Composers and songwriters Books
University of Illinois Press Colin McPhee
Book SynopsisColin McPhee was a performer, writer, and pioneer among Western composers in turning to Asia for inspiration. A close friend of Aaron Copland, Carlos Chavez, Henry Cowell, and Virgil Thomson, he played a vital role in new music activities in New York in the 1920s. But his most important accomplishments emerged from his devotion to the music of Bali. After hearing rare recordings of the Balinese gamelan--a percussion orchestra with delicately layered textures and clangorous sounds--McPhee traveled to Bali to learn more. There, he worked closely with Western anthropologists like Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson. McPhee became a devoted and meticulous chronicler of Balinese musical culture in classic texts like Music of Bali while integrating Balinese and Western music into an imaginative hybrid that anticipated work by John Cage, Lou Harrison, and Steve Reich.A fascinating portrait of an unconventional artist-scholar, Colin McPhee evocatively looks at key issues Trade Review"A strong and necessary argument for the reconsideration of McPhee's work as a composer."--Larry Polansky, Ethnomusicology"Carol Oja has recounted his story with outstanding thoroughness and sensitivity. . . . McPhee's legacy is a small body of specialized work, creative and scholarly, that suggested new paths in the music of this century. It deserved--indeed, awaited--the full and well-balanced study Oja has given it."--John Beckwith, American Music
£999.99
University of Illinois Press Composing a World
Book SynopsisComposing a World is the definitive work on Lou Harrison, the prolific California composer often cited as one of America''s most original and influential figures. The product of extensive research, including seventy-five interviews with the composer and those associated with him over half a century, Composing a World includes chapters on music and dance, intonation and tuning, instrument building, music criticism, Harrison''s political activism, homosexuality, Asian influences, and final years. This edition features an updated catalog of works reflecting compositions completed after 1997. It also includes an annotated work list detailing more than 300 compositions and a CD featuring over seventy-four minutes of illustrative Harrison compositions, including several unique and previously unrecorded works.A compelling and deeply human portrait, Composing a World offers an indispensable study of a beloved musical pioneer.Trade Review"Garrulous and loving, remarkably successful in distilling abstruse musical manipulation--e.g., the mathematics governing the many kinds of tuning in Harrison's music--this is one of those rare musical biographies that draws you close to the subject with words of kindness rather than scholarly gobbledygook or scabrous patter."--Alan Rich, San Francisco Sunday Examiner"An inspirational assessment of the American maverick."--BBC Music Magazine"[S]eemingly manages the impossible in striking a perfect balance between convention and alterity, seriousness and humor, scholarship and celebration, erudition and readability, macrocosm and microcosm . . . A minor musicological miracle."--David Nicholls, Notes
£999.99
MO - University of Illinois Press Marga Richter
Book SynopsisBeyond Blackberry Vines and Winter Fruit - the life and works of an important woman composerTrade Review"Recommended."--Choice"Marga Richter has long been a highly respected contributor to classical repertoire, and this volume is significant as the first focused examination of her life and oeuvre. It will be valued by musicians and nonmusicians alike who are interested in contemporary classical music."--Ellen K. Grolman, author of Joan Tower: The Comprehensive Bio-Bibliography
£999.99
MO - University of Illinois Press Yellow Power Yellow Soul The Radical Art of Fred
Book SynopsisExplores the life, work, and persona of saxophonist Fred Ho, an unabashedly revolutionary artist whose illuminating and daring work redefines the relationship between art and politics.Trade Review "This powerful volume is an antiphonal response to Fred Ho's revolutionary music and politics. Ho's aesthetics are assertive, demanding, unequivocal, absolute, polemical, unrelenting, and beautiful, and his friends and colleagues have responded in kind. This collection carries forward Ho's message."--Deborah Wong, author of Speak It Louder: Asian Americans Making Music "[Yellow Power, Yellow Soul] provides great insight into Ho's formative years, his writing process with a variety of collaborators, and the evolution of his aesthetics and philosophies."--Journal of the Society for American Music "Those genuinely interested in the transgressive and transcendent potential of performance and cultural production as well as the political power of transcultural solidarity would do well to engage Yellow Power Yellow Soul."--Journal of Asian American StudiesTable of ContentsContributors: Roger N. Buckley, Peggy Myo-Young Choy, Jayne Cortez, Kevin Fellezs, Diane C. Fujino, Magdalena Gomez, Richard Hamasaki, Esther Iverem, Robert Kocik, Genny Lim, Ruth Margraff, Bill V. Mullen, Tamara Roberts, Arthur J. Sabatini, Kalamu ya Salaam, Miyoshi Smith, Arthur Song, and Salim Washington.
£999.99
MO - University of Illinois Press Alec Wilder
Book SynopsisA biography and critical investigation of Alec Wilder's music.Trade ReviewCertificate of Merit for Best Historical Research in Classical Music, Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC), 2014. "Saturated with rich, detailed research, this book stands as a clear and concise introduction to Alec Wilder's life and work that is carefully geared to appeal to both musicians and nonmusicians."--Jeffrey Magee, author of Irving Berlin's American Musical Theater"This thoughtful and innovative study is a welcome addition to the body of material on this composer. Recommended."--Choice
£999.99
MO - University of Illinois Press Aaron Jay Kernis
Book SynopsisWinner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the Grawemeyer Award, Aaron Jay Kernis achieved recognition as one of the leading composers of his generation while still in his thirties. This book offers a mid-career portrait of a major American cultural figure.Trade Review"It is all too rare to have such a comprehensive account of a living composer, one, in fact, of a composer who is still at the height of his creative powers. So Leta Miller's fascinating new book about Aaron Jay Kernis is extremely welcome, not only because it shines light on many of his important compositions, but because it is also a really good read! In revealing that the life of a present day composer can be every bit as compelling as the biographies of the so-called old masters, hopefully it will encourage authors and publishers to further mine the life stories of other leading music creators of our time."--Frank J. Oteri, composer and founding editor of NewMusicBox"Aaron Jay Kernis is one of the most important and original voices in contemporary music. Writing about a living composer and explaining contemporary music present enormous challenges. Leta Miller meets them with uncanny skill. Illuminating Kernis' life and getting to the core of his music, she finds fascinating and important links between them."--Hugh Wolff, Director of Orchestras and Chair of Orchestral Conducting, New England Conservatory"In Leta Miller's wonderfully intimate and detailed portrait of Aaron Kernis, she chronicles his personal and professional progression to become one of the world's leading voices in new music. Her book inspires me to revisit the works I know with new insight, to listen to the works I have missed and to anticipate many years of amazing new creations."--David Shifrin"Enjoyable and readable. The sections on the Pulitzer and Grawemeyer; his studies with Wuorinen; the accounts of rehearsals of his music by Jacob Druckman, Zubin Mehta, and Kurt Masur; the music itself; the variety of styles that he drew from; brief connections to minimalism, rap, jazz, and popular music--all were interesting to read. I found her discussion of turning points within his career, and consistencies within his style (including eclecticism itself), to be strongly supported by the presentation and analyses of his music. Not only does she point out Judaic, popular, and personal references in the music, she provides a wider context of understanding about their meaning in his output as a whole."--Sharon Mirchandani, author of Marga RichterTable of ContentsACKNOWLEDGMENTS vii 1. Introduction 1 2. Learning the Craft: Early Years and Training (1960-1983) 7 3. Kernis Meets the New York Philharmonic 26 4. Coming to Grips with History (1984-1991) 43 5. War, with Interludes (1991-1995) 71 6. Triumphs and Tribulations: Big Commissions, Big Risks, Big Rewards (1995-2001) 100 7. Family Matters (2002-2009) 126 8. Looking to the Future 152APPENDIX: CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF WORKS 163SUGGESTED LISTENING 171NOTES 173INDEX 185
£999.99
University of Washington Press Classical Seattle Maestros Impresarios Virtuosi
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Melinda Bargreen’s Classical Seattle is a who’s who of the city’s classical-music scene over the past half-century, an entertaining recapitulation of interviews she did while serving as the music critic for The Seattle Times and writing for other publications." -- Ellen Emry Heltzel * Seattle Times *Table of ContentsIntroduction THE MAESTROS Milton Katims: The Toscanini Protégé Rainer Miedel and Cordelia Wikarski Miedel: The Maestro and the Maestra Gerard Schwarz: The Consummate Music Director Ludovic Morlot: The Symphonic Innovator Peter Erős: The Old-School Maestro Vilem Sokol: The Patron Saint Of The Podium Stephen Stubbs: The Early-Music Innovator George Shangrow: The People’s Maestro Resident Conductors: The Vital Links in the Music Community THE IMPRESARIOS Glynn Ross: The Bantam of the Opera Speight Jenkins: The Ring Master Toby Saks: The Impresaria Louis Richmond: The Chamber Orchestra Pathfinder THE VIRTUOSI Béla Siki: The Elegant Stylist John Cerminaro: The Man With The Golden Horn Randolph Hokanson: The Old Master Silvia Kind: The Free Spirit Of The Harpsichord Eva Heinitz: The Greatest Gambist Robin McCabe: The Keyboard Diplomat Ronald Phillips: The Consummate Clarinetist Craig Sheppard: The Classicist Of The Ivories THE COMPOSERS Alan Hovhaness: The Composer of the Mountains William Bolcom: The Compositional Innovator Samuel Jones: The Harmony Seeker THE POWER BROKERS AND PATRONS William and Ruth Gerberding: The Couple Who Made Things Happen William Bain, Jr.: The Architect Of The Boardroom Hans Lehmann: The Renaissance Man Samuel N. Stroum: The Mover And Shaker Deborah (Card) Rutter: The Power Behind The Podium Sam and Gladys Rubinstein: The Key Advisors Buster and Nancy Alvord: The Practical Donors Jerry and Lenore Hanauer: The Imaginative Operaphiles John and Laurel Nesholm: The Activists For The Arts Charles Simonyi: The Genius Philanthropist Jack and Becky Benaroya: The Ultimate Benefactors Conclusion Acknowledgments Sources Index
£39.00
Hachette Books Dave Brubeck
Book SynopsisTHE DEFINITIVE, INVESTIGATIVE BIOGRAPHY OFJAZZ LEGENDDAVE BRUBECK(TAKE FIVE) In 2003, music journalist Philip Clark was granted unparalleled access to jazz legend Dave Brubeck. Over the course of ten days, he shadowed the Dave Brubeck Quartet during their extended British tour, recording an epic interview with the bandleader. Brubeck opened up as never before, disclosing his unique approach to jazz; the heady days of his classic quartet in the 1950s-60s; hanging out with Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, and Miles Davis; and the many controversies that had dogged his 66-yearlong career. Alongside beloved figures like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, Brubeck has achieved name recognition beyond jazz. But finding a convincing fit for Brubeck''s legacy, one that reconciles his mass popularity with his advanced musical technique, has proved largely elusive. In Dave Brubeck: A Life inTime, Clark provides us with a thoughtful, thorough, and long-overdue biography of an extraordinary man whose influence continues to inform and inspire musicians today. Structured around Clark''s extended interview and intensive new research, this book recounts one of the last untold stories of jazz, unearthing the secret history of Take Five and many hitherto unknown aspects of Brubeck''s early career-and sharing details about his creative relationship with his star saxophonist, Paul Desmond. Woven throughout are cameo appearances from a host of unlikely figures, from Sting, Ray Manzarek of The Doors, and Keith Emerson to John Cage, Leonard Bernstein, Harry Partch, and Edgard Varèse. Each chapter explores a different theme or aspect of Brubeck''s life and music, illuminating the core of his artistry and genius. To quote President Obama, as he awarded the musician with a Kennedy Center Honor: You can''t understand America without understanding jazz, and you can''t understand jazz without understanding Dave Brubeck.
£21.84
Random House USA Inc Mozart Letters
Book Synopsis
£13.46
Random House USA Inc On Michael Jackson
Book SynopsisThe renowned Pulitzer Prize–winning cultural critic brilliantly unravels the complexities of one of the most enigmatic figures of our time in this passionate, incisive, and bracing work of cultural analysis.Who is Michael Jackson and what does it mean to call him a “What Is It”? What do P. T. Barnum, Peter Pan, and Edgar Allan Poe have to do with our fascination with Jackson? How did his curious Victorian upbringing and his tenure as a child prodigy on the “chitlin’ circuit” inform his character and multiplicity of selves? How is Michael Jackson’s celebrity related to the outrageous popularity of nineteenth-century minstrelsy? What is the perverse appeal of child stars for grown-ups and what is the price of such stardom for these children and for us? What uncanniness provoked Michael Jackson to become “Alone of All His Race, Alone of All Her Sex,” while establishing himself as an undeniably great perf
£999.99
Random House USA Inc All of Me
Book SynopsisIn this revealing autobiography, Canada’s first lady of song, for the first time, tells the whole story of her astonishing 40-year career in show biz. It is a candid retrospective of the extraordinary success achieved, and the prices that had to be paid.“After ‘Snowbird’ hit, I was swept up like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and catapulted into a strange new universe … If I thought for a moment that I was really in control of events, I was deluded.” Anne MurrayAn unflinching self-portrait of Canada’s first great female recording artist, All of Me documents the life of Anne Murray, from her humble origins in the tragedy-plagued coal-mining town of Springhill, Nova Scotia, to her arrival on the world stage. Anne recounts her story: the battles with her record companies over singles and albums; the struggle with drug- and alcohol-ridden band members; the terrible guilt and loneliness of being away from her two young ch
£999.99
Random House USA Inc Elvis My Best Man
Book SynopsisThe touching story of thirty years of friendship between George Klein and the King that “offers an insider’s view of Presley the man as opposed to Presley the singer, actor, and icon” (Associated Press). “You capture the essence of Elvis not only in dialogue, but also in giving the reader a sense of his personality, humor, and his spirit of play.”—Priscilla Presley When George Klein was an eighth grader at Humes High, he couldn’t have known how important the new kid with the guitar—the boy named Elvis—would later become in his life. But from the first time GK (as he was nicknamed by Elvis) heard this kid sing, he knew that Elvis Presley was someone extraordinary. During Elvis’s rise to fame and throughout the wild swirl of his remarkable life, Klein was a steady presence and one of Elvis’s closest and most loyal friends until his untimely death in 1977. In Elvis: My Best Man, a heartfelt, entertaining, and long-awaited contribution to our understanding of Elvis Presley and the early days of rock ’n’ roll, George Klein writes with great affection for the friend he knew about who the King of Rock ’n’ Roll really was and how he acted when the stage lights were off. This fascinating chronicle of boundary-breaking and music-making through one of the most intriguing and dynamic stretches of American history overflows with insights and anecdotes from someone who was in the middle of it all. From the good times at Graceland to hanging out with Hollywood stars to butting heads with Elvis’s iron-handed manager, Colonel Tom Parker, to making sure that Elvis’s legacy is fittingly honored, GK was a true friend of the King and a trailblazer in the music industry in his own right.
£999.99
Random House USA Inc Patti LuPone
Book SynopsisThe legendary Patti LuPone is one of the theatre’s most beloved leading ladies. Now she lays it all bare, sharing the intimate story of her life both onstage and off--through the dizzying highs and darkest lows--with the humor and outspokenness that have become her trademarks.With nearly 100 photographs, including an 8-page four-color insert, and illuminating details about the life of a working actor, from inspired costars and demanding directors to her distinct perspective on how she developed and honed her Tony Award–winning performances, Patti LuPone: A Memoir is as inspirational as it is entertaining. And though the title might say “a memoir,” this is ultimately a love letter to the theatre by a unique American artist.Raised on Long Island’s North Shore, Patti discovered her calling at the age of four and knew that she was destined for the stage. A prodigiously gifted child, she was one of only 36 young actors chosen for the inaugural class of The Juilliard School’s Drama Division, where she fought near-constant criticism from her instructors, and here describes those early years with disarming frankness. From the heady days of her early twenties—crisscrossing the country as a founding member of the classical repertory theatre ensemble, The Acting Company--to her early success on Broadway, her four-year stint as Libby Thacher on the television series Life Goes On, her loving marriage to Matt Johnston, and much, much more, Patti chronicles her professional and personal life with inimitable candor and wit. With its insightful retrospective of her career-defining turns, both on Broadway and abroad, in Evita, Les Misérables, Anything Goes, Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd, and Gypsy, Patti LuPone: A Memoir reveals the artist’s deeply felt passion for music and the theatre and is, in the end, the compelling and quintessential tale of an exceptional life well lived.“I have been incredibly fortunate over the course of my career to have been associated with some extraordinary dramatic and musical productions, and also some rather spectacular disasters. Looking back, I can find gifts and life lessons in every one.”
£13.29
Little, Brown & Company Johnny Cash
Book Synopsis
£20.69
Back Bay Books Its a Long Story My Life
Book Synopsis
£18.39
Farrar, Straus and Giroux Lou Reed
Book SynopsisThe only Lou Reed bio you need to read. The Washington PostA Rolling Stone best music book of 2023 One of Pitchfork's ten best music books of 2023 A Variety best music book of the year A Kirkus Reviews best nonfiction book of 2023There have been many biographies of Lou Reed, but Will Hermes has written the definitive life . . . He has brought to the assignment a sharp eye, a clear head, a lucid prose style, and a determination to let Lou be Lou, without judgment. Lucy Sante, author of Low LifeThe most complete and penetrating biography of the rock master, whose stature grows every year.Since his death in 2013, Lou Reed's living presence has only grown. The great rock poet presided over the marriage of Brill Building pop and the European avant-garde, and left American culture transfigured. In Lou Reed: The King of New York, Will Hermes offers the definitive narrative of Ree
£28.00
Random House USA Inc Journey of a Thousand Miles
Book Synopsis“Number One” was a phrase my father—and, for that matter, my mother—repeated time and time again. It was a phrase spoken by my parents’ friends and by their friends’ children. Whenever adults discussed the great Chinese painters and sculptors from the ancient dynasties, there was always a single artist named as Number One. There was the Number One leader of a manufacturing plant, the Number One worker, the Number One scientist, the Number One car mechanic. In the culture of my childhood, being best was everything. It was the goal that drove us, the motivation that gave life meaning. And if, by chance or fate or the blessings of the generous universe, you were a child in whom talent was evident, Number One became your mantra. It became mine. I never begged my parents to take off the pressure. I accepted it; I even enjoyed it. It was a game, this contest among aspiring pianists, and although I may have been shy, I was bold, even at age five, when faced
£14.24
WW Norton & Co The Compleat Mozart
Book SynopsisA Guide to the musical works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
£23.75
WW Norton & Co One Love
Book SynopsisAn intimate portrait of two years on the eve of fame by a friend and collaborator of the Wailers.
£29.99
WW Norton & Co Seven Mozart Librettos
Book SynopsisMcClatchy's heroic labor is a remarkable achievement. . . . Mozart and Da Ponte will be smiling down on this volume.Richard WilburTrade Review"Starred Review. Readers familiar with the operas will enjoy seeing their favorite passages retranslated by the sure hand of a great poet who is steeped in love for language, music, and drama. Highly recommended for all collections; an essential purchase for music libraries." -- Library Journal"To translate any one of these librettos into a readable prose text would be an accomplishment. To translate all seven into rhyming verse and prose recitative, fearlessly tackling two languages, is a major literary and musical event." -- David Lehman - The Best American Poetry blog
£37.99
WW Norton & Co Elvis Presley The Rebel Years Schirmers Visual
Book Synopsis
£11.35
WW Norton & Co Chopins Piano
Book Synopsis“An exceptionally fine book: erudite, digressive, urbane and deeply moving.” —Wall Street JournalTrade Review"Beguiling.… Limpidly written, effortlessly learned, copiously illustrated, Chopin’s Piano is a perfect illustration of how the best histories often emerge from left field." -- William Boyd - Times Literary Supplement"A sweeping story.… In graceful prose, Kildea explores developments in the history of piano-making, changes in the ways pianists have approached their craft, and, most luminously, the music of Chopin." -- Jonathan Rosenberg - Christian Science Monitor"This fascinating and beautifully written book will delight music lovers." -- Roger Kamien, author of Music: An Appreciation"Highly readable." -- Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim - The New York Times Book Review"Original, constantly interesting.… Kildea writes fluently about Chopin’s work." -- Jonathan McAloon - Financial Times"Captivating and intriguing, Chopin’s Piano will most certainly entertain both novice and hardcore music historians." -- Michael Thomas Barry - New York Journal of Books"Even those who are not musically inclined will find themselves reading this book to its very end.… [G]ripping." -- Phyllis Meras - Providence Journal"An episodic, picaresque tale, woven confidently.… [Kildea] writes knowledgeably and approachably about music and sympathetically about his cast of characters." -- Alan Rusbridger - The Spectator"In tracing the history of the Bauza piano and the lives of those who played it, Kildea achieves a combination of performance and reception history that makes one listen more closely to the music." -- Anna Picard - Times Literary Supplement"An impressive feat of wide learning intriguingly deployed.… [G]iddily well-informed.… Kildea finds illumination in the detail." -- Jonathan Gaisman - Standpoint
£12.99
Penguin Putnam Inc Neil Young a Memoir of Life and Cars
Book SynopsisThe perfect gift for music and car lovers, Special Deluxe is Neil Young's New York Times bestselling follow-up to Waging Heavy Peace that “reads like a great Neil Young song plays.” (The Buffalo News) In this acclaimed new memoir, New York Times bestselling author Neil Young has fashioned another extraordinary work of reminiscences told through the lens of one of his deepest passions: cars. A lifelong devotee and collector, Young explores his love for the well-crafted vintage automobile and examines his newfound awareness of his hobby’s negative environmental impact. Witty, eclectic, candid, and filled with Young’s original artwork, Special Deluxe will appeal to car lovers as well as the legions devoted to one of the most genuine and enigmatic artists of our time.
£24.26
Penguin Putnam Inc Forever Words
Book Synopsis
£15.30
Crown Publishing Group (NY) Gone
Book SynopsisThe spellbinding memoir of a violin virtuoso who loses the instrument that had defined her both on stage and off -- and who discovers, beyond the violin, the music of her own voice Her first violin was tiny, harsh, factory-made; her first piece was “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star.” But from the very beginning, Min Kym knew that music was the element in which she could swim and dive and soar. At seven years old, she was a prodigy, the youngest ever student at the famed Purcell School. At eleven, she won her first international prize; at eighteen, violinist great Ruggiero Ricci called her “the most talented violinist I’ve ever taught.” And at twenty-one, she found “the one,” the violin she would play as a soloist: a rare 1696 Stradivarius. Her career took off. She recorded the Brahms concerto and a world tour was planned.Then, in a London café, her violin was stolen. She felt as though she had lost her soulmate,
£20.00
The University of Michigan Press Someone to Watch Over Me
Book SynopsisOne of the 'big three' of swing tenors - along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young - Ben Webster was one of the best known and most popular saxophonists from the 1930s through the 1970s. Early in his career, Webster worked with many of the greatest orchestras of the time. This book presents the story of Webster's brilliant and troubled career.
£999.99
The University of Michigan Press Music Is My Life
Book SynopsisMusic Is My Life is the first comprehensive analysis of Louis Armstrong's autobiographical writings (including his books, essays, and letters) and their relation to his musical and visual performances. Combining approaches from autobiography theory, literary criticism, intermedia studies, cultural history, and musicology, Daniel Stein reconstructs Armstrong's performances of his life story across various media and for different audiences, complicating the monolithic and hagiographic views of the musician. The book will appeal to academic readers with an interest in African American studies, jazz studies, musicology, and popular culture, as well as general readers interested in Armstrong's life and music, jazz, and twentieth-century entertainment. While not a biography, it provides a key to understanding Armstrong's oeuvre as well as his complicated place in American history and twentieth-century media culture.
£999.99
Penguin Young Readers La Fórmula Despacito Los hits de la música latina
Book Synopsis
£15.26
Penguin Young Readers Shine Bright
Book SynopsisAmerican pop music is arguably this country’s greatest cultural contribution to the world, and its singular voice and virtuosity were created by a shining thread of Black women geniuses stretching back to the country’s founding. This is their surprising, heartbreaking, soaring story—from “one of the generation’s greatest, most insightful, most nuanced writers in pop culture” (Shea Serrano)“Sparkling . . . the overdue singing of a Black girl’s song, with perfect pitch . . . delicious to read.”—Oprah DailyONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, The Root, Variety, Esquire, The Guardian, Newsweek, Pitchfork, She Reads, Publishers WeeklySHORTLISTED FOR THE PORCHLIGHT BUSINESS BOOK AWARDA weave of biography, criticism, and memoir, Shine Bright is Danyel Smith’s intimate history of Black women’s music as the foun
£15.30
Random House USA Inc Bessie Smith
Book SynopsisA beautiful genre-bending tribute to the larger-than-life blues singer Bessie Smith. Scotland’s National Poet blends poetry, prose, fiction, and nonfiction to create an entirely unique biography of the Empress of the Blues.There has never been anyone else like Bessie Smith. Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1894 and orphaned by the age of nine, Bessie Smith sang on street corners before becoming a big name in traveling shows. In 1923, she made her first recording for the newly founded Columbia Records. It sold 780,000 copies and catapulted her to fame. Known for her unmatched vocal talent, her timeless and personal blues narratives, her tough persona, and her ability to enrapture audiences with her raw voice, the Empress of the Blues remains a force and an enigma. In this remarkable book, Kay combines history and personal narrative, poetry and prose to create an enthralling account of an extraordinary life, and to capture
£14.41
Random House Publishing Group A Book of Days
Book Synopsis
£14.40
DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley) Be More Ariana Grande
£11.69
Hal Leonard Corporation The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Piano Vocal
Book Synopsis
£17.81
Hal Leonard Corporation John Coltrane Plays Coltrane Changes
Book Synopsis
£17.09
Hal Leonard Corporation The Very Best of Johnny Cash Strum It Guitar
Book Synopsis
£999.99
Hal Leonard Corporation Bass Day 98
Book Synopsis
£18.00
Hal Leonard Corporation The Bill Evans Trio Volume 1 19591961 Featuring
Book Synopsis
£24.22
Hal Leonard Corporation COMPOSER SHOWCASE CAROL KLOSE FANCIFUL WALTZES PF
Book Synopsis
£8.40
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group Cole Porter
Book SynopsisIn his life and in his music, Cole Porter was the top—the pinnacle of wit and sophistication. From the 1910s through the ‘50s, from Yale pep rallies through the Broadway triumphs of Anything Goes and Kiss Me, Kate, he delighted audiences with a glittering torrent of song: “I Get a Kick Out of You.” “Night and Day,” “Love for Sale,” and “Just One of Those Things.” The bright surface of these gems—their catchy melodies and ingenious lyrics—made them instant pop hits. Their more subtle qualities and their musical and emotional depth have made them lasting standards, among the greatest glories of the American songbook. In Cole Porter, William McBrien has thoroughly captured the creator of these songs, whose life was one not only of wealth and privilege but also of tragedy, secrecy, and courage. A prodigal young man, Porter found his aesthetic and emotional anchor in a long, loving, i
£15.26
Hal Leonard Europe Limited U2 The Best Of 19801990 Sheet Music for Guitar
Book Synopsis
£999.99
Phaidon Press Hindemith Hartmann and Henze
Book SynopsisThe composers who dominated the mainstream development of German music.
£16.28
Phaidon Press Ltd American Pioneers
Book SynopsisA survey of the American composers who invented new musical languages.Trade Review"Smoothly executed. The chapter on Cage may well be the best introduction to his thought and work in English."—Gramophone '...Has a subtle but insistently inquiring approach to biography and details of artistic development. Alan Rich sets out the facts on early-20th-century music with clarity as well as providing a succinct summary of the background of the rise of concert music in the cultured urban classes if the west coast in the 19th century."—Musical Times On the 20th Century Composers Series "As a series, Phaidon's 20th Century Composers has brought remarkable variety and a welter of information, both necessary and delightfully trivial. Intended both for the general reader and for the more enthusiastically musical."—The ScotsmanTable of ContentsPreface/Prelude/Charles Ives/Edgard Varese/Henry Cowell/John Cage/New Sources, New Sounds/Epilogue/Selective List of Works/Further Reading/Selective Discography/Index
£15.22
Phaidon Press Ltd Benjamin Britten
Book SynopsisA portrait of the life and work of Benjamin Britten.
£14.20
Phaidon Press Ltd George Gershwin
Book SynopsisA colourful biography of George Gershwin, arguably the 20th-century's greatest songwriter.
£14.20
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Su Nombre Era Dolores
Book Synopsis
£14.39
Dover Publications Inc. Yes
Book Synopsis
£22.49
Dover Publications Inc. The Essential Gershwin Sheet Music Collection
Book Synopsis
£17.99
Alfred Publishing Co Inc.,U.S. Michael Jackson Instrumental Solos Flute Book and
Book Synopsis
£11.64
