Biography: arts and entertainment Books

Book SynopsisIf ever there were Satanic Majesties of rock their name was Led Zeppelin. The band that out-sold the Rolling Stones and made Robert Johnson's deals with the devil look like a playground game of conkers were as high, inflated and glorified as their namesake. In Stephen Davis's scorching account of their phenomenally successful career, no aspect - however disquieting - is ignored. The narcotic, alcoholic and psychotic wreckage they wreaked, the disturbing influence of the notorious mage Aleister Crowley on lead guitarist Jimmy Page and the death of John Bonham are all recorded. Above all, the exultant, blazing charge of their music and its effects on Led Zeppelin and their fans is scrutinized. Hammer of the Gods by Stephen Davis is a fierce and fearless story about a band that remain a legend of musical, sexual and mystical power. It is the last word in rock 'n' roll savagery.Trade ReviewThe biggest surprise success of the year . . . the Led Zep tale, drenched in sex, drugs and psychic abuse, demonstrated the validity of all the old adages about talent, power and corruption. Stephen Davis's grimy homage to imperial excess and demonic influence had fans slavering for more. * Rolling Stone *

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Book SynopsisOutside his native France, the view of Serge Gainsbourg was once of a one-hit wonder lothario. This has been slowly replaced by an awareness of how talented and innovative a songwriter he was. Gainsbourg was an eclectic, protean figure; a Dadaist, poète maudit, Pop-Artist, libertine and anti-hero. An icon and iconoclast. His masterpiece is arguably Histoire de Melody Nelson, an album suite combining many of his signature themes; sex, taboo, provocation, humour, exoticism and ultimately tragedy. Composed and arranged with the great Jean-Claude Vannier, its score of lush cinematic strings and proto-hip hop beats, combined with Serge's spoken-word poetry, has become remarkably influential across a vast musical spectrum; inspiring soundtracks, indie groups and electronic artists. In recent years, the album's reputation has grown from cult status to that of a modern classic with the likes of Beck, Portishead, Mike Patton, Air and Pulp paying tribute. How did the son of Jewish Russian immigrants, hounded during the Nazi Occupation, rise to such notoriety and acclaim, being celebrated by President François Mitterand as "our Baudelaire, our Apollinaire"? How did the early chanson singer evolve into a musical visionary incorporating samples, breakbeats and dub into his music, decades ahead of the curve? And what are the roots and legacy of a concept album about a Rolls Royce, a red-haired Lolita muse, otherworldly mansions, plane crashes and Cargo Cults?Trade ReviewThis book is intended to be a biography of an album, but due to Darran Anderson’s thorough research and skilled prose storytelling, Serge Gainsbourg’s Histoire de Melody Nelson morphs into a brilliant (if often dark) illustration of Serge Gainsbourg himself, even more than that of the title character, Melody Nelson. That said, when one knows this much more about the album, the artist and his muse, much like the narrator himself, one will find it almost impossible to avoid falling in love with Melody. -- J.C. Macek III * PopMatters *Table of ContentsIntroduction Early Days The Chanson Years Turning Point Histoire de Melody Nelson The Aftermath Influence

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Book SynopsisThe autobiography of the legendary music producer, crafting smash hits with Van Halen, The Doobie Brothers, Nicolette Larson, and Van Morrison.

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times bestseller, revised and updated for the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. ---- As heard throughout 2020 on Classic FM ---- You know the music... but do you know the man? ---- Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the world's best loved and most influential composers. His life - its dramas, conflicts, loves and losses - is played out in his music. ---- In this special edition to mark the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth - with a new section featuring his most celebrated pieces - John Suchet shows us the man behind the music. He reveals a difficult and complex character, struggling to continue his profession as musician despite increasing deafness, alienating friends with unprovoked outbursts of anger one moment, overwhelming them with excessive kindness and generosity the next, living in a city in almost constant disarray because of war with France. ---- This is the real Beethoven, and Suchet brings him faithfully and vividly to life. ---- This updated edition of Suchet's acclaimed biography contains new material, including a detailed guide to Beethoven's most important compositions, family tree and timeline.Table of ContentsContents; Note on this Edition ... xi; Preface ... xv; Prologue ... xviii; 1. The Spaniard ... 1; 2. The Right Teacher ... 23; 3. Meeting Mozart ... 42; 4. Word Spreads ... 61; 5. Impressing the Viennese ... 88; 6. My Poor Hearing Haunts Me ... 105; 7. Only My Art Held Me Back ... 121; 8. Egyptian Hieroglyphics ... 134; 9. O, Beloved J! ... 151; 10. A Deeply Immoral Woman ... 168; 11. Under Cannon Fire ... 188; 12. Immortal Beloved ... 202; 13. An Utterly Untamed Personality ... 216; 14. Into the Witness Box ... 235; 15. A Musical Gift from London ... 252; 16. 'I Want to Be a Soldier' ... 273; 17. Two Pistols and Gunpowder ... 291; 18. Frightening the Oxen ... 307; 19. Terminally Ill ... 323; 20. The Last Master ... 339; Postscript ... 346; Beethoven's Music ... 351; Cast of Characters ... 407; Timeline ... 419; Acknowledgements ... 431; About Classic FM ... 433; Index ... 435; About the Author ... 443

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Book SynopsisYasujiro Ozu, the man whom his kinsmen consider the most Japanese for all film directors, had but one major subject, the Japanese family, and but one major theme, its dissolution. The Japanese family in dissolution figures in every one of his fifty-three films.Trade Review"A beautiful insight into the mind of a director." * Filmmakers Newsletter *"The art of Ozu is the art of contemplation, and Richie echoes it perfectly. His book is a model of lucidity and understanding, and one of the best studies of a director ever written." * Films and Filming *"Bit by bit there emerges as complete an account of how one type of film works as I have ever read." * Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism *"Is and probably will remain the definitive in-English study of Ozu and his films." * Films in Review *

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Book SynopsisUsing the life and career of Don Simpson as a point of departure, this work takes readers on a journey inside the Hollywood of the 1980s and 90s. This is a tale of the rise of the key players and how the Don Simpson way became the Hollywood way.

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Book SynopsisA lifetime of letters, collected for the first time, from the legendary The Beatles musician and songwriter John LennonJohn Lennon is one of the world's greatest-ever song writers, creator of 'Help!', 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds', 'Imagine' and dozens more. Now, his letters have been collected and published, illuminating as never before the intimate side of a private genius.Hunter Davies, author of the only authorised biography of The Beatles, has tracked down almost three hundred of Lennon's letters and postcards - to relations, friends, fans, strangers, lovers and even to the laundry. Some of the letters are tender, informative, funny, angry and abusive, and some are simply heart-breaking - from his earliest surviving thank-you note, written when he was ten, to his last scribbled autograph given on 8 December 1980, the day he was shot, aged forty.

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Book SynopsisPaolo Hewitt grew up in care in Woking in the 1960s and 70s, an experience he chronicled in his acclaimed memoir, The Looked After Kid. He moved to London in 1980 to become a music journalist and worked for Melody Maker and NME. In the early 1990s Paolo gave up full-time journalism to write his first novel, Heaven's Promise. He has since written biographies of The Jam, The Small Faces, Oasis and Steve Marriott. He lives in London.Trade ReviewPowerful and even emotional ... probably one of the best books about what it's like to be a Famous Person's Friend. And it's almost certainly the definitive Weller biography. * The Word *Fascinating... Hewitt pries into the dark corners of a personality that has long been kept under lock and key. * Guardian *A one-off... an intimate picture of a seemingly arrogant man * Metro *

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Book SynopsisHugh Jackman is a true Hollywood juggernaut. The magnetic Australian has joined countrymen Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe as an international superstar thanks to his role as Wolverine in the X-Men series, and is loved by fans worldwide thanks to his extremely varied career in film and theatre. When a young Jackman turned down a role in Neighbours to study at the prestigious WAAPA in Perth, his gamble would pay off handsomely. After a string of successful Australian musicals, Jackman's Hollywood break came as he was cast as Wolverine in 2000, catapulting him to heavyweight stardom. He has since reprised the role in box office hits The Last Stand, Origins and The Wolverine. Premium offers including 2006 animation Happy Feet, Baz Lurhmann's epic Australia - and even a rumoured shortlist spot for James Bond - soon followed. With a 2013 Academy Award nomination for his tour de force performance as Jean Valjean in the epic Les Miserables, and a star turn as Wolverine in X-Men: Days of Future Past on the horizon, Hugh is set to dominate the silver screen for the foreseeable future.

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Compelling and stunningly written' THE TIMES'Wildly exciting . . . a classic' SPECTATOR'Flawless . . . poetic . . . superbly portrayed' DAILY TELEGRAPH Three men. Three short, glittering lives. Young English painter Christopher Wood arrives in Paris in 1921 set on becoming the next great master. By day he studies; by night he attends parties with Picasso and Cocteau before paying too high a price for success. Richard Hilary, a confident if unprincipled Spitfire pilot, is suffering from terrible burns after being shot down. But the operations to restore him haven't deterred him from returning to action. And Jeremy Wolfenden, the cleverest of his set at All Souls College, leaves it all behind to report on the Cold War. But his louche private life makes him a plaything for the intelligent services, taking him on a fateful journey between East and West.The Fatal Englishman is a stunning tale of three short lives that burned brightly from a master storyteller.

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Book SynopsisA thrilling and tumultuous, behind-the-scenes account of house music in NYC.The Beat, the Scene, the Sound follows DJ Disciple and his behind-the-scenes account of how DJs, promoters, fans, and others transformed house music from a DIY project into an international sensation—dive into the glitzy clubs, underground parties, and the diverse communities who made up the scene amidst the tumult of 1980s/90s-era NYC—between the fall of disco and the rise of EDM. The book unearths many untold stories of the era. When house first rose to prominence in the 1980s, it brought people together—Palladium, Paradise Garage, Tunnel, Zanzibar, Studio 54, and other clubs were going strong. But as DJ Disciple established himself in the scene, he witnessed it shatter. During the crack-cocaine epidemic, he literally dodged bullets bringing his records to and from clubs at night. HIV/AIDS and homophobia threw up fear-based partitions. Then, mayors worked to close the clubs. House music was pushed underground and then abroad to the UK and Europe. Disciple and many other DJs sought to regain a footing in the United States, but that only became possible with the rise of commercialized EDM. With dozens of interviews and historic photographs, The Beat, the Scene, the Sound shows what is possible when you bring people together and what can unravel when you split them apart.

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Book SynopsisFrom his boyhood days spent drawing compulsively through his tragic death, the trajectory of Keith Haring’s life is a story of incredible achievement, luck, opportunity, and extraordinary commitment. This graphic novel looks at every stage of that life, exploring his early influences, the roots of his activism, and his close friendships with other artist contemporaries. It shows readers what it was like to be part of New York City’s vibrant downtown art scene in the 1980s—the nightclubs, art openings, the rise of hip-hop—and how world events, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall; the escalation of the nuclear arms race; apartheid; and the dawn of the climate crisis played into his work. They’ll learn how Haring’s own battle with AIDS fueled his advocacy for education and research, and they’ll get to know the figures who were most influential to his work— from Warhol to Basquiat, Fab Five Freddy to Madonna. Packed with key cultural reference points as well as the artist’s own reflections, this graphic biography makes for compulsive, eye-opening reading.

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Book Synopsis‘Stand. Breathe. Look. Try to empty my mind. Somehow, for some reason, I have been brought to this place to tell this story, now. So tell it. That’s all.’ When Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical Hamilton opened in London’s West End in December 2017, it was as huge a hit as it had been in its original production off- and on Broadway. Lauded by critics and audiences alike, the show would go on to win a record-equalling seven Olivier Awards – including Best Actor in a Musical for Giles Terera, for his portrayal of Aaron Burr. For Terera, though, his journey as Burr had begun more than a year earlier, with his first audition in New York, and continuing through extensive research and preparation, intense rehearsals, previews and finally opening night itself. Throughout this time he kept a journal, recording his experiences of the production and his process of creating his award-winning performance. This book, Hamilton and Me, is that journal. It offers an honest, intimate and thrilling look at everything involved in opening a once-in-a-generation production – the triumphs, breakthroughs and doubts, the camaraderie of the rehearsal room and the moments of quiet backstage contemplation – as well as a fascinating, in-depth exploration of now-iconic songs and moments from the musical, as seen from the inside. It is also deeply personal, as Terera reflects on experiences from his own life that he drew on to help shape his acclaimed portrayal. Illustrated with dozens of colour photographs, many of which are shared here for the first time, and featuring an exclusive Foreword by Lin-Manuel Miranda, this book is an essential read for all fans of Hamilton – offering fresh, first-hand insights into the music and characters they love and know so well – as well as for aspiring and current performers, students, and anyone who wants to discover what it really felt like to be in the room where it happened. Hamilton and Me was featured as Book of Week on BBC Radio 4 in August 2021.Trade Review'Masterful and excellently written... offers audiences and readers the chance to not only be in the 'room where it happens' but also to smell the sweat, feel the pulsing hearts and hear the resonance... deserves a permanent place on aspiring musical theatre performers' bookshelves' * Reviews Hub *'The author's credentials as a Hamilton expert are second to none... the real strength of this book lies not only in its affection for the show and the company but also a great deal of detail about the topsy-turvy adventure of bringing it to the stage... a highly articulate, very thoughtful and hugely enjoyable read' * British Theatre Guide *'A rare insight behind the scenes... fascinating, well-written, relatable and engaging... if you're a fan of Hamilton, an aspiring actor, or just a lover of history, this book will inspire you to take a look at those characters and performers you admire and see them in a different way' * The Play's The Thing UK *'Insightful, honest, and reflective... a fantastic insight into a process few outside the production bubble will ever get to witness... grab a copy today' * Everything Theatre *'An inspirational and insightful read... the level of detail that the book affords into the rehearsal process is particularly fascinating, taking us so far behind the scenes you can smell the greasepaint... jam-packed full of hard-won insights and all kinds of practical advice' * There Ought To Be Clowns *'Remarkable... a fascinating insight into the process of getting Hamilton staged... a must-read for all Hamilton fans, but even if Hamilton doesn't set your world alight it is a book I would recommend for any theatre fan or performer anyway due to the insight it gives in preparing for a role and the process of getting a West End show on stage' * Musical Theatre Musings *'A smart blend of memoir and vital insight into what performers go through to get a show on the road... an absolute delight. Illuminating about both the craft of acting and the glorious show that is Hamilton, it takes you on a whirlwind journey through what was clearly an incredibly important period in Giles Terera's life. Thoroughly recommended for anyone with an interest in acting, Hamilton, or just theatre in general' * Mind The Blog *'A great read, with beautiful photographs and steeped with history and experiences from Terera's view. If you love Hamilton you will love this book!' * Confessions of a Bookworm *'Well-written from the heart and very interesting, this book provides an insight into the life of an actor and how Giles approached the development of his character. A super resource for students and teachers alike' * Word Matters (Journal of the Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama) *

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Book SynopsisRiff explores the turbulent life of the Caribbean musician and poet Shake Keane (1927-97). A wanderer, he absorbed many of the themes of the 20th century - colonialism, migration and masculinity. Each of them found expression in his work. Born in St Vincent, he migrated to London in the early 1950s where he became an important figure in the free form jazz scene. A return to his birthplace was blighted by politics, and his last decades were spent in New York City and Norway where he experienced a degree of emotional peace despite financial difficulties. This biography reveals the many features of the life of this trend-setting but troubled Caribbean icon.

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Book SynopsisThis autobiography by Leanne Benjamin with Sarah Crompton reveals the extraordinary life and career of one of the worlds most important ballet dancers of the past fifty years. The book takes you behind the scenes to find a real understanding of the pleasure and the pain, the demands and the intense commitment it requires to become a ballet dancer. It is a book for ballet-lovers which will explain from Benjamins personal point of view, how ballet has changed and is changing. It is a book of history: she was first taught by the people who created ballet in its modern form and now she works with the dancers of today, handing on all she has known and learnt. But it is also a book for people who are just interested in the psychology of achievement, how you go from being a child in small-town Rockhampton in the centre of Australia to being a power on the worlds biggest stages -- and how an individual copes with the ups and downs of that kind of career. It is a story full of big names and big personalities -- Margot Fonteyn, Kenneth MacMillan, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Darcey Bussell, Carlos Acosta to name a few. President Clinton, Michelle Obama, Diana Princess of Wales and David Beckham all make an appearance. But it is also a book of small moments of insight: what makes a performance special, how you recover from injury, illness and childbirth; how you combine athletic and artistic prowess with motherhood, how a different partner can alter everything, what it is like to fall over in front of thousands of people and what it is like to triumph. Above all, it seeks to explain, in warm and human terms, why women get the reputation for being difficult in a world where being a good girl is too much prized. And what they can do about it.Trade Review"Leannes extraordinary journey really comes to life in this refreshingly honest account of her career in dance. She was not only a brilliant Principal with The Royal Ballet but has made a significant impact on the artform through her coaching of the next generation of performers. With her consummate artistry, tenacity, warmth and wit, she truly is built for ballet!" Kevin OHare, Director, The Royal Ballet

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Book SynopsisAfter decades of speculation, Robyn Crawford, a close friend and confidante of Whitney Houston, tells her side of the story.

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Book SynopsisThe first major life of the outstanding British painter and Jack the Ripper suspect Walter Sickert (1860-1942), by the highly acclaimed biographer of Aubrey Beardsley.Walter Richard Sickert is perhaps the outstanding figure of British art during the last hundred years. Many contemporary painters, from Hodgkin and Bacon to Auerbach and Kossof, acknowledge a debt to his influence. His career spanned six decades of unceasing experiment and achievement. As a young artist, he was welcomed and encouraged by Degas. He was the disciple of Whistler and mentor of Beardsley. He founded the London Impressionists and the Camden Town Group. He was taken up by both the Woolfs and the Sitwells. He gave painting lessons to Winston Churchill.His energy was prodigious and his personality fascinating: he was also an illustrator, cartoonist, writer, polemicist, teacher and wit. He relished controversy: his early paintings of London music halls and his late works, based on 18th-century etchings and contemTrade Review‘[Sturgis] clearly has a profound sense of the paradoxes underlying the man and his work. Meticulous, heartfelt and thoroughly convincing.’ Times Literary Supplement ‘A truly comprehensive, grandsweep biography. Detailed, amusing and moving. Brilliantly done, an outstanding achievement. At last Sickert has the biography he deserves." Spectator ‘Excellent and authoritative, Sturgis's scholarship is exemplary.’ Guardian ‘A fine biography.’ Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday ‘A biography that is as sure in its chronicling of artistic movements and trends as in its acute attention to the life of its subject.’ Financial Times ‘Magisterial, taut and fresh, it is a measure of how impressive Sickert's life, career and influence is that it feels more apt to argue that the artist has been fortunate in his biographer.’ Independent

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Book SynopsisThe New York Times bestselling author and Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean returns with more inspiring stories of people who know how to find light in dark times.While the news is filled with villains and villainy, we do see a few famous heroes now and again. But what about the everyday heroes? The people going out of their way bring a little love into someone else''s life? They deserve a time in the spotlight to inspire us all.Life can be tough—but it helps to know other people have come through hard times with a smile on their face. In Make Your Own Sunshine, Janice Dean shares inspiring stories that will lift your spirit and touch your heart. Good people are all around us doing selfless deeds, from a firefighter who bravely battled for his colleague’s health after 9/11 to a good Samaritan who secretly pays for the coffees of everyone in line behind him.  You can’t help but smile reading about the teacher who cut her hair to make her student feel better.  And you may shed a tear when you hear the story of the dad who never missed writing a napkin note for his daughter, including stashing extra notes in case he lost his batter with cancer.  From a young man who makes bow ties for dogs waiting to be adopted to an Uber driver who brightened a new mom’s day by helping her buy baby clothes, the heroes in this story will warm your heart and stick in your mind.Janice has made it her mission to uncover and document these good stories to inspire us and gives us a much-needed boost of optimism. All we have to do is open our minds and our hearts, to look for the light on a cloudy day. Because as she reminds us, if we don’t make our own sunshine—who will? 

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Book SynopsisStephen Davis's many acclaimed books include the classic Led Zeppelin biography Hammer of the Gods, the Rolling Stones history Old Gods Almost Dead, as well as the New York Times bestsellers Walk This Way (with Aerosmith), and Fleetwood (with Mick Fleetwood). He lives in Boston.Trade ReviewAs near-definitive as we are likely to get. Detailed, shocking and scrupulously researched, it is an addictive and often harrowing read * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisMargot Fonteyn - born plain Peggy Hookham - was dreamed into existence by the architects of British ballet: Ninette de Valois, Frederick Ashton and Constant Lambert. Carried to fame on a wave of wartime patriotism, Margot''s sense of duty rather than ambition propelled her forward. Yet her gifts were such that her pre-eminence would come to eclipse the careers of subsequent generations.Ballet is a fairytale world; if Margot, like the pure and poetic heroine of Swan Lake, was a natural Odette, she would also have to contend with virtue''s raw shadow-side in the guise of Constant Lambert, Roberto Arias and Rudolph Nureyev - the men who, like Von Rothbart, were to take possession of her heart.

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Book SynopsisIn Django, Michael Dregni offers a definitive portrait of the great guitarist. Born in a gypsy caravan at a crossroads in Belgium, he overcame a childhood injury to became Europe's most famous jazz musician, commanding exorbitant feesand spending the money as fast as he made it. Dregni not only chronicles his remarkably colorful lifeincluding a fascinating account of gypsy culturebut he also sheds much light on Django's musicianship. He examines themultitude of diverse musical forms to which he applied his genius, and the people with whom he collaborated. Along the way, the author offers vivid snapshots of the jazz scene in Paris, and of Django's vagabond wanderings around France, Europe, and the United States. Capturing the extraordinary life and times of one of the great musicians of the twentieth century, Django is a must-read portrait of a true original.Trade Review"One of the most satisfying jazz biographies in recent years.... Dregni writes lyrically of a place where the crosscurrents of art, music and fashion collided to produce a cultural richness that happens only once or twice a century, if humans are lucky.... Rich and rewarding."--Baltimore Sun"Extremely informative.... An important appreciation of an oft-forgotten musician.... Dregni carefully dissects Reinhardt's virtuoso playing style without resorting to technical jargon, and he spends plenty of time tending to Reinhardt's passionate soul--artistic, gypsy and otherwise."--Mitch Myers, DownBeat"A rags-to-riches story of a unique talent whose works continue to touch aspiring guitarists of all genres."--Library Journal (starred review)"A compelling portrait of this colorful musician, one that gives equal time to Reinhardt's fascinating story as well as ample musical analysis."--JazzTimes"An encyclopedic account of the Gypsy jazzman's life and times that provides an abundance of new information, finds new connections between what was already known, and clears up many misconceptions along the way."--Guitar Player"In many ways the book jazz enthusiasts have been waiting for.... Fascinating and well-written. Dregni's musical analysis will send fans running to the stereo, digging out the old recordings and listening with fresh ears. Guitarists will have a feast reading about Django's technique and his famous Selmer Maccaferri guitar. Although Django will always be a larger-than-life figure, Dregni has given us a much clearer picture of the man behind the myth. 'Django' is, for now, the definitive biography, and we are in Dregni's debt for considerably advancing our understanding of the remarkable Django Reinhardt, his music and the world he lived in."--David French, Los Angeles Times Book Review"Dregni's biography does his complex subject justice.... His immersion in the period's history enriches his storytelling and our understanding. The panoramic results present Django Reinhardt as he has never been seen.... Dregni clarifies a lot of history while weaving an illuminated web of contexts around his subject. He vividly describes Gypsy life and mores, and anti-Gypsy bigotry; unearths new aspects of Reinhardt's life and work; discusses Parisian musette, American 'hot' jazz and bebop, and classical music; and insightfully details the music Reinhardt made and the instruments and people he made it with."--Gene Santoro, The New York Times Book Review"There was only one Django Reinhardt, and Dregni supplies a vivid, detailed portrait of the man behind the guitar.... Dregni has given us Reinhardt the man--rascal, scoundrel, transcendent improviser, failed human being."--Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle"The great strength of his book is his tireless research into the world of Django's gypsy roots. He has tracked down and interviewed as many of Reinhardt's relatives as he can find, as well as older gypsies who knew and worked with him. The result is a more complete portrait of Reinhardt's inner life, including his relationships with his parents, his wife and many other women, and two sons. There is even a detailed account of the tragic fire that cost him two fingers.... Django is a remarkable book, and its outsider's perspective is part of the reason."--New York Sun"In this carefully researched biography, rich with details from interviews with family members, friends and musicians, Dregni brings legendary Gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt into the spotlight.... Dregni casts Django as a mercurial, charismatic Romany innocent, alternately transfixed by dajo life and dismissive of it. Colorful descriptions of the nightclubs of jazz-age Paris and sensitive appraisals of Django's musicianship add to the book's appeal."--Publishers Weekly"The book is alive from beginning to end, and after awhile you feel like you were there as Django's career unfolds. Dregni insures that the story behind the music will not fade. Musicians, guitarists, students of the history of WWII, and those who love a good biography will love this book."--Frank Forte, Just Jazz Guitar"Dregni...not only has managed to break into the French milieu of jazz aficionados and sects in which Django worked but has penetrated the Gypsy, or Romany, world from which Django emerged--a clannish world whose existence, well into the nineteen-fifties and sixties, was still largely furtive, outdoors, vagabond, and, occasionally, criminal. Dregni clears up the two much mystified areas of Django's life--what exactly he did during the Second World War, and what really happened on his one trip to America, in 1946--and he sorts through the music and, nice bonus, manages to suggest plots for at least three fine French movie musicals."--Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker"Uncovers the influences that helped fuse Reinhardt's unique talent and background with a developing music scene that would eventually become a lasting art form."--Vintage Guitar Magazine

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Book SynopsisNow available in paperback, William C. Banfield’s acclaimed collection of interviews delves into the lives and work of forty-one Black composers. Each of the profiled artists offers a candid self-portrait that explores areas from training and compositional techniques to working in a exclusive canon that has existed for a very long time. At the same time, Banfield draws on sociology, Western concepts of art and taste, and vernacular musical forms like blues and jazz to provide a frame for the artists’ achievements and help to illuminate the ongoing progress and struggles against industry barriers. Expanded illustrations and a new preface by the author provide invaluable added context, making this new edition an essential companion for anyone interested in Black composers or contemporary classical music. Composers featured: Michael Abels, H. Leslie Adams, Lettie Beckon Alston, Thomas J. Anderson, Dwight Andrews, Regina Harris Baiocchi, David Baker, William C. Ban?eld, YsayTrade Review"If you are intrigued by the mystery of artistic creativity, this is your book. If you want to know where these musicians believe they stand among their white peers, read on. If you are curious about how non-commercial composers and performers thrive or survive in our warped economy, there is much here to consider." --On the Seawall"Traversing a richly diverse gamut of Black culture and heritage across classical and jazz-- which many here agree is in effect ‘the classical music of America’—the crucial contribution of Black composers in and far beyond the US becomes clear. Wise, moving, and thought-provoking, it's a timely reiteration of the continued need for their wider acknowledgment." --BBC Music Magazine“A valuable guide to the repertoire.”--Times Union"While some composers are familiar (including Herbie Hancock and Bobby McFerrin), the overwhelming impression is how many unsung Black composers have contributed so much pleasure to music lovers. It’s abundantly clear their work has enriched and expanded the world’s musical palette. . . . A book that should be in every music lover’s library." --Library Journal, Starred ReviewTable of ContentsDedication Foreword Preface: Black Beethovens: Essential Conversations with American Composers In Loving Memory Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1: Laying the Foundations Part 2: The Arrived and the Acknowledged, Part 1 (1922–1936) H. Leslie Adams Thomas J. Anderson David Baker Noel DaCosta George Russell Hale Smith Frederick C. Tillis George Walker Part 3: The Arrived and the Acknowledged, Part 2 (1937–1945) Adolphus Hailstork Wendell Logan Dorothy Rudd Moore Olly Wilson Part 4: Perspectives on Spirituality, Jazz, and Contemporary Popular Languages Dwight Andrews Ysaye Maria Barnwell Billy Childs George Duke Jester Hairston Herbie Hancock Stephen Newby Michael Powell Billy Taylor Tony Williams Michael Woods Part 5: The Composer as Conductor and Composer Leslie Dunner Bobby McFerrin Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson Patrice Rushen Kevin Scott Julius Williams Part 6: Generation X and Beyond (1950–1965) Michael Abels Lettie Beckon Alston William C. Banfield Regina Harris Baiocchi Anthony Davis Donal Fox Jonathan Holland Anthony Kelley Jeffrey Mumford Gary Powell Nash Evelyn Simpson-Curenton James Kimo Williams Postlude: Extensions of the Tradition—Linkages and Canon Index About the Author

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Let's celebrate the many dimensions of Agnès Varda as one of the greatest artists working today. Conway succeeds in capturing her curiosity, ingenuity, wit, and new storytelling to confirm her status as the indefatigable pioneer of European cinema."--Hans Ulrich Obrist"Kelley Conway builds upon a vast array of archival research to forge this insightful study of Agnès Varda's distinct approach to filmmaking. Conway concentrates on Varda's experimental production strategies and Varda's engagement with her audience across a truly amazing career."--Richard Neupert, author of A History of the French New Wave Cinema, second edition"Drawing on privileged access to the filmmaker's archives, Kelley Conway expands our understanding of Agnès Varda in several new and eye-opening ways. Offering welcome insight into Varda’s working methods, revisiting the production, distribution and reception of the filmmaker's classics from La Pointe Courte and Cléo de 5 à 7 to Les Plages d'Agnès and her recent multi-media installations, Conway illuminates the astonishingly varied, yet coherent, life-long creative output of one of the key figures in world cinema."--Ginette Vincendeau, coeditor of The French New Wave: Critical Landmarks"A breakthrough text on Varda's trajectory from photography and film to video, digital media, and installation projects. Conway's pages on the reception of Cleo from 5 to 7 are stunning. Her take on The Gleaners and I, The Widows of Noirmoutier , and The Beaches of Agnès is astute." --Steven Ungar, coauthor of Popular Front Paris and the Poetics of Culture"Conway writes in an easy, conversational manner, conveying a good deal of information and numerous insights… Varda remains one of the least-examined figures of the French New Wave, so this book is especially welcome. Highly recommended."--Choice"The meticulous archival research, and the author's personal connection to her subject combine to make Agnès Varda an engaging, helpful read for scholars, students, and laypersons alike."--French Review"An excellent, in-depth study of the major works of the pioneering French New Wave auteur Agnes Varda, who not only preceded and helped to found the movement, but also became one of its most outstanding figures. . . . Agnes Varda is an outstanding work, not to mention a labor of love, and this love is evident in the scholarly care and expertise tendered to understanding Varda's working process and her life's work."--Film Matters

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Book SynopsisEverybody knows the hits of 1984-pop music''s greatest year. From Thriller to Purple Rain, Girls Just Want to Have Fun to Like a Virgin, Hello to Against All Odds, Sister Christian to Love Is a Battlefield, What''s Love Got to Do with It to Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, they continue to dominate advertising, karaoke nights, and the soundtracks for film classics (Boogie Nights) and TV hits (Stranger Things). But the story of that thrilling, turbulent time, an era when Top 40 radio was both the leading edge of popular culture and a moral battleground, has never been told with the full detail it deserves-until now.Can''t Slow Down is the definitive portrait of the exploding world of mid-eighties pop and the time it defined, from Cold War anxiety to the home-computer revolution. Big acts like Michael Jackson (Thriller), Prince (Purple Rain), Madonna (Like a Virgin), Bruce Springsteen (Born in the U.S.A.), and George Michael (Wham!'

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Book SynopsisAn intimate look at movie star Steve McQueen''s reckless life of fast cars, women, and drugs all the way up to his dramatic life-change and terminal cancer diagnosis.Join Greg Laurie as he takes a cross-country drive in his 1968 Highland Green Ford Mustang 390 GT through the canyons of Malibu, the alleys of Hollywood, the wide and open roads of the Midwest, and the streets of New York as he traces the woolly geography of actor Steve McQueen''s life, relationships, career, and spiritual journey. This iconic muscle car was the vehicle McQueen drove in his most raucous and enduring film, Bullitt. In the 1960s, McQueen was, according to box office receipts, the biggest movie star of his generation and one of the coolest men to ever walk the planet. Greg Laurie was a teen at the time and an ardent fan of The King of Cool, first mesmerized by McQueen in 1963''s The Great Escape. Like millions of cinema fans, Greg developed a

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Book SynopsisThis revealing look at the life and career of Howard Stern examines his role as a champion of free speech and his amazing success at bringing his own unique brand of "reality" radio to the airwaves.First Amendment rights, particularly freedom of speech, play an integral part in all modern means of communication.

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Book SynopsisThe unauthorised biography of Canada's most famous artist couple and the rivalry that drove them.

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Book SynopsisNamed one of the Best Books of 2023 by the New Yorker and The New York Times'' Dwight GarnerThe first comprehensive biography of this hipster magus . . . [John Szwed] allows different sides of Smith's personality to catch blades of sun. He brings the right mixture of reverence and comic incredulity to his task. Dwight Garner, The New York TimesGrammy Awardwinning music scholar and celebrated biographer John Szwed presents the first biography of Harry Smith, the brilliant eccentric who transformed twentieth century art and culture.He was an anthropologist, filmmaker, painter, folklorist, mystic, and walking encyclopedia. He taught Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe about the occult, swapped drugs with Timothy Leary, had a front-row seat to a young Thelonious Monk, lived with (and tortured) Allen Ginsberg, was admired by Susan Sontag, and was one of the first artists funded by Guggenheim Foundation. He was always broke

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Book SynopsisWilliam Forsythe's reinvigoration of classical ballet during his 20-year tenure at the Ballett Frankfurt saw him lauded as one of the greatest choreographers of the postwar era. His current work with The Forsythe Company has gone even further to challenge and investigate fundamental assumptions about choreography itself.William Forsythe and the Practice of Choreography presents a diverse range of critical writings on his work, with illuminating analysis of his practice from an interdisciplinary perspective. The book also contains insightful working testaments from Forsythe's collaborators, as well as a contribution from the choreographer himself.With essays covering all aspects of Forsythe's past and current work, readers are provided with an unparalleled view into the creative world of this visionary artist, as well as a comprehensive resource for students, scholars, and practitioners of ballet and contemporary dance today.Table of ContentsIntroduction The Practice of Choreography Steven Spier 1. Watching the Frankfurt Ballet, 1988-2004 Roslyn Sulcas 2. Of Monsters and Puppets: After the "Robert Scott Complex" Gerald Siegmund 3. Splintered Encounters: The Critical Reception to William Forsythe in the United States, 1979-1989 Mark Franko 4. Njinsky’s Heir: A Classical Company Leads Modern Dance Senta Driver 5. Timbral Architectures, Aurality’s Force: Sound and Music Chris Salter 6. Dancing Music: The Intermodality of The Forsythe Company. An Auditory Turn Freya Vass-Rhee 7. Choreographic Objects William Forsythe 8. Decreation: Fragmentation and Continuity Dana Caspersen 9. Inside the Knot that Two Bodies Make Steven Spier 10. Aberrations of Gravity Heidi Gilpin 11. The Space of Memory: The Ballets Gerald Siegmund 12. Choreographic Thinking and Amateur Bodies Steven Spier

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Book SynopsisThe first book to explore the life and times of Chinese artist, businesswoman, socialite and style expert âMadame Songâ, whose life was spent in the company of a Whoâs Who of Cold War China and which paralleled the highs and lows of the countryâs history. The extraordinary life story of Song Huai-Kuei, better known as Madame Song, follows the arc of 20th-century history. Artist, entrepreneur and impresario, Song broke cultural barriers for love, transcended Cold War borders for her art, and laid the foundations for a global fashion industry. With her cosmopolitan outlook, she defined an influential vision for Chinese culture on the world stage and asserted an Asian perspective in 21st-century art and design. Madame Song is a name that everyone interested in the roots of contemporary visual culture needs to know. At the heart of this volume is a critical biography that explores Songâs youth in revolutionary China, her cross-cultural marriage to Bulgarian fibre artist Maryn VarbanTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Beijing to Sofia (1937–58) 2. Sofia to Paris (1959–74) 3. Paris to Beijing (1975–81) 4. Hangzhou to Beijing (1982–89) 5. Beijing to the World (1989–2006)

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Book SynopsisThe first of two titles by the Manic Street Preachers'' bassist and lyricist, Nicky Wire. For more than twenty years and from Blackwood, Wales to Tokyo, Japan, Nicky Wire has kept a personal visual history of the band in their various stages from Generation Terrorists through Holy Bible and right up to last year''s remarkable album, Postcards from a Young Man. Edited down from over 1,000 of Wire''s personal polaroids and with accompanying text by the man himself, Death of The Polaroid promises to be a rich, visual biography of one of the most loved and iconoclastic British bands of the past two decades.

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Book SynopsisGeorge Harrison was always known as the ''quiet Beatle'' As part of the biggest band in pop history, he took a back seat to Paul McCartney and John Lennon, but his talent shone through in the composition of classic songs such as ''Something'' and ''Here Comes The Sun''. In his solo career he occasionally threatened to eclipse both John and Paul on the world stage, and he joined forces with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Jeff lynne to create the massively succsessful supergroup the Traveling Wilburys.However, the success of his professional life was often met by turmoil in his private life, and the loss of first wife Patti to best friend Eric Clapton, the traumatic attempt on his life by a knife wielding intruder and his final struggle against cancer meant that George Harrison''s life was nothing if not dramatic.Bestselling author Marc Shapiro has exclusively interviewed friends and former colleagues of the enigmatic guitar legend. This revealing biography reafTrade ReviewA well-written and informative volume. * Record Collector *

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He was jazz''s first hipster. He performed in sunglasses and coined and popularized phrases like that''s cool and you dig? He always wore a suit and his trademark porkpie hat. He influenced everyone from B. B. King to Stan Getz to Allen Ginsberg, creating a lyrical style of playing that forever changed the sound of the tenor saxophone.In this groundbreaking biography of Lester Young (1909-1959), historian Douglas Daniels brings to life the man and his world, and corrects a number of misconceptions. Even though others have identified Young as a Kansas City musician, Daniels traces his roots to the blues of Louisiana and his early years traveling with his father''s band and the legendary Oklahoma City Blue Devils. Later we see the jazz culture of New York in the early 1940s, when Young was launched to national and international fame with the Count Basie Orchestra and began to accompany his close friend Billie Holiday. After a year spent in an Army prison on a conviction for marij

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Book SynopsisUpdates and expands Claghorn's previous book, Women Composers and Hymnists (Scarecrow, 1984), presenting succinct biographies for female composers in both secular and sacred music.Trade ReviewThe book will especially appeal to scholars and students of women's studies, music, and history. * Music Educators Journal *Users will find it a very helpful source of hard-to-find biographical information for services or programs featuring the music of women composers or hymn writers. * The Diapason *An excellent addition to any school's professional library. * Rethinking Schools *

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Book SynopsisThe first comprehensive biography of the director behind Godzilla and other Japanese sci-fi classics.Ishiro Honda was arguably the most internationally successful Japanese director of his generation, with an unmatched succession of science fiction films that were commercial hits worldwide. From the atomic allegory of Godzilla and the beguiling charms of Mothra to the tragic mystery of Matango and the disaster and spectacle of Rodan, The Mysterians, King Kong vs. Godzilla, and many others, Honda''s films reflected postwar Japan''s real-life anxieties and incorporated fantastical special effects, a formula that appealed to audiences around the globe and created a popular culture phenomenon that spans generations. Now, in the first full account of this long overlooked director''s life and career, authors Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski shed new light on Honda''s work and the experiences that shaped itincluding his days as a reluctant Japanese soldier, witnessing the aftermath of Hiroshima

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Book SynopsisTales, dreadful and delightful, from the disaster-prone world of international opera.Table of ContentsContentsPreface 91. Who Do You Think You Are? 132. Mixed Blessings 353. Learning the Ropes 574. Which Way to Go? 735. A Whole New World 896. After the Flood 1137. Crossing the Language Barrier 1398. Getting There 1579. Life as You Least Expect it 17510. The Final Curtain 191CDs and DVDs 222

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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