Musicians, singers, bands and groups Books

Book SynopsisChamber Music: A Listener's Guide brings together acclaimed program annotator James Keller's essays on the essential chamber-music repertoire. Written to be meaningful to non-professional music-lovers while also providing enrichment for chamber-music professionals, these notes offer generous historical background for 193 works by 56 composers from the 18th century to the present.Trade ReviewEven after a career spent immersed in chamber music, I gained new and fascinating insights from James Keller's essays. This is a book that enlightens professionals as well as general music-lovers. I am happy we have it! * Menahem Pressler, Beaux Arts Trio *Chamber music is beloved by all musicians, and a reference such as this is welcome and needed. James Keller has given us a beautifully written guide that in a single volume targets appropriate repertoire for musicians and music-lovers. He clearly adores chamber music and, in his writing, conveys that love with passion and authority in a way that will enrich any listener or performer. * Renee Fleming *James Keller's engaging essays do exactly what great program notes should: they transport us inside classical music's fascinating scenarios of creation. Choosing intelligently from myriad possible details, Keller weaves a story about each work that has the feeling of a suspense novel, where the thrilling final chapter will be our listening experience. When describing music he is the ideal tour guide, leading us on musical journeys with enthusiasm and authority. This will be a hard-to-put-down book for anyone, from the newly-curious to the seasoned expert. Keller has provided an essential volume that will take its rightful place among music's most authoritative sources. * David Finckel and Wu Han, Artistic Directors, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center *A solid representation of musicians from a wide range of genres, time periods, and countries...Chamber Music: A Listener's Guide offers something to tempt even the most discriminating and academic individual. * New York Journal of Books *The brief overviews of the standard repertoire are excellent and will certainly serve the intended audience...Essential. * Choice *Writing a good programme note is a difficult and delicate art, and this collection of short programme-note length essays shows James Keller has it down to a T...The book is a treasure trove of learning, which Keller deploys with a wonderful lightness of touch. * BBC Music Magazine ("Five Stars Book Choice") *The mantle of America's leading program-note writer would appear to have passed to James Keller...The tone is always inviting, enthusiastic, sincere, and enlivened with touches of humor...Keller succeeds admirably in the often elusive aim of every good program-note writer of satisfying the needs of both the novice and the expert...The book might well serve as the impetus for a yearlong project to become familiar with the entire repertoire he covers. This is recommendation enough to award Keller's work a standing ovation. * Fanfare *You can trust Keller...In the end, reading Keller's engaging notes makes you want to hear the piece - a sure sign of good, descriptive music writing. * Music Media Monthly *The essays are mostly historical, well written, and quite informative. Each composition is described in terms of its emotional content, with a minimal amount of technical jargon. This excellent guide is highly recommended for all lovers of chamber music. * Library Journal Review *It's a valuable, friendly companion, whether you're onstage or in the audience...Keller provides authoritative historical backgrounds and absorbing analytical reports for each work...This is a book to desire. * Strings *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Anton Arensky ; Johann Sebastian Bach ; Samuel Barber ; Bela Bartok ; Ludwig van Beethoven ; Alban Berg ; Alexander Borodin ; Johannes Brahms ; Benjamin Britten ; Elliott Carter ; Aaron Copland ; Ruth Crawford Seeger ; George Crumb ; Achille-Claude Debussy ; Ernst von Dohnanyi ; Antonin Dvorak ; Edward Elgar ; Georges Enesco ; Gabriel Faure ; Cesar Franck ; Mikhail Glinka ; Osvaldo Golijov ; Edvard Grieg ; Franz Joseph Haydn ; Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel ; Paul Hindemith ; Jacques Ibert ; Charles Ives ; Leos Janacek ; Zoltan Kodaly ; Gyorgy Ligetti ; Bohuslav Martinu ; Felix Mendelssohn ; Olivier Messiaen ; Wolfgang Amade Mozart ; Carl Nielsen ; Francis Poulenc ; Sergei Prokofiev ; Maurice Ravel ; Steve Reich ; Silvestre Revueltas ; Camille Saint-Saens ; Arnold Schoenberg ; Franz Peter Schubert ; Clara Wieck Schumann ; Robert Schumann ; Dmitri Shostakovich ; Jean Sibelius ; Bedrich Smetana ; Igor Stravinsky ; Karol Szymanowski ; Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky ; Joan Tower ; Carl Maria von Weber ; Anton Webern ; Hugo Wolf

Read more less

Book SynopsisBright Star of the West examines the life, repertoire, and influence of Ireland's greatest sean-nós (old-style) singer, Joe Heaney (1919-1984).Trade ReviewAn engaging and exhaustive study of the historical developments and social realities that impacted Heaney's attitudes, performance styles, and his eventual rise to prominence as the sean-nós ("old-style") singer par excellence...an intimate and important look at the life of a major figure in Irish folk music. It is a significant work for ethnomusicologists, folklorists, and scholars of Irish culture, and a fitting tribute to the life and art of Joe Heaney.: * Journal of Folklore Research *In Bright Star of the West, Williams and Ó Laoire have written a text that contextualizes and gives further meaning to the music and life of Joe Heaney. * The New Hibernia Review *Authors Sean Williams and Lillis Ó Laoire [deliver] a book that is layered, beautifully non-teleological, and intimate, like loosely-sutured memories that do not strive to tell the complete social fact, but which instead subtly connect illuminating moments of performance and interpretation. * Ethnomusicology *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Singing the Dark Away ; Part One: Sean-nos Singing ; 1. Sean-nos Singing in Theory and Practice ; 2. The Performance of Sean-nos in Connemara ; Part Two: The Iconic Repertoire ; 3. Singing the Famine ; 4. The Religious Laments ; 5. The Medieval Transformed ; Part Three: Masculinity in a Musical Context ; 6. Irish Masculinities: The Irish Tenor and the Sean-nos Singer ; 7. Fighting Words, Fighting Music: The Performative Male ; Part Four: Joe Heaney in America ; 8. The Irishman at the Threshold ; 9. The Folk Revival and the Search for Authenticity ; Guide to Pronunciation ; References ; Discography ; Index

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

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

Read more less

Trade Review"Not simply an illuminating and informative book but a lively and fascinating one....The clearest, most vivid, and most credible picture known to this reviewer of this most 'universal' of musical geniuses."--Roger Sessions, The New York Times Book Review

Read more less

Book SynopsisNew York in the 1950s. On the stage at Birdland is the midget master of ceremonies, 3''9 Pee Wee Marquette, dressed in a zoot suit and loud tie, smoking a huge cigar and screeching mispronounced introductions into the microphone. Pee Wee is just one of the many characters that have made Bill Crow''s forty years in jazz seem like an instant. In the same key as his acclaimed Jazz Anecdotes, this collection of revealing, hilarious, and sometimes moving stories runs the full gamut of New York''s nightspots, introducing us along the way to the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Stan Getz, Judy Holliday, Yul Brynner, and Simon and Garfunkel.Trade Review`Oxford University Press is to be congratulated on recognising the historical value of these memories of a man who has been there' Jazz Times, April 1993`Crow's lively style perfectly illuminates his insider's view of the jazz scene of the '50s and '60s' Russ Neff, The Patriot-News`From Birdland to Broadway is a book that is difficult to put down, in both senses of the term.' Macon Telegraph`From Birdland to Broadway is autobiographical, and the writing flows smoothly.' Times Literary Supplement`there are some interesting yarns and insights ... Bogside fare at best.' Brian Glasser, Q`The book bristles with insider's tales about musicians he has met in 40 years of gigging around. Bill Crow's book keeps you smiling from the first page to the last ... eminently readable book ... Here is a fine bassist dipping into a deep well of reminiscence and showing that he can write as well as he can play.' Reginald Brace, Yorkshire Post`the best and possibly the only book I have read about the life of a jobbing jazz musician ... one feels that if he had been a star he could never have written a book as fascinating as this one, which digs deep into the jazz life' Peter Hepple, Stage & Television Today"In From Birdland to Broadway, Crow shares insightful anecdotes from his long career and writes in a style that's as relaxed, friendly, and straight ahead as a Mulligan baritone sax solo....He never skimps on the humorous asides and telling details. What's more, he renders most of the technical stuff, such as flugelhornist Clark Terry's method of rotary breathing, understandable to even the most unrhythmic or tonedeaf reader. Bop lives in Crow's colorful account."--Cleveland Plain Dealer"Providing some fascinating social history, [Crow] has written a book of intimate and entertaining vignettes about some modern jazz masters."--Library Journal'he has plenty to tell and his book sparkles with humour ... It is often deeply moving too.' Chris Searle, Morning Star'Whether as bystander or musician, Crow was often in the right place at the right time and recalls many priceless incidents. His book is entertaining and readable - don't miss it.' Peter Vacher, Jazz Magazine

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Something to Live For' investigates and analyses the entire oeuvre of Billy Strayhorn, who, for over 30 years, was the musical collaborator of Duke Ellington. Nearly 70 music examples, drawn directly from his original autograph scores, provide insight into the development of Strayhorn's own musical language and style.Trade Review"An epochal work--groundbreaking, fearless, sensitive, and exquisitely modulated, much like the music it illuminates. Something to Live For is the best possible book about Billy Strayhorn's art and a highwater mark of music scholarship."--David Hajdu, author of Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn "The celebration of Billy Strayhorn's life and legacy continues with Walter van de Leur's magnificent new book. Something to Live For immediately takes its place as an absolutely indispensable addition to the history of the Ellington orchestra and American music in general."--Ellingtonia "Richly provocative.... There is a real intellectual hunger in this exploration to identify the unique glory and lasting contribution Strayhorn made to the art of jazz.... Jazz musician and historian Van de Leur subjects Billy Strayhorn's musical arrangements to deep scrutiny and credibly finds them original, undervalued, frequently misattributed, and tasting of the sublime."--Kirkus Review "In this exemplary work, combining meticulous, dedicated research and brilliant analytic illumination, Van de Leur has brought Strayhorn, the musician, and his legacy into full and unobstructed view at last, thus deepening our understanding of Ellingtonia. Indispensable!"--Dan Morgenstern, Director, Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University "For lovers of Ellingtonia, jazz, and twentieth-century music, Walter van de Leur's new book is indeed Something to Live For. The first in-depth study of the music of composer-arranger Billy Strayhorn, this volume is meticulously researched, clearly written, and enriched with excerpts from Strayhorn's autograph scores. For the first time, we can learn the details of Strayhorn's monumental 28-year contribution to the Duke Ellington Orchestra and music he wrote for other contexts. Something to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn sets a new standard of excellence for jazz musicology."--Bill Kirchner, Composer-arranger, saxophonist, jazz historian, producer, educator, and editor of The Oxford Companion to Jazz "Richly provocative.... There is a real intellectual hunger in this exploration to identify the unique glory and lasting contribution Strayhorn made to the art of jazz.... Jazz musician and historian Van de Leur subjects Billy Strayhorn's musical arrangements to deep scrutiny and credibly finds them original, undervalued, frequently misattributed, and tasting of the sublime."--Kirkus Review "The celebration of Billy Strayhorn's life and legacy continues with Walter van de Leur's magnificent new book. Something to Live For immediately takes its place as an absolutely indispensable addition to the history of the Ellington orchestra and American music in general."--Ellingtonia "This scholarly evaluation of Strayhorn's compositions still manages to pay homage to the visionary force behind some of the 20th century's greatest music."--Publishers Weekly "An epochal work--groundbreaking, fearless, sensitive, and exquisitely modulated, much like the music it illuminates. Something to Live For is the best possible book about Billy Strayhorn's art and a highwater mark of music scholarship."--David Hajdu, author of Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn "Van de Leur posits that Strayhorn was not merely Ellington's alter ego but a distinctly different composer who had a direct influence on Ellington's music...this evaluation of Strayhorn's compositions manages to pay homage to the visionary force behind some of the 20th century's greatest music."--Publishers Weekly "In this exemplary work, combining meticulous, dedicated research and brilliant analytic illumination, Van de Leur has brought Strayhorn, the musician, and his legacy into full and unobstructed view at last, thus deepening our understanding of Ellingtonia. Indispensable!"--Dan Morgenstern, Director, Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University "For lovers of Ellingtonia, jazz, and twentieth-century music, Walter van de Leur's new book is indeed Something to Live For. The first in-depth study of the music of composer-arranger Billy Strayhorn, this volume is meticulously researched, clearly written, and enriched with excerpts from Strayhorn's autograph scores. For the first time, we can learn the details of Strayhorn's monumental 28-year contribution to the Duke Ellington Orchestra and music he wrote for other contexts. Something to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn sets a new standard of excellence for jazz musicology."--Bill Kirchner, Composer-arranger, saxophonist, jazz historian, producer, educator, and editor of The Oxford Companion to JazzTable of Contents1. Fantastic Rhythm: The Pittsburgh Years ; 2. The Renaissance of Arranging: First Works for and with Duke Ellington ; 3. The Strayhorn Effect: A New Way of Writing for Jazz Orchestra ; 4. Thinking with the Ear: Strayhorn's Musical Fingerprints ; 5. Writing and Arranging Companions: Credited and Uncredited Collaborations ; 6. "He is He and I am Me": The Ellington-Strayhorn Collaboration ; 7. Wounded Love: Away from the Ellington Organization ; 8. Masterpieces by STrayhorn: Writing for Albums ; 9. The Whodunnit Game: The Mature Style of Billy Strayhorn ; 10. North by Southwest: The Final Years ; 11. Conclusion ; Appendix A: Score of Scores: Manuscripts at the Duke Ellinton and Billy Strayhorn Collections ; Appendix B: Billy Strayhorn's Works on Record ; Appendix C: Billy Strayhorn's Works on Record (posthumously premiered) ; Appendix D: The Compositions of Billy Strayhorn

Read more less

Book SynopsisMichael Steinberg''s 1996 volume The Symphony: A Reader''s Guide received glowing reviews across America. It was hailed as wonderfully clear...recommended warmly to music lovers on all levels (Washington Post), informed and thoughtful (Chicago Tribune), and composed by a master stylist (San Francisco Chronicle). Seiji Ozawa wrote that his beautiful and effortless prose speaks from the heart. Michael Tilson Thomas called The Symphony an essential book for any concertgoer. Now comes the companion volume--The Concerto: A Listener''s Guide. In this marvelous book, Steinberg discusses over 120 works, ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach in the 1720s to John Adams in 1994. Readers will find here the heart of the standard repertory, among them Bach''s Brandenburg Concertos, eighteen of Mozart''s piano concertos, all the concertos of Beethoven and Brahms, and major works by Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt, Bruch, Dvora''k, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Elgar, Sibelius, Strauss, and Rachmaninoff. The book alTrade Review"A wide range of material--facts about the composers' lives, notable circumstances surrounding the first performances of the work--punctuate [Steinberg's] discussion of each work.... For the amateur with a musical background, this is a valuable and very interesting collection."--Library Journal "Each concerto is discussed with impeccable scholarliness an detailed historical information, but above all, the style of the writing is unfailingly entertaining."--Maestro Andre Previn "This collection of articles has a relaxed, easy charm that will most likely win over readers unfamiliar with the subject."--Publishers Weekly "Nobody can draw a reader into appreciation of a piece of classical music quite like Michael Steinberg.... Steinberg combines magisterial authority of a musicologist with the deeply personal point of view of a novelist."--St. Petersburg Times "The writing is often relaxed and virutuosic, and it always passes the acid test: after reading Steinberg's freshly considered thoughts on any piece, I immediately want to heari, or hear it again.... A few of the longer essays are almost short stories in themselves. Reading Michael Steinberg on music will definitley make you a better listener--it might even make some of us better, or at least humber, writers. More important, he'll remind you of what makes great music great."--City, Rochester "A wide range of material--facts about the composers' lives, notable circumstances surrounding the first performances of the work--punctuate [Steinberg's] discussion of each work.... For the amateur with a musical background, this is a valuable and very interesting collection."--Library Journal "Each concerto is discussed with impeccable scholarliness an detailed historical information, but above all, the style of the writing is unfailingly entertaining."--Maestro Andre Previn "This collection of articles has a relaxed, easy charm that will most likely win over readers unfamiliar with the subject."--Publishers Weekly "Nobody can draw a reader into appreciation of a piece of classical music quite like Michael Steinberg.... Steinberg combines magisterial authority of a musicologist with the deeply personal point of view of a novelist."--St. Petersburg Times "The writing is often relaxed and virutuosic, and it always passes the acid test: after reading Steinberg's freshly considered thoughts on any piece, I immediately want to heari, or hear it again.... A few of the longer essays are almost short stories in themselves. Reading Michael Steinberg on music will definitley make you a better listener--it might even make some of us better, or at least humber, writers. More important, he'll remind you of what makes great music great."--City, Rochester "In The Concerto, Michael Steinberg once again gives us essays on music that are love letters, overflowing with passion and intimate detail. What reader could fail to be seduced?"--Garrick Ohlsson "Those who have already discovered how useful and engaging the earlier book is will be happy to know that their is more of the same here.... [Steinberg's] style is elegant and informative, his commentaries do not shy away from a serious analysis of the music.... He has vast knowledge of European culture, yet there is an all-American directness and pace to his writing. He wears his scholarship lightly and chooses well what information to impart to the reader. His treatments are models of how program notes should be written for today's audiences, and it is wonderful to have them collected in so easily accessible a form."--Ted Libby, The Los Angeles Times Book Review "The Concerto: A Listener's Guide will send you running to the CD player....this lively, enthusiastic and detailed volume takes readers through more than 120 concertos, mainly for piano or violin and orchestra, but including works for cello, clarinet, oboe and horn. Steinberg is knowledgeable, literate and eloquent." --Frederic Koeppel, Commercial Appeal "In The Concerto: A Listener's Guide, Michael Steinberg once again proves his mastery in translating music to word. In this volume, he presents an excellent and thorough discussion of concerto repertory, providing readers with comprehensive, enlightening information that will definetly enhance their appreciation of this musical form." --Yo-Yo Ma

Read more less

Book SynopsisSwing is back in style, and with it a renewed interest in the Big Band Era. And few players dominated that era more than Harry James, whose soaring trumpet solos and romantic hit tunes influenced popular music for a generation. Now, Peter J. Levinson, who knew Harry James personally, has written a revealing biography of this jazz icon, based on nearly 200 interviews with musicians and friends. Harry James led a truly colorful life, and in Trumpet Blues Levinson captures it all. Beginning with James''s childhood in a traveling circus, we follow the young trumpeter''s meteoric rise in the 1930s and witness his electrifying performances with the Benny Goodman Orchestra. We see how James formed his own band in 1939, an incubator for many pop music stars of the 1940s and ''50s, including Frank Sinatra, Connie Haines, Dick Haymes, Helen Forrest, and Kitty Kallen. Combined with James''s superb musicianship, peerless trumpet technique and talented sidemen, this stellar group dominated the war Trade Reviewexcellent biography ... Music biographies really don't come any better than this superb book. * Andrew Vine, Yorkshire Post *Table of ContentsPreface ; Acknowledgments ; Everette and Maybelle ; Louise and Ben ; The Kingdom of Swing ; Ciribiribin ; You Made Me Love You ; Trees, The Legs, and The Lip ; Hollywood Royalty ; The In-Between Years ; Back to Basie ; I Don't Want to Walk Without You ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Grateful Dead are one of the most fascinating rock bands and cultural phenomena of the twentieth century. This book collects the most important and illuminating writings by and about the band, its members, and its fans (known as Deadheads), providing a rich account of the Dead and their importance in rock music and popular culture.Trade ReviewGrateful Dead literature is approaching Beatles-lit in volume, and this gathering about the band and its fans attests to how vast and dedicated the nation of the Deadheads is ... A must for Dead-heavy collections, the book is also a nice addition to any popular culture collection. * Booklist *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA seasoned jazz critic draws on his interviews of forty musicians, from Slide Hampton and Bucky Pizzarelli to Dee Dee Bridgewater and Diana Krall, illuminating their lives, careers, and art.Trade Review"W. Royal Stokes has contributed invaluably to jazz history from the inside. Living the Jazz Life is particularly unique because it focuses on how these diversified players became jazz musicians."--Nat Hentoff "Like a long jam session."--Kirkus Reviews "W. Royal Stokes has contributed invaluably to jazz history from the inside. Living the Jazz Life is particularly unique because it focuses on how these diversified players became jazz musicians."--Nat Hentoff "A pleasing...collection of generally insightful conversation, spawned by a nicely modest interlocuter."--Kirkus Reviews "Like a long jam session."--Kirkus Reviews

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is a comprehensive study of style and structure evaluating Joni Mitchell's songs from a musicological perspective. Whitesell analyses the singer-songwriter's musical technique, poetic nuance, and cultural reference. Whitesell develops conceptual tools in order to demonstrate the extent of Mitchell's innovation and to recognize her stature as a composer.Trade Review...an invaluable contribution to the study of contemporary popular music that stretches far beyond the disciplines of musicology. * Martin James, Times Higher Education *Table of Contents1. Introduction: Pop Song and Art Song ; 2. Sound and Style ; 3. Voices and Personae ; 4. Harmonic Palette ; 5. Melodic Turns ; 6. Thematic Thread ; 7. Collections and Cycles ; 8. A Tribute ; Appendix ; Select Bibliography

Read more less

Trade ReviewAs a student of Gustav Meier, I was enormously inspired and impressed by his knowledge and unwavering commitment to the music. Reading this book, I am once again equally inspired and impressed. Gustav Meier is brilliant and clearly one of the leading conducting teachers in the world; his book is chock-full of invaluable information. * Marin Alsop, Music Director Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Music Director, Cabrillo Music Festival *Many times I've been able to get Gustie on the phone whenever I've found myself stuck and couldn't figure out how to conduct my way through a thorny passage. Now that I have his book, I'll still give him a try on the phone, but if I can't reach him, I'll know here I can get the answers I'm looking for. Thank you Gustie for sharing your vast knowledge of the the art of conducting with the world. * Your student, Bobby McFerrin. *With its myriad examples from the standard repertoire both symphonic and operatic, Gustav Meier's book is an indispensable tool for conductors aspiring and professional alike on all aspects of this mysterious craft. * Anthonio Pappano, Music Director, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and Music Director, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia *An important addition to the conducting reference library. * Music Educators Journal *Table of ContentsA) INSTRUMENTAL CHART ; B) NOTATION OF INSTRUMENTS ; C) HARMONICS ; D) HARMONIC CHARTS ; E) CROSS RHYTHM CHARTS

Read more less

Book SynopsisThrough a diverse collection of essays and interviews featuring leading Black media personalities, musicians and scholars, this volume presents the "insiders' view" - Black perspectives on Coltrane's powerful and lasting legacy viewed in contemporary times within the context of Black strivings for freedom.Trade ReviewColtrane's significance in the black community goes far beyond the notes he played. He stands for integrity, humility, spirituality, and more. For me, this book is a chance to read what my esteemed friends and colleagues have to say about this twentieth-century icon. For everyone, it's an opportunity to learn about Coltrane - the man and his music - from some new points of view. * Dr. Lewis Porter, Rutgers University-Newark *If John Coltrane was 'invited' into the community of jazz musicians to be a custodian, innovator, and disseminator of Black American culture, Brown himself has invited a first-rate group of Black American contributors-scholars, musicians, media personalities, and educators-to provide an insightful and provocative view of the continuing relevance of Coltrane's music to the development of Black American spirituality, liberation, and non-Western ways of music-making. * Reebee Garofalo, University of Massachusetts, Boston *The collection reads like a lively townhouse meeting in which the impassioned citizens of 'Tranes-ville' stake out their intellectual territories, each arguing for the importance of Coltrane's music and the deep sense of spirituality we sense in his singular brand of cultural nationalism. Come to the meeting and be inspired as well by this musician's exacting execution and uncompromising truth. * Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr., author of Race Music: Black Cultures from Bebop to Hip-Hop *John Coltrane and Black America's Quest for Freedom is a thorough investigation of John Coltrane's music via the artist, and the artist via his culture, not in an effort to solidify notions of black identity or enshrine a cultural legacy, but rather to show that the Black American experience itself is complex, improvised, defiant, and irreducible. * BlackGrooves.org *An insightful collection. * wirenh.com *Table of ContentsFOREWORD BY T.J. ANDERSON; PREFACE BY LEONARD BROWN

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1919, the world stood at the threshold of the Jazz Age. The man who had ushered it there, however, lay murdered - and would soon plunge from international fame to historical obscurity. It was a fate few would have predicted for James Reese Europe; he was then at the pinnacle of his career as a composer, conductor, and organizer in the black community, with the promise of even greater heights to come. People don''t realize yet today what we lost when we lost Jim Europe, said pianist Eubie Blake. He was the savior of Negro musiciansin a class with Booker T. Washington and Martin Luther King. In A Life in Ragtime , Reid Badger brilliantly captures this fascinating life, tracing a critical chapter in the emergence of jazz through one man''s remarkable odyssey. After an early start in Washington, Europe found his fame in New York, the entertainment capital of turn-of-the-century America. In the decade before the First World War, he emerged as an acknowledged leader in African-American mTable of ContentsPrelude ; 1. Down Home Rag ; 2. Washington Post March ; 3. On the Gay Luneta ; 4. Lorraine Waltzes ; 5. The Clef Club March ; 6. What It Takes to Make Me Love You - You've Got It ; 7. Castle House Rag ; 8. The National Negro March ; 9. Watch Your Step ; 10. The Rat-A-Tat Drummer Boy ; 11. The Separate Battalion ; 12. Over There ; 13. On Patrol in No Man's Land ; 14. Filling France Full of Jazz ; 15. All of No Man's Land is Ours ; 16. Flee as a Bird ; Coda ; Appendix 1: The Musical Compositions of James Reese Europe ; Appendix 2: James Reese Europe Discography ; Notes ; Index

Read more less

Table of ContentsIntroduction: At the Intersection of Old and New Paths ; Part I: Schumann's One and Only Schubert ; Chapter 1: Schumann and Schubert's "Immortal" Piano Trio in E flat ; Chapter 2: The Gestus of Remembering: Schubert's Critique of Schubert's Impromptus ; Part II: Uttering CLARA in Tones ; Chapter 3: Schumann: Cryptographer or Pictographer? ; Chapter 4: Brahms's Musical Ciphers: Acts of Homage and Gestures of Effacement ; Chapter 5: The Folded Fan ; Part III: A Noble Model ; Chapter 6: Metaphysical Chess Games ; Chapter 7: Brahms, the Schumann Circle, and the Style hongrois: Contexts for the "Double" Concerto ; Epilogue: Crossing Paths and Modes of Experience

Read more less

Trade ReviewThe book is intelligently organized, mindful of unfair value judgments against earlier works and simply packed full of information. * Karen Hiles, Cambridge journal Eighteenth-Century Music *Both of them eminent scholars, Floyd and Margaret Grave bring to this undertaking not only a comprehensive knowledge of the existing literature but also an admirable ability to present their material coherently and to supplement it with their own analytical insights * Early Music *Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I: Points of Departure 1: The Repertory 2: Genre and Character 3: Texture, Ensemble, Technique, and Sonority Part II: Formal Perimeters 4: Sonata Form 5: The Dance Movement 6: Variation 7: Other Forms: Fugue, Rondo, and Miscellaneous Nonstandard Designs Part III: The Opus Groups 8: The Earliest Quartets (ca. 1755-60 [?ca. 1757-59]): Op. o; Op. 1 Nos. 1,2,3,4, and 6; Op. 2 Nos. 1,2,4, and 6 9: Op. 9 (ca.1768-70) and Op. 17 (1771) 10: Op. 20 (1772) 11: Op. 33 (1781) and Op. 42 ([?1784-] 1785) 12: Op. 50 (1787) 13: Op. 54/55 (1788)

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Benny Goodman's famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert, Catherine Tackley provides the first in depth, scholarly study of this seminal concert and recording. Through discussions of the cultural context, the performance itself, and its reception and response, Tackley shows why Goodman's 1938 concert remains one of the most significant events in American music history.Trade ReviewTackley is an especially goof researcher and it is unlikely one will find any related subject matter not covered thoroughly here. * Bob Porter, IAJRC Journal *Tackley's book attempts to do more than just relate the details of the concert; instead, she seeks to place the event among larger contexts, from the use of recordings as a basis for canonisation to embodiment of the musical past ... All will be inspired to obtain the recordings, not only of the concert itself, but also of the multitude of rich sonic evidence that Tackley cites from Goodman as well as his swing ear compatriots * Sarah Caissie Provost, Popular Music Journal *It is the evidently joyous combination of enthusiasm, scholarly discipline and musical expertise that makes this contribution to the Oxford Studies in Recorded Jazz intriguing for the analyst, particularly companionable for those of us who have grown up with this landmark recording (not released until 1950) and an entertaining narrative for the general reader interested in the place of jazz in American culture. * John Mole, Times Literary Supplement *a thoroughly researched, scholarly work ... For students of jazz history and those interested in the Goodman swing era, this will be a welcome arrival. * Sally Evans-Darby, Jazz Journal *the meat of the volume is the central track-by-track breakdown of the music programme ... Tackley writes compellingly. * Brian Priestley, Jazzwise *Only the fourth book in the "Oxford Studies in Recorded Jazz" series, Tackley's work joins the previous three entries as a distinguished contribution to the literature ... there should be a broad audience for this volume ... Highly recommended. All readers. * K. R. Dietrich, Choice *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements ; Preface ; Part 1 - Context ; Precedents ; Promotion ; Program ; Part 2 - Performance ; The Orchestra ; Twenty Years of Jazz ; Jam Session ; Trio/Quartet ; Conclusion ; Part 3 - Representation ; Repercussions ; Recording ; Reception ; Recreation ; Appendix 1 - Carnegie Hall Program ; Appendix 2 - Members of the Orchestra ; Notes ; References ; Discography

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Baton Basics, conductor Diane Wittry offers a unique approach to teaching conducting through weight, resistance, and energy. In doing so she gives readers new tools for effective and ultimately musical forms of conducting, forms based on conveying energy.Trade ReviewAfter her singularly successful exploration of what a modern conductor needs to know about all aspects of professional life in Beyond the Baton, Diane Wittry has written another essential book. In this lucid, comprehensive study of conducting gesture and technique, Wittry has managed to distill and clarify the essence of the conductor's craft. * Alan Gilbert, Music Director, New York Philharmonic *Diane Wittry's Baton Basics is an extraordinary addition to the art of conducting pedagogy. With impressive clarity, she dissects the physical science of gesture and motion, and she tackles the less easily defined skills of leadership with sensitivity and understanding. Diane has explored the intricacies of our profession with great imagination and insight. * JoAnn Falletta, Music Director and Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Virginia Symphony *Diane Wittry has proven herself as an exceptional conductor and conducting teacher whose new book Baton Basics tackles the issue of conducting from more than just a gestural aspect. Her concentration in this book for conductors is one which uses not only a systematic approach to building a gesture, but also deals with the issues of conducting without tension. Weight, resistance, intensity and the character of the musical phrase are all dealt with in clear and concise language. This book is a valuable tool for those teaching conducting in choral or instrumental courses. * Jo-Michael Scheibe, Chair, Choral and Sacred Music, Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California *Diane Wittry's new book is a welcome contribution to the library of conducting texts. Her holistic approach, especially her most useful ways to imagine various hand and arm motions, will help innumerable young conductors better employ their bodies in expressing music. A must for every conductor's shelf. * Charles Peltz, Director of Wind Ensembles, New England Conservatory and Music Director, Glens Falls Symphony *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Section 1. The Body ; Section 2. Motion and Gestures ; Section 3. Connecting with the Sound ; Section 4. Applying and Combining Gestures ; Section 5. Controlling Tempo and Volume ; Section 6. Becoming Centered ; Section 7. Making Music ; Appendix ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall is an historical, cultural, and analytical study of the album by the same name. Recorded in 1957, but lost until 2005, it is a particularly interesting lens through which to view jazz both as a historical tradition and as a contemporary cultural form.Trade Review"Solis's arguments are compelling and wide ranging, covering the specifics of this concert and recording but reiterating essential points for jazz studies research pertaining to the musical work, issues of authenticity and reproduction, nostalgia and reissued recordings, and academic institutionalization, among others, that make the book applicable and engaging beyond just the scope of its primary object of study."--Twentieth-Century MusicTable of ContentsIntroduction ; Chapter 1: Monk With Coltrane ; Chapter 2: The Morningside Community Center Benefit and the Jazz ; Concert as an Institution to 1957 ; Chapter 3: "Monk's Mood" and "Crepuscule with Nellie" ; Chapter 4: "Evidence" and "Nutty" ; Chapter 5: "Bye-Ya" and "Sweet and Lovely" ; Chapter 6: "Blue Monk" and "Epistrophy" ; Chapter 7: The Recording in Its Time ; References

Read more less

Book SynopsisMichael Dregni expertly traces the development of Gypsy Jazz not through straight musical history, but instead in a fascinating travelogue and detective story, following its birth with Django and its subsequent legacy, including all of the famous guitarists who have followed in Django's footsteps-Biréli Lagrène, Boulou Ferré, Dorado Schmitt, and others.Trade ReviewDregni's passion for Django Reinhardt and the enduring overlap of gypsy music and jazz leads to a picaresque journey from the US, across modern Europe and back again. The music itself is the wandering hero as Dregni gracefully weaves together historical research, personal insights, and conversations with colorful, music-making characters. Generous, musical storytelling at its best! * Ashley Kahn, author of A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Album, and other jazz titles *Dregni writes as Django played: lyrical, inventive, engaging and often undeniably brilliant. With Gypsy Jazz he shines light upon the 'holes in history' that have so long obscured this most celebrated yet mysterious arena of Romany music. An astonishing text. * Garth Cartwright, author of Princes Amongst Men: Journeys With Gypsy Musicians *In this fascinating picaresque adventure into European gipsy culture, Michael Dregni not only discovers much hitherto undocumented information about the background to the great manouche guitarist Django Reinhardt, but also about his musical and social forbears, contemporaries and heirs. Dregni's sparky prose and fervent enthusiasm enliven his search, which always comes back to the music itself, in which he finds, alongside the influence of American jazz, a timeless romani wistfulness, the lingering melancholy of an itinerant people. * Alyn Shipton, Jazz critic of The Times, London, and author of A New History of Jazz *Table of ContentsPrologue ; Chapter 1: The Guitar with a Human Voice; In Search of Django Reinhardt ; Chapter 2: The Boy With the Banjo; Into a Zigzag Paradise ; Chapter 3: Bals Musette; Music from the Dark Side of the City of Light ; Chapter 4: Jazz Modernistique; Revisiting the Babylon of Gypsy Jazz ; Chapter 5: Songs of One Thousand and One Nights; Django Reinhardt, Schnuckenack Reinhardt, and Gypsy Jazz Under the Nazis ; Chapter 6: Gypsy Bebop; From Dizzy and Bird to Django and the Gibson Generation ; Chapter 7: Les Guitares a Moustache; Revolutionary Jazz Guitars for a Jazz Revolution ; Chapter 8: Crossroads; On the Road to Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer ; Chapter 9: Dynasty;Les Freres Ferret and their Musical Clan ; Chapter 10: La Derniere Valse des Niglos; Saints and Sinners of the Malha Clan ; Chapter 11: Au Son des Guitares; On the Trail of Patotte Bousquet ; Chapter 12: The Unsung Master of the Gypsy Waltz; Tracing the Legacy of Tchan Tchou ; Chapter 13: The Lost; The Secret History of Lousson Baumgartner and the "Other" Family ; Chapter 14: Minstrel; Bamboula Ferret and the Travels of a Romany Troubadour ; Chapter 15: Resurrection; The New Elegance of Bireli Lagrene, Stochelo Rosenberg, Angelo Debarre, and Ninine Garcia ; Chapter 16: The Music Thieves; Into America with Danny Fender, Johnny Guitar, John Adomono, and Julio Bella Chapter 17: Gypsy Jazz Rap; Syntax and the Search for "Le Meilleur Chemin" ; Chapter 18: The Most Dangerous Guitar Lesson; Jamming with David Reinhardt ; Epilogue: Latcho Drom - The Long Road ; Recommended Listening ; Notes ; Recommended Reading ; Bibliography ; Acknowledgments ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Sound of Broadway Music is the first book ever written about the virtually anonymous world of theatrical orchestrators and arrangers. Stocked with intriguing facts and juicy anecdotes, most of which have never before appeared in print, The Sound of Broadway Music brings fascinating and sometimes surprising new insight into the world of musical theatre.Trade ReviewSteven Suskin's six hundred and fifty pages of information substantiating the contribution of orchestrators to the music of Broadway is nothing less than jaw-dropping. Their working relationship with the composers of Broadway scores and directors of Broadway shows is fascinating in its detail. There can be no comparable feat of research more meticulous than this valuable addition to the history of American musical theater. * Hal Prince, director *Backstage has been the unwarranted space where the wondrous talent of orchestrators remained until now. Steven Suskin has meticulously opened the curtain so that this array of musical magicians can finally take their long overdue bow. May this composer be among the first to shout, 'Bravo!' * Jerry Bock, composer *Fans as well as musical theatre scholars will be forever indebted to Steven Suskin for this book. It's fascinating, entertaining and an essential addition to the literature of American musical theatre. * Michael Feinstein, composer, performer *Table of ContentsVerse: On Orchestrators and Orchestration ; Refrain: Men of Notes (And a Few Women, Too) ; I. The Dreyfus System ; II. Twelve Major Orchestrators ; III. Ghosts and Other Helpers ; IV. Valued Members of the Music Department ; V. Comparative Orchestrators ; Bridge: The Art of Orchestration ; VI. From Song to Stage ; VII. The Arrangement ; VIII. Overture ; IX. Meet the Colors ; X. And Then Comes the Orchestrator ; XI. The Orchestration ; XII. Putting it Together ; XIII. "Sweeney in the Pit with Steve" ; Final Refrain: What's the Score? ; XIV. About the Listings ; XV. The Listings ; XVI. Additional Shows by Other Orchestrators ; Coda ; Chronology ; Acknowledgements ; Sources and Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

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

Read more less

Trade ReviewSelected as an "Outstanding" book in 2007 by AAUP University Press Books for Public and Secondary School Libraries Finalist for the George Freedley Memorial Award of the Theatre Library Association."Stephen Banfield's study is a major addition to Kern scholarship."—Gerald Bordman, author of American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle"Banfield's book is heroic in its scope and coverage of a neglected but essential American music icon."—Michael Feinstein, Singer, Music Historian “With P.G. Wodehouse, Jerome Kern wrote some of the first, funniest, and most charming American musical comedy songs; with Oscar Hammerstein, he wrote the great musical epic of the Broadway stage, Show Boat; with Dorothy Fields, he wrote the most enduring jazz and pop standards of the American songbook, including ’The Way You Look Tonight’ and ’I Won’t Dance.’ He did all this and more without ever swimming into either biographical or musicological focus the way Gershwin, Porter, and others did. Stephen Banfield has now rectified both omissions with a book that’s intelligent and authoritative but also a vivid evocation of early twentieth-century show business. This lively study not only conjures Kern and his world but lays out clearly why this music is of value and why it will last.”—Mark Steyn, author of Broadway Babies Say Goodnight

Read more less

Trade ReviewSelected as a 2008 AAUP University Press Book for Public and Secondary School Libraries."Frank Loesser was that rare bird: a skillful stage composer and brilliant writer of song lyrics. Riis's deeply researched and musically astute study shows us what makes a great show such as Guys and Dolls tick."—Ralph P. Locke, Professor of Musicology, Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester"This superb, imaginative songwriter has finally received the biography he deserves."—Gerald Bordman, author of American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle

Read more less

Book SynopsisMoonlight Serenade, Sunrise Serenade, Little Brown Jug, In the Mood... These and other memorable tunes endeared Glenn Miller to millions in the Swing Era and all who recall those times. After playing trombone and arranging for leading orchestras of the Dorsey brothers, Ray Noble, Ben Pollack, and Red Nichols, Glenn Miller formed his own sweet band, which from 1938 to 1942 achieved widespread popularity second only to Benny Goodman''s. Miller learned all he could from these and other bands like Jimmie Lunceford''s and Artie Shaw''s, going on to create a uniquely rich sound with clarinet over four saxes and four trombones (three-part harmony sounds too thin, he once exclaimed). Simon tells of both the successes and hard times of Miller''s illustrious career, up to his celebrated Army Air Force band and his untimely death.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNotes and Tones is one of the most controversial, honest, and insightful books ever written about jazz. As a black musician himself, Arthur Taylor was able to ask his subjects hard questions about the role of black artists in a white society. Free to speak their minds, these musicians offer startling insights into their music, their lives, and the creative process itself. This expanded edition is supplemented with previously unpublished interviews with Dexter Gordon and Thelonious Monk, a new introduction by the author, and new photographs. Notes and Tones consists of twenty-nine no-holds-barred conversations which drummer Arthur Taylor held with the most influential jazz musicians of the ''60s and ''70s,including:Table of Contents* Introduction to the Da Capo Edition * Dexter Gordon * Miles Davis * Randy Weston * Ornette Coleman * Philly Joe Jones * Don Byas * Ron Carter * Johnny Griffin * Charles Tolliver * Eddie Lockjaw Davis * Erroll Garner * Leon Thomas * Max Roach * Dizzy Gillespie * Carmen McRae

Read more less

Book SynopsisYears after her death Maria Callas remains one of the most renowned and compelling of all divas. Although much has been written about Callas the prima donna, the consummate stage magician, and the tragic lover of Aristotle Onassis, this is the first account of Maria the woman by someone who was close to her. Stancioff, a longtime friend, shares memories of the Maria who gave impromptu concerts of Beatles hits and Mexican ballads of the Maria who starved herself to conform to the image of a celebrity but would go into rhapsodies about a plate of pasta. And to her own warm reminiscences, Stancioff adds the insights of Maria''s friends, colleagues, and family. The figure that emerges is intriguing, infuriating, mystifying,and endlessly fascinating.

Read more less

Trade ReviewChicago Tribune, 10/11/16 "Wilson's book documents scattered memories and streamlines them into a series of impressions and anecdotes...Offer[s] valuable if unsettling insights into the personal dynamics inside an American band." AXS, 10/13/16 "Wilson goes beach-combing through the past, panning the sands of time for the socio-psychological seashells that gave rise to America's most successful singing group--and launched Wilson's lifetime bout with mental illness...Here Wilson recounts the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful in the straightforward conversational tone of a mature, experienced man reclining in his Lay-Z-Boy, albeit tempered with his boyish enthusiasm (and melancholy)." Dallas Morning News, 10/14/16 "An unflinching portrait." New York Journal of Books, 10/11/16 "Immediate, informal, and confessional...Behind the wholesome image of shy boys and cute girls in a world of eternal sunshine, the Beach Boys inhabited a much darker reality. Brian Wilson nails it in his latest memoir." The LA Beat, 10/13/16 "One of the most honest and forthcoming autobiographies ever written by a musician...As you start to read, you really feel less an observer, and more of a participant in [Wilson's] journey...If you only read one book this year, it should be Brian's book." Publishers Weekly, 9/12/16 "[A] charming and powerfully written memoir that will engage a readership beyond the multitude of Beach Boys fans...Despite his fame and success, Wilson comes off as a genuinely modest and gentle soul...Wilson's emotional authenticity is beguiling as he takes readers deeply into his mind, voices and all, to describe his unique manifestation of musical genius." No Depression, 9/16/16 "Wilson's memoir offers a more sober glance at the spiritual and physical forces that haunt artists and that often drive them to produce the beautiful, sad, and relentlessly affecting music we often embrace...Wilson's memoir eventually grabs us at a deeper level than Love's. If you're looking for fun, fun, fun, pick up Love, but if you're searching for a more introspective, in my room, experience, pick Wilson." Canadian Living, 9/22/16 "In this tell-almost-all memoir, Brian Wilson candidly reflects on his struggles with family, substance abuse and mental illness and digs deep into the inspiration and meaning behind his music. It's a must-read for any fan of The Beach Boys--or the '60s pop scene, in general--with big-name music icons of the era (Phil Spector, Carole King, Paul McCartney) featuring in many of the stories." Record Collector, Issue 459 "His recollections of the abuse he suffered at the hands of life-coach Eugene Landy and his father are told with such blunt economy that they are quite crushing. Wilson's equally candid and plainspoken about his work...There's a good deal of myth-busting." Goldmine, November 2016 "Wilson's memoir is streaked with melancholy...Wilson fans will find it a compelling book." Huffington Post, 10/12/16 "Wilson takes you on a journey into the life of a creative genius, exploring his turbulent life and creative influences and how, regardless of his inner and outer demons, there is always hope...I Am Brian Wilson: A Memoir isn't the kind of book you can read in a day. Like a summer vacation, you want it to last forever...As a memoir, honest and insightful. But it's very much a memoir of a musician. From reading this book, you'll gain a deeper appreciation for the man behind some of the world's greatest hits and for music in general." Forbes.com, 10/11/16 "Wilson sets the record straight...His voice definitely comes through...It is a wonderful insight into a troubled genius." Rolling Stone, 9/27/16 "Excellent...I Am Brian Wilson is soulful and earnest--like spending quality time with a gentle sage with an endearingly erratic attention span...Wilson is heartbreakingly blunt about his mental breakdowns and suffering at the hands of his father. He has startling insights into the music."--Rob Sheffield Time magazine, 9/29/16 "Disarmingly personal." Minneapolis Star Tribune, 9/29/16 "When you read his new memoir...you'll get an even deeper exploration into the mental illness and the rebound, the villains and heroes in his life." Wall Street Journal, 9/30/16 "As plain-spoken as its title. Here the band's presiding genius wanders over the terrain of his life as a son, father, husband and supremely gifted musician...Tell[s] us much that we didn't know...Suggest[s] how we might best view the artistic life--any life, really." Loud and Quiet, October 2016 "In I Am Brian Wilson, Wilson is unflinching in his rendering of the euphoric highs and chaotic lows that have made up the last seven decades. His and the Beach Boys' story has been told many times before and is one we may think we know already, but it has never before been voiced with the clarity, honesty and insight on offer here." A New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly Best Seller! Vanity Fair, September 2016 "I Am Brian Wilson slipstreams through the past like a message in a bottle...It has moments of personal testimony that are poignant and indelible." New York Post, 8/11/16 "1960s Beach Boy on mental illness, sorrow, drugs, destabilization, demons, turbulence and discord." Booklist, 9/1/16 "Music journalist Greenman helps keep this meandering memoir coherent and poignant." CNN.com, 8/24/16 "Plenty of authors have written about this Beach Boy and now he'll get his say." Rolling Stone, 9/8/16 "Wilson tells his own story: his battles with his abusive father, the pressure to score hits in the Sixties, and his long struggle with mental illness." Billboard, 9/3/16 "Wilson delves into his battle with mental illness and how he created the band's pioneering sound." The Scotsman, 10/15/16 "As much about Wilson's reclusive existence in the 1970s and '80s as it is about the heyday of his band...This is no misery memoir, however--the tone throughout is almost breezy; difficult subjects are dealt with honestly, but never in such detail as to become uncomfortable...I Am Brian Wilson succeeds in shedding new light on Wilson's remarkable life." Herald Scotland, 10/14/16 "This autobiography of one of the most creative minds in 20th century popular music is clearly worth the reading, but the fact that it turns out to be an eloquent witness for a 21st century approach to mental illness may ultimately be its greater value." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 10/14/16 "[An] essential read for Beach Boys fans." Foreword Reviews, 10/20/16 "With the release of his memoir, I Am Brian Wilson, those who love the music and wonder about the man are afforded access into his thoughts and insights. In nonlinear and candid prose, Wilson discusses his music, yes, but also his battles with mental illness, his career highs and lows, and sprinkles these accounts with peeks into his fascinating worldview. The work is empathetic and raw; there is humility here, and ingenuity as well." Esquire.com, 10/11/16 "A fascinating peek into the life and creative process of one of the 20th Century's most lauded songwriters and record producers...[An] intriguing glimpse into what makes one of rock's true legends tick." Parade.com, 10/10/16 "[Wilson] bares his heart and soul...He recalls the many personal and professional highs and the plentiful painful lows of his life and career." Publishers Weekly, 10/10/16 "In I Am Brian Wilson: A Memoir, the founder of the Beach Boys speaks candidly about his musical inspirations and mental illness...A wonderful gift to [his] fans." Houston Chronicle, 10/9/16 "In this honest and nonlinear memoir, one of rock 'n' roll's greatest composers talks honestly about both his musical triumphs and his struggles with mental illness and substance abuse...For fans of the music, Wilson does dig deep into the inspirations and recording of albums." Psychology Today, 10/11/16 "[Wilson's] extraordinary journey is intimately described in his new memoir." Library Journal, 10/6/16 "Wilson's memoir digs deep, with fierce honesty from the opening pages." The Arts Desk, 10/16/16 "It's intriguing to get a Wilson's-eye view of his own legend--it's one of the great tales of the music business, after all...All the key elements of Brian's life are here...Where the book really lights up is when Wilson talks in detail about music. There are fascinating descriptions of the recording of "God Only Knows", the Pet Sounds, Surf's Up and Holland albums and the difficulties he had with the SMiLE material...When he analyses the influence of the Beatles, the Stones and Phil Spector, it evokes the extraordinary intensity of the mid-Sixties musical eruption that the Beach Boys were caught up in." Toronto Star, 10/15/16 "The book jumps through time, the drugs, the mental illness, the music, the love and the pain. It has charming asides." Maclean's, 10/16/16 "[The] book pulls no punches: Wilson openly discusses his five decades of mental issues, his struggles with an abusive father, drugs, alcohol and weight, his debilitating fears and his failures (and successes) as a husband, dad and bandmate." The Arts Fuse, 10/11/16 "Pleasures await the Wilson/Beach Boys fan, as Wilson recounts the making of the Beach Boys album (Pet Sounds) and song ('Good Vibrations') he's proudest of and enthuses over his favorite non-Beach Boys album (the Beatles' Rubber Soul) and song ('Be My Baby,' produced by Phil Spector), his favorite classical composer (Bach), and his influences...Wilson speaks at length about his mental illness, how it robbed him of the joy and optimism his music provided for so many people." ABC News Radio, 10/11/16 "Wilson talks candidly about his struggles with mental illness and drugs, while giving fascinating insight into the creation of many of The Beach Boys' beautiful, catchy and complex songs." New York Magazine's Vulture, 10/11/16 "The Beach Boys leader's story is well told by now, but reading his often blunt retelling is harrowing, especially as he describes years swaddled in drugs and alcohol, and controlled by the notorious Dr. Landy. But as much as the book delves behind the so-called madman, it also gets behind the genius. Wilson and writer Ben Greenman lay the story out simply and with limited sensationalism, including fascinating sections where Wilson recounts his creative process and the work behind so many classic songs." The Australian, 10/22/16 "Freakishly, genre-transcendingly good: a rock memoir of genius, if ever there was one...Brilliantly unusual, like Wilson himself...It gets his unique inner world on to the page intact...It's also illuminated, along the way, by sudden lightning-flashes of insight into the world of mental illness." National Post, 10/18/16 "The book's voice [is] plainspoken, earnest, prone to both anxieties and boyish excitement...[and] true to the man." The Guardian, 10/16/16 "A beguilingly honest account of what it is to be Wilson." Phoenix New Times, 10/17/16 "Reading I Am Brian Wilson is like having a conversation with Brian Wilson...It feels authentic...It's imperfectly flawless...This is the story of a hero as well as an artist, a genius, and a musician. He frankly portrays his mental illness from the beginning to his lowest depths to the heights he's at today...Famous people from the music world make appearances...In 300 pages Brian Wilson tells a tale that's as fascinating as any of his American sagas, a book that reads as much as a confessional as it does an act of catharsis." VICE's Noisey, 10/16/16 "Tells the harrowing, heartbreaking story of the life of Brian." "Fascinating and intensely personal...The utter lack of pretense in the prose captures that familiar slightly flat, slightly sad, often rhapsodic voice with true authenticity...I Am Brian Wilson would fail as the Brian Wilson story if it did not deal with the darker corners of his life, and Wilson wanders through these areas fearlessly...Love, music, and an immensely sincere man's true voice are what you should expect and what I Am Brian Wilson delivers."-Psychobabble, 10/21/16 "An unconventional but fascinating read...One gets a terrific feel for Brian Wilson as a person and how he both thinks about and is affected by music. This is one true joy of the book...In all, I Am Brian Wilson is as interesting a book as you'd want it to be. It's not a linear history. It's not a juicy tell-all. But it is a beautiful view into the brilliant and sometimes troubled mind of a true genius of American music."-Under the Radar, 10/25/16 "Candid and tragic, yet in the end exquisitely triumphant and love affirming, I am Brian Wilson is the last (and only) word on Brian's all-too-written-about and over-analyzed past."-Elmore, 10/25/16 "A book almost the opposite of Love's: forgiving, chaotically associative."-New York Review of Books, 10/26/16 "A candid, heartfelt autobiography about a pop-music icon who managed to overcome dark influences that might have defeated someone less resilient."-New York Times Syndicate, 10/11/16 "The book is kind of like his music-gentle, spiritual, lyrical-and provides the expansive commentary that Brian does not usually provide in interviews...It's also funny as hell in places...An altogether lovely read."-The Suburban, 10/29/16 "He has worked with a ghostwriter, but anyone who has seen his spectacular solo shows or seen him interviewed will recognise the voice immediately: vulnerable, faltering, pained, unexpectedly funny...There is a candour and even a childlike openness to how he describes the battling voices in his head and the self-doubt and self-imposed pressure...Wilson's memoir has a weepily beautiful mellowness and a real poignancy that shines through the acrimony and wasted years."-Sydney Morning Herald, 11/5/16 "The enigmatic Wilson documents the poetic lyricism, inspiration and creativity behind his vast discography while at the same time showing a man who is over-time coming to terms with his past...Extremely candid...You aren't going to find any other story like that of Brian Wilson's. Very rarely if ever will you find a person with Brian's notoriety be as truthful and forth coming as he is in this book."-Media Mikes, 11/1/16 "Join the genius behind The Beach Boys as he takes a stroll down memory lane, revealing never-before-heard details about his upbringing with brothers Carl and Dennis, as well as his struggle with mental illness, drug use and more. In I Am Brian Wilson, the legendary surf rocker discusses how these hardships shaped the man he is today, and how he's learnt to forgive those who wronged him."-Over Sixty, 11/3/16 "A frank and revealing portrait of a troubled and popular music pioneer...Worth reading if you are a fan of the Beach Boys, or enjoy reading about how even extreme mental difficulties can be faced, and if not overcome, at least lived with." -Portland Book Review, 11/2/16 "The Beach Boys frontman has a fascinating story...He recounts the ups and downs of his life with candor." -InStyle.com, 11/1/16 "[An] alternatingly sad and inspiring memoir." -Downtown Magazine, 11/17/16 "Beach Boys fans finally get the scoop from the man himself...Provide[s] a crucial blueprint of the rise and fall of one of America's most interesting pop musicians. Wilson carefully answers questions that many die-hard fans have been wondering for years and doesn't shy away from exploring the darker, less glamorous side of being in one of the most famous American bands of all time."-Memphis Flyer, 11/17/16 "The 312-page book...convey[s] Brian Wilson's way of thinking-mostly gentle, conciliatory, a little disjointed and tinged with resignation."-Stockton Record, 11/17/16 "The Beach Boys legend once thought he just wasn't made for these times, but in his new memoir, he reflects on his brilliant career and his successful struggle against his personal demons." -Los Angeles Times "[Wilson] depicts mental illness candidly."-Austin Chronicle "In this candid testament, Wilson examines sources of his creative inspiration and reveals his mental and spiritual struggles, his highs and lows." -RTE "Filled with perspective and wisdom."-Music Is My Sanctuary, Top 10 Music Books of 2016 "A patchwork of memories covering childhood through stardom with The Beach Boys, dark years of mental illness and the comeback he has enjoyed in recent years." -Milwaukee Shepherd Express "[Wilson] tells it his way, and that makes it better than any history I've read of the Beach Boys to date. His no-holds-barred admissions of his mistakes and triumphs are revealing and engaging...The book is also peppered with surprises." -San Francisco Book Review "[Wilson] weighs in on his extreme highs and lows." -SouthCoast Today undefined-iHeartRadio "A strange kind of surfing through the Beach Boy's interior life."-The Guardian "[Wilson] tell[s] his story in his own way...For Wilson admirers it's a gift from Brian, that, more than anything reveals a sweet, mentally troubled man for whom making music is like breathing for the rest of us." -Lincoln Journal Star "A page turner...If you're at all a fan, you need this book." -Vintage Guitar "Offer[s] some fascinating glimpses under the hood."-New York Times Book Review "[A] must-read for any Beach Boys fan, packed with never-before-seen personal photos and incredible anecdotes." -Over Sixty "[Wilson] tells his story with incredible intensity, candidness, and humor...It is as if we are having an extended and intimate conversation with Wilson...There has been a veritable avalanche of autobiographies and memoirs from aging rockers in recent years as they begin to contemplate their place in rock history. I Am Brian Wilson takes its hard-earned place in the front of these books. It is not to be missed." -Washington Independent Review of Books "Touchingly modest...From the start you know you're in for something special...Honest and affecting." -The Spectator (UK)

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAdam was born in north London and became in integral part of the capital's punk scene before creating his own brand of music. He had 13 hits in the top twenty (3 of them number ones), as well as bestselling albums. His music continues to be influential today.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Guarneri Quartet is fabled for its unique longevity and high-spirited virtuosity. Here is its story from the inside--a story filled with drama, humor, danger, compassion, and, of course, glorious music.A player who studies and performs the exalted string-quartet repertoire has opted for a very special life. Arnold Steinhardt, tracing his own development as a student, orchestra player, and budding young soloist, gives a touching account of how he and his intrepid colleagues were converted to chamber music despite the daunting odds against success. And he reveals, as no one has before, the intensely difficult process by which--on the battlefield of daily three-hour rehearsals--four individualists master and then overcome the confining demands of ensemble playing.

Read more less

Book SynopsisShe was like a storm. Leonard Cohen Reckless Daughter is the story of an artist and an era that have left an indelible mark on American music. Joni Mitchell may be the most influential female recording artist and composer of the late twentieth century. In Reckless Daughter, the music critic David Yaffe tells the remarkable, heart-wrenching story of how the blond girl with the guitar became a superstar of folk music in the 1960s, a key figure in the Laurel Canyon music scene of the 1970s, and the songwriter who spoke resonantly to, and for, audiences across the country. A Canadian prairie girl, a free-spirited artist, Mitchell never wanted to be a pop star. She was nothing more than a painter derailed by circumstances, she would explain. And yet, she went on to become a talented self-taught musician and a brilliant bandleader, releasing album after album, each distinctly experimental, challenging, and revealing. Her lyrics captivated listeners with their perceptive language and naked emotion, born out of Mitchell's life, loves, complaints, and prophecies. As an artist whose work deftly balances narrative and musical complexity, she has been admired by such legendary lyricists as Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen and beloved by such groundbreaking jazz musicians as Jaco Pastorius, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock. Her hitsfrom Big Yellow Taxi to Both Sides, Now to A Case of Youendure as timeless favorites, and her influence on the generations of singer-songwriters who would follow her, from her devoted fan Prince to Björk, is undeniable.In this intimate biography, drawing on dozens of unprecedented in-person interviews with Mitchell, her childhood friends, and a cast of famous characters, Yaffe reveals the backstory behind the famous songsfrom Mitchell's youth in Canada, her bout with polio at age nine, and her early marriage and the child she gave up for adoption, through the love affairs that inspired masterpieces, and up to the presentand shows us why Mitchell has so enthralled her listeners, her lovers, and her friends.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWalking his two young children to school every morning, Thad Carhart passes an unassuming little storefront in his Paris neighborhood. Intrigued by its simple sign—Desforges Pianos—he enters, only to have his way barred by the shop’s imperious owner. Unable to stifle his curiosity, he finally lands the proper introduction, and a world previously hidden is brought into view. Luc, the atelier’s master, proves an indispensable guide to the history and art of the piano. Intertwined with the story of a musical friendship are reflections on how pianos work, their glorious history, and stories of the people who care for them, from amateur pianists to the craftsmen who make the mechanism sing. The Piano Shop on the Left Bank is at once a beguiling portrait of a Paris not found on any map and a tender account of the awakening of a lost childhood passion.Praise for The Piano Shop on the Left Bank:“[Carhart’s] writing is flu

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe cantatas of J.S. Bach are among the best known and most frequently performed musical works of the baroque period. However, when they are played and heard today, questions arise that are difficult to answer because the works are being experienced outside their historical context.

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisCountry music's Waylon Jennings shares this story of his life. He tells of his rise from poor beginnings to fame as Buddy Holly's protege, and his own near-destruction from drug abuse and financial ruin. He discusses his three failed marriages, and his joy at finding his soulmate, Jessi Colter.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA candid autobiography of the great rock diva of Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship, revealing her wild life at the forefront of the Sixties and Seventies counterculture.She has been called rock and roll''s original female outlaw, as famous for her bad behavior as for her haunting singing voice. In her 25-year career as a musician, Grace Slick charted dozens of hits and sold millions of albums. From White Rabbit and Somebody to Love to Sarah and Miracles, the songs she performed became the anthems of a generation.Whether describing her antics at the White House with Abbie Hoffman or the unforgettable experience that was Woodstock, Slick''s recollections have the same rich imagery found in her lyrics. In this provocative narrative, readers will discover the many sides of Grace Slick: as artistic pioneer; she records songs with Jerry Garcia and David Crosby; as practitioner of freedom and rebellion; she sleeps with Jim Morrison and gets arrested for DUI on three separate occasions

Read more less

Book SynopsisBob Marley was a reggae superstar who is considered to be one of the most influential musicians of all time. Who Was Bob Marley? tells the story of how a man with humble roots became an international icon.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisSince 2000, when this biography was first published, Menuhin''s name has not faded from public attention, as often happens in the decades after the death of a popular performing artist. Far from it: the centenary of his birth, April 22, 1916, is being marked by celebrations around the world.Yehudi Menuhin was born in New York of Russian Jewish immigrants. Prodigiously gifted, the ''Miracle Boy'' gave his first solo recital aged eight and within five years was world-famous. Menuhin was a visionary individualist, who didn''t mind shocking the establishment. His post-war support for the conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler, and his determination to build bridges with the defeated German nation, brought him into sharp conflict with the Jewish establishment and DPs in Berlin. Later he spoke out against apartheid in South Africa and denounced the Soviet Union''s oppressive policy towards writers and dissidents.Drawing on contemporary sources, unpublished family correspond

Read more less