nov. 2020. 240p. ISBN 9780306846236. $28. MUSIC
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Densmore, drummer for iconic rock group The Doors, describes his connections with 24 people who helped him on his quest for eternal truth and peace in a turbulent world. He begins with his mother and two former teachers, and continues to recount meetings with jazz drummer Elvin Jones, singer-guitarist Lou Reed, punk-poet Patti Smith, and Doors bandmates Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek. The drummer also discusses his brief encounters with spiritual leaders Ram Dass and the Dali Lama, acting coach Peggy Feury, and comparative mythologist Joseph Campbell. In each case, Densmore identifies the impact of the seeker on his own evolving journey toward the eternal.
VERDICT Though some chapters (musician Bob Marley, poet Robert Bly) are more convincing than others (actor Jerry Lee Lewis), this intriguing work stands well alongside the author’s other memoirs, such as Riders on the Storm and The Doors Unhinged. General readers and rock aficionados will find it fascinating.
Reviewed by David P. Szatmary, formerly with Univ. of Washington, Seattle , Dec 11, 2020
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