Popular music Books

Book SynopsisAn updated version of Loud 'n' Proud: Fifty Years of Nazareth, drawing on copious images and items of memorabilia, this large format 240-page book is a treasure trove for Nazareth devotees — crammed full of live and off stage shots that portray the band’s journey through the decades. It also includes loads of super cool memorabilia including backstage passes, gig posters, media adverts and much more, all reproduced on high quality art paper. From the early days of the seventies through to the current day, nestling alongside the wonderful imagery, the band’s whole career is documented by esteemed rock writer Martin Popoff who was assisted through the whole narrative by Nazareth’s founder and only remaining original member Pete Agnew. Popoff also interviewed Agnew for the book in addition to previous interviews the author has conducted, not only with the bass player extraordinaire but with many other band members past and present, all neatly laid out in a timeline, making this the essential go to Nazareth book.

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Book SynopsisAfter their last studio album in 1991 and the tour that followed it, fans have eagerly awaited a Dire Straits reunion ever since. Whilst the likelihood of that remains incredibly slim, this book is a celebration of the band and their amazing musical accomplishments — with 'Sultans Of Swing', 'Private Investigations' and 'Money For Nothing' being just the tip of the iceberg! From the early days of playing at London's Hope & Anchor in 1977, to the dizzying heights of the 1985-86 Brothers In Arms tour and beyond, this book documents it all. With vintage interviews and reviews aplenty, the story of Dire Straits is one that needs to be told and this mammoth book is the most comprehensive biography of the band yet published. Not only is the band’s story covered in detail through the narrative — this lavish coffee table book is also visually stunning — printed on high quality art paper and illustrated throughout with numerous photos and items of memorabilia making this a highly desirable Dire Straits collectible.

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Book SynopsisA look into the weird and wonderful world of music’s most devoted superfans.Musicians and bands have been adored since the first notes were recorded, but it was Beatlemania in the ’60s that heralded the birth of the Super Fan—a breed of music obsessive that literally worshipped their idols. Super Fans looks at the crazed followers and fan groups that surround the old-school as well as modern music scene in a witty, fun and tongue-in-cheek way. From Beyoncé''s Beyhive, the Britney Army, Gaga''s Little Monsters, Nicki Minaj''s Barbz to Justin Beiber''s Beliebers—author Tobias Anthony goes deep into these fan groups to see how they tick.

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Book SynopsisWe Were There explores the symbiotic relationship between rock concert fans, the bands, and the photographer at music festivals. Sandy Carson's photographs candidly capture the true human experience of interacting with music. Sandy Carson is a Scottish photographer who has exhibited nationally and internationally, from Texas and New York to Switzerland and Scotland. His commercial clients include the New York Times, The Huffington Post, Rolling Stone, Nike, ESPN, and Disney.

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Book SynopsisThe Beatles and the Beatlesque address a paradox emanating from The Beatles’ music through a cross-disciplinary hybrid of reflections, drawing from both, musical practice itself and academic research. Indeed, despite their extreme stylistic variety, The Beatles’ songs seem to always bear a distinctive identity that emerges even more in similar works by other artists, whether they are merely inspired, derivative or explicitly paying homage. The authors, a musicologist and music producer, emphasize the importance of record production in The Beatles' music in a way that does justice not only to the final artifacts (the released songs) but also to the creative process itself (i.e., the songs "in the making").Through an investigation into the work of George Martin and his team, as well as The Beatles themselves, this text sheds light on the role of the studio in shaping the group's eclectic but unique sound. The chapters address what makes a song “Beatlesque”, to what extent production choices are responsible for developing a style, production being understood not as a mere set of technicalities, but also in a more conceptual way, as well as the aesthetics, semiotics and philosophy that animated studio activity. The outcome is a book that will appeal to both students and researchers, as well as, of course, musicophiles of all kinds.Table of ContentsPreface1. Introduction: a short history of The Beatles in the studio1.1 Recording strategies, tricks and effects1.2 Instrumentation and recurrent techniques1.3 The centrality of the studio2. Style and sound2.1 Sound and musical competence2.2 The roots of The Beatles sound2.3 Later influences3. On (the difficulty of) defining The Beatles style3.1. Vocals3.2. Harmonic solutions3.3. Melodic solutions3.4. Rhythmic solutions3.5. Instruments3.6. Dynamics3.7. Sound3.8. Endings3.9. Lyrics4. Crossdisciplinary reflections: production seen from the perspective of multimodality studies, narratology and film studies.4.1. Visual and literary components in Lennon-McCartney 4.1.1. Lennon or McCartney 4.1.2. Lennon and McCartney4.2. Production as multimodality4.3. Production and diegesis4.3.1. Diegesis, non-diegesis, formality, non-formality4.3.2. Hybrid forms and metadiegesis4.4. Case-study: feedbacks, false starts and blisters4.4.1. Redefining the spatial/temporal dimension of a song4.5. Production as montage4.5.1. Martin vs. Spector (and Lynne)4.5.2. Types of production as types of montage4.6. Case-study: The Fool on the Hill4.6.1. Creation and production4.6.2. What kind of fool was the fool on the hill?4.6.3. The authorial context4.6.4. Themes, structure and imagery4.6.5. Musical strategies4.7. Foreshadowing strategies5. Birth and fortune of the “Beatlesesque”: Transmission of creativity and legacy5.1 A little survey5.2 Stylistic features in a nutshell5.3 Another little survey5.4 Intrinsically-Beatlesesque features5.4.1 Different approaches5.4.2 Most referenced production elements5.5 ConclusionsReferencesIndex of namesIndex of songs/albums

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Book SynopsisThis book teaches the techniques of all the main branches of country fiddle. It brings structure, clarity, and purpose to your learning, and allows you to fluidly play through a country song, differentiating between the intro, the backing, the fills on verse and chorus, the fiddle solo, and the outro, all in a style appropriate to the type of song. Old time, early string band music, western swing, bluegrass, honky tonk, Cajun and commercial country are all covered here. You will also learn about specific players from the history of country, so that you can absorb and master the techniques which they pioneered. The style of the book is practical and down-to earth, but also entertaining, spiced with anecdotes from the many colourful characters we meet along the way, be they heroes or villains!Instrumentation:Violin

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Book SynopsisIn the 5th volume of the series SCHOTT PIANO LOUNGE, the arranger Carsten Gerlitz presents 18 standards from the great era of swing, from Glenn Miller to Duke Ellington.Instrumentation:piano

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Book Synopsis4 new pieces by Maximo Diego Pujol, composed for 4 guitars but which can be performed by a guitar ensemble. For intermediate and advanced levels. Contains both score and parts.

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Book SynopsisO Salutaris Hostia is one of Eriks Ešenvalds' most popular pieces. Originally written for female voices, the composer later created a version for full choir on which this arrangement is based. It has a gentle meditation with the two soloists drifting across the soft band accompaniment, alternately echoing and imitating each other or joining together in thirds. The effect is quietly ecstatic, a brief moment of adoration and wonderment. This arrangement can be played with either two cornets or two euphoniums as soloists as the accompaniment works just as effectively with either.Brings contemporary choral repertoire by a leading international composer to the band world.Arrangement of Eriks Ešenvalds'' highly successful choral piece ''O Salutaris Hostia''.Arranged by brass band specialist Phillip Littlemore.Part of EP Brass Band SeriesMeditative, beautiful piece, highly attractive for audiences, and proven success as a choral work.

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Book SynopsisStars is one of the most popular of all contemporary choral works by Latvian composer Eriks Ešenvalds. The music begins with water-tuned glasses playing a sequence of chord clusters, which are heard throughout the whole piece. It creates an evocative effect, which is both imaginative and inventive producing an ethereal shimmering beauty. Phillip Littlemore''s expert arrangement for brass band will bring a moment of enthralling stillness to any concert programme.Brings contemporary choral repertoire by a leading international composer to the band world.Arrangement of Eriks Ešenvalds'' highly successful choral piece ''Stars''.Arranged by brass and brass band specialist Phillip Littlemore.Part of EP Brass Band Series.Meditative, beautiful piece, highly attractive for audiences, and proven success as a choral work.Suitable for band at all levels.

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Book SynopsisO Salutaris Hostia is one of Eriks Ešenvalds' most popular pieces. Originally written for female voices, the composer later created a version for full choir on which this arrangement is based. It has a gentle meditation with the two soloists drifting across the soft band accompaniment, alternately echoing and imitating each other or joining together in thirds. The effect is quietly ecstatic, a brief moment of adoration and wonderment. This arrangement can be played with either two cornets or two euphoniums as soloists as the accompaniment works just as effectively with either.Brings contemporary choral repertoire by a leading international composer to the band world.Arrangement of Eriks Ešenvalds'' highly successful choral piece ''O Salutaris Hostia''.Arranged by brass band specialist Phillip Littlemore.Part of EP Brass Band SeriesMeditative, beautiful piece, highly attractive for audiences, and proven success as a choral work.

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

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

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

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

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Book SynopsisOne Two Another is a collection of the very best lyrics by lead singer of The Charlatans, Tim Burgess, with added commentary and memoir.

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Book SynopsisGrowing up around music, young George was inspired to piece together a makeshift drum set and teach himself to play as he practiced in the dark, dank basement of his rundown New Jersey townhouse. He soon joined forces with his friends to form a group called the Jazziacs which then evolved into Kool & The Gang, a band that began playing clubs and charting hits while its members were still teenagers. By evolving their sound as musical tastes changed, the band was able to stay on the charts for decades, scoring 12 Top 10 hits in Funk, R&B, Pop, and Rock, and selling over seventy million albums while navigating the highs and lows of their career. In Too Hot, drummer, keyboardist, and primary songwriter George Brown describes life in and out of the band including a raucous life on the road as the band’s popularity grew. He weathered the ups and downs of his musical career and navigated many challenges including prescription drug addiction, depression, and health issues. George shares how his recent cancer scare, and subsequent treatment, compelled him to share his story, warts and all, to give readers a glimpse into a band whose reputation was considered relatively tame, but in reality, it was exactly the opposite.George hopes to help others realize their own professional and personal dreams—life is a symphony, and we must all be our own conductor. Table of Contents1 Intro 2 Verse 3 Pre-Chorus 4 Chorus 5 Bridge 6 Outro Epilogue Discography

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Book Synopsis(Vocal Selections). A modern day music theatre phenomenon, Matilda The Musical is the multiple Olivier Award-winning adaptation of Roald Dahl''s classic children''s novel, newly adapted for the stage with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin. This official songbook presents all the songs from the show arranged for voice and piano with chord symbols, as well as an eight-page color photo section and an exclusive foreword written by Tim Minchin. Songs include: Bruce * The Hammer * I''m Here * Loud * My House * Miracle * Naughty * Pathetic * Quiet * Revolting Children * School Song * The Smell of Rebellion * Telly * This Little Girl * When I Grow Up.

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Book SynopsisNarrated by Barry Singerone of contemporary musical theater's most authoritative chroniclersEver After was originally published in 2003 as a history of the previous twenty-five years in musical theater, on and off Broadway. This new, second edition extends the narrative, taking readers from 2004 to the present. The book revisits every new musical that has opened since the last edition, with Barry Singer once again as guide.Before Ever After appeared in 2003, no book had addressed the recent past in musical theater historyan era Singer describes as ever after musical theater's many golden ages. Derived significantly from Singer's writings about musical theater for the New York Times, New York magazine, and the New Yorker, Ever After captured that era in its entirety, from the opening of The Act on Broadway in October 1977 to the opening of Avenue Q Off-Broadway in March 2003. This new edition brings Ever After up to date, from Wicked through The Book of Mormon to Hamilton and beyond. On

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Book SynopsisHangin’ Tough, the second album by the New Kids on the Block, has sold more than seventeen million copies worldwide since it was released in 1988. But the album and the band have also been dismissed, derided and deemed uncool by the music establishment. Almost thirty years later, the New Kids still perform the songs from Hangin’ Tough.Hundreds of thousands of grown women still flock to their concerts to hear—and go bat-shit crazy for—the songs they first heard when they were teenagers. Is this mere nostalgia or can the science of music help explain the enduring success of Hangin’ Tough? What is it about this album that made it so special? Is the music any good or are there other factors at play too? Journalist and New Kids fan Rebecca Wallwork sets out to analyze the quality of Hangin’ Tough with the help of music cognition experts, critics, producers and music industry pros. This is not a story about crazy fans, boy bands and truckloads of cheesy merchandise; it is an exploration of a watershed album and moment in pop culture history. It is a glimpse into the brain of not just New Kids fans, but into the minds and hearts of anyone who loves music.Trade ReviewMaking the case for the slick-sounding album’s place in music history seems a considerable undertaking. Yet author Wallwork presents more than enough plausible evidence about the band’s place in pop culture through research and interviews with those who worked with the boys during its heyday. She aims to explain why this album still resonates with her and the band’s mostly female audience (now in their 40s), and she tackles her subject on multiple fronts: the science, particularly the psychology, of why music from people’s teen years sticks with them well into adulthood; the genius of the band’s creator, Maurice Starr, who was also responsible for its music; and the personalities, talents, and musical influences of the five band members. In some ways, this book is not so much a band biography or album history as it is a story about fandom. Even elitist rock fans who don’t remember the New Kids fondly will find that Wallwork’s work may crack their hard, cynical shells. * Kirkus Reviews *What makes Wallwork’s book so great is that you can use it to understand how YOU fell in love with ‘that band’ from your teenaged years, and why you can’t let them go, no matter how you think your tastes have changed. Wallwork refused to apologize for her fandom, and instead invited you along to understand why you feel the way you do about your version of New Kids on the Block. * Bearded Gentleman Music *With this book, Wallwork isn't trying to convince readers to like New Kids on the Block. Rather she just wants to understand her own fandom. She wants to make sure she's not looking at it through the lens of nostalgia, something everyone has questioned at least once with something they remember fondly. Hangin' Tough will remind fans why they love NKOTB and will make others think differently about the group. * Examiner *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Do You Remember? Chapter 2: It Starts With a Whisper Chapter 3: Rise N’ Grind Chapter 4: Listen Up, Everybody Chapter 5: Space Cowboy Chapter 6: Click, Click, Click Chapter 7: Let’s Get This Chapter 8: Put You in a Trance Chapter 9: BH Love Eternal Pose For Me (photos)

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Book SynopsisWHAT A STORY! WHAT A LIFE! A FASCINATING MEMOIR FROM A LEGENDARY MUSIC BUSINESS EXECUTIVE WHO... Signed the little-known David Bowie... Owned the Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust albums... Looked after the The Rolling Stones... Helped reorganise The Beatles' Apple Corp... Worked with Mickie Most on The Animals, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Jeff Beck, and Lulu... Managed The Tremeloes, The New Seekers, and The Sweet... Masterminded a landmark court case that disrupted music publishers exploiting songwriters including Elton John... Started GTO Records, the company that signed Donna Summer, Billy Ocean, The Walker Brothers and Heatwave... AND WHO... Had dinner with John Lennon... Tea with Colonel Parker... Left Led Zeppelin's cash in a safe and lost the key... Threw Rod Stewart out of his office... Turned down chances to manage Queen and Andrea Bocelli... Almost tempted Stevie Wonder away from Motown... And foolishly allowed Iggy Pop to stay in his house! WHO KNEW?

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Book SynopsisThere's no denying that throughout the 1970s, Jethro Tull were at the top of their game. With iconic albums such as Aqualung (1971), Thick As A Brick (1972), Songs From The Wood (1977) and Heavy Horses (1978) to their credit, the band had majestically earned their place as vital pioneers and contributors within the spectrum of progressive rock music. By the 1980s, the popularity of progressive rock had declined amongst the record-buying public. Any band wishing to continue the success they had enjoyed throughout the previous decade couldn't afford to rest on their laurels. And so arises an essential question: How did Jethro Tull fare in the 1980s? Laura Shenton MA LLCM DipRSL provides a detailed exploration into each of Jethro Tull's albums from the eighties, offering a critical analysis of the band's achievements, challenges, and sound.

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Book SynopsisThis soundtrack compilation to Hugh Hodges'' brilliant book The Fascist Groove Thing: A History of Thatcher''s Britain in 21 Mixtapes features 20 tracks of classic punk, anarcho-punk and folk from Margaret Thatcher''s reign and eventual demise (some quite rare). While intended as a companion to the book this mixtape works equally well on its own. It will help prove that while Thatcher''s policies may have been utter crap, the music of this era that came out in response to her was anything but. Limited to 250 copies on Electric Blue shells

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Book SynopsisMamie Smith''s 1920 recording of ''Crazy Blues'' is commonly thought to signify the beginning of commercial attention to blues music and culture, but by that year more than 450 other blues titles had already appeared in sheet music and on recordings. In this examination of early popular blues, Peter C. Muir traces the genre''s early history and the highly creative interplay between folk and popular forms, focusing especially on the roles W. C. Handy played in both blues music and the music business. Long Lost Blues exposes for the first time the full scope and importance of early popular blues to mainstream American culture in the early twentieth century. Closely analyzing sheet music and other print sources that have previously gone unexamined, Muir revises our understanding of the evolution and sociology of blues at its inception.Trade ReviewReceived a Certificate of Merit in the Best Music History category from the Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC), 2011. "Required reading for lovers of the blues and historians of American popular music."--Notes"One of the most important and original books on blues to be published in the past decade."--The Journal of Southern History, David Evans"Muir's revealing book contributes significantly to understanding how sheet music and the pop music industry influenced the blues. An important work."--Tim Brooks, author of Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry, 1890-1919"This fascinating work discusses the genesis and introduction of a minority music genre into mainstream culture in a way that is impossible to ignore, given the importance of blues connections to other genres. Essential reading for anyone interested in American popular music."--Dick Spottswood, host of The Dick Spottswood Show on BlueGrassCountry.org and editor of Ethnic Music on RecordsTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix A Word about the Music Examples xi Introduction 1 1. The Popular Blues Industry, 1912-1920 7 2. The Identity and Idiom of Early Popular Blues 28 3. Curing the Blues with the Blues 80 4. The Blues of W. C. Handy 104 5. The Creativity of Early Southern Published Blues 141 6. Published Proto-Blues and the Evolution of the Twelve-Bar Sequence 181 Appendix: Titular Blues, 1912-1915 217 Notes 221 Major Works Consulted 243 General Index 245 Song Index 251

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Comprehensive, rigorous, and accessible--qualities that don’t always coincide. This book tackles flamenco history, structure, and culture in a way that is professional and compassionate. Literature on flamenco often undiscerningly presents a jumble of facts, hypothesis, suppositions, stories, and legends; this work masterfully untangles these and even-handedly dissects several polemics. One of the most important contributions to the field.”--John Moore, flamenco guitaristTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Part I. History 1 Pre-Flamenco Music 2 The Café Cantante Period, 1860-1920s 3 From Stagnation to Revival Part II. Structure and Forms in Flamenco 4 Structure 5 The Flamenco Repertoire: Description and Analysis 6 Flamenco Lyrics Part III. Flamenco Culture 7 The Contemporary Scene 8 Perspectives on Flamenco Culture Glossary Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"In Atomic Tunes, Tim and Joanna Smolko have written a long-overdue analysis of Cold War popular music which combines insightful analysis of individual songs and popular musical genres expertly embedded within their political and historical contexts. Their discussions of women's voices, of novelty songs, country and gospel music and other categories are balanced in a way that accommodates many different perspectives, both left wing and right. If you lived through the Cold War or approach it from a historical and musicological perspective, the Smolkos, along with the songs they explore, provide what they call a 'visceral sense of what it was like to live through the Cold War.' A very important work."—Russell Reising, University of Toledo professor emeritus of American culture and Asian studies"Tim and Joanna Smolko's book is a welcome and well-researched study on the role that the Cold War played in American and British popular music. The Smolkos take on topics such as communism and the Red Scare, civil defense, and nuclear fear in a study that places popular and folk music at the center of its contemporary social history in a way no other book has done before. They consider society, politics, race, and place are at the core for understanding the composition and performance of Cold War popular music, from satire to serious. Their book probes the essential questions we likely didn't know we had about the role of music in one of the most fraught eras in world history."—Reba Wissner, author of Music and the Atomic Bomb on American Television, 1950-1969, Columbus State University"In this immaculately researched book, Tim and Joanna Smolko examine how Cold War anxieties shaped songs by an incredibly diverse range of musicians—from earnest folkies and jokey rock 'n' rollers, to long-haired metalheads and political punks. The book's scope and thematic range is impressive, and even the biggest fan of this music will discover new insights—and tunes!—through the authors' in-depth discussions of the musical and social significance of these songs. In addressing a major gap in the burgeoning literature on Cold War-era music-making, Atomic Tunes should be essential reading for historians, musicologists, and fans alike."—Nicholas Tochka, author of Audible States: Socialist Politics and Popular Music in Albania, Head of Musicology and Ethnomusicology at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music"Richly detailed and meticulously researched, Atomic Tunes provides an invaluable contribution to our understanding of Anglo-American popular music in the Cold War era. The book's sweeping survey of songs, ranging from country and comedy to punk and heavy metal, captures all the vivid anxiety, paranoia, fear, fantasy, and dark humor of this vital period of global history, and makes for an endlessly fascinating read."—Theo Cateforis, author of Are We Not New Wave: Modern Pop at the Turn of the 1980s, Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Fine Arts and Music History at Syracuse University"Atomic Tunes is unparalleled as a sweeping inquiry into popular music's response to the Cold War and the arms race. Tim and Joanna Smolko deftly combine social and political history with musical analysis, stressing that the words and music mattered as artists and listeners tried to make sense of an anxious and confusing time in world history."—Steve Waksman, author of This Ain't the Summer of Love: Conflict and Crossover in Heavy Metal and PunkTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Cold War History in Music and Lyrics1. Folk: From Paul Robeson to Bob Dylan2. Folk: Women's Voices3. Country: The Conservative Stance4. Novelty and Comedy Songs: The Cold War as a Big Joke5. Early Rock and Other Styles: Rocking the Bomb6. Mainstream Rock: Bowie, U2, Sting, Billy Joel, and Springsteen7. Hard Rock and Heavy Metal: The Electric Guitar as the Bomb8. Punk Rock: Three Chords and the Apocalypse9. Electronic and New Wave: The Cold War in a Synthesizer10. Wind of Change: The Fall of the Wall and the End of the Cold WarConclusionBibliography, Discography, VideographyIndex

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Book SynopsisAn occasion to appreciate Dexter's resounding musical genius as well as his wish for major social transformation.Angela Y. Davis, political activist, scholar, author, and speakerSophisticated Giant presents the life and legacy of tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon (19231990), one of the major innovators of modern jazz. In a context of biography, history, and memoir, Maxine Gordon has completed the book that her late husband began, weaving his solo turns with her voice and a chorus of voices from past and present. Reading like a jazz composition, the blend of research, anecdote, and a selection of Dexter's personal letters reflects his colorful life and legendary times. It is clear why the celebrated trumpet genius Dizzy Gillespie said to Dexter, Man, you ought to leave your karma to science. Dexter Gordon the icon is the Dexter beloved and celebrated on albums, on film, and in jazz lore--even in a street named for him in Copenhagen. But this image of the cool jazzman fails to come to terTrade Review"Maxine Gordon astutely frames the fiery daring of Dexter Gordon’s generation of bebop innovators in the context of rising black consciousness and creative agency in midcentury America…“Sophisticated Giant” is a work of considerable sophistication, the first-person testimony of its subject employed with affectionate discipline, smartly contextualized and augmented by material from interviews Maxine Gordon conducted with the tenor saxophone masters Sonny Rollins and Jimmy Heath, the record producers Bruce Lundvall and Michael Cucsuna, and others." -- David Hajdu, * The New York Times *“Dexter Gordon’s deep tone, relaxed delivery—even the frequent witty musical quotations—seemed like extensions of his gravely playful speaking voice. That voice carries over on the page too. You can hear it when you read his written testimony and extracts from letters included in Maxine Gordon’s illuminating biography.” -- Kevin Whitehead, * NPR's Fresh Air *“‘Affectionate, enjoyable and informative, painting a portrait of a handsome, elegant, easygoing person and artist who refused to agonize about his past.” * Wall Street Journal *“A particularly intimate look at . . . career highs in this wonderful biography of the iconic jazzman. . . . Most striking for this reader was how, through her intimate, first-hand knowledge of her husband’s life, Maxine was able to convey how the art of jazz was far more than a career path for Dexter and his colleagues. “ * The Austin Chronicle *“[Gordon] displays firsthand knowledge of the political economy of jazz playing and the discrimination and grievances musicians endured...her honesty and passion bleed into her prose to create a lively and valuable look at the jazz giant and his world. Verdict: For jazz lovers first but enjoyable for general readers, too.” * Library Journal *"Throughout the book, Maxine provides rich descriptions of people, places, and events, often quoting from Dexter. Through her meticulous research, new information about him emerges. . . While meticulous about details, the author is also a good storyteller, so, aside from its scholarly discipline, the book is intriguing and leads the reader forward like an absorbing detective novel." * All About Jazz *“Maxine’s book shows us not only the world Dexter Gordon lived and breathed, but many other musicians we know, don’t know and should know. We see the reality of the Jazz world, the unthinkable hardships and struggles brought together through the common love of music. The book is incredible. Maxine Gordon is incredible. Her passion to share, explore and discuss the reality of the Jazz world is a true inspiration." * Jazz in Europe *“An informative, well-paced, suite like literary work that chronicles the saxophonist’s family, influences, inspirations, zeniths, and nadirs, and documents his legacy as one of the most influential saxophonists in jazz history.” -- Eugene Holley Jr., * Publishers Weekly *"Gordon’s life has previously been chronicled, but not with so much of his own achingly personal, brutally honest voice. Sophisticated Giant is not a critical analysis of his music; instead, Maxine has interwoven Dexter’s own letters and poetry with a broad spectrum of anecdotal accounts, plus her own meticulous scholarship and adoring reflections, to craft a vivid life story. . . . This is a must-read for jazz fans." * Jazz Times *"Blending forensic research with scholarly insight, Sophisticated Giant’s compelling story unfurls like one of Gordon’s sinuous sax solos. Essential reading for jazz fans." * Record Collector *“Dexter Gordon left us almost three decades ago, but his presence in 2018 has virtually brought him back to center stage." * All About Jazz *“There’s a major new biography out of saxophonist Dexter Gordon, and it’s worth checking out.” * Stereogum *“When I say that this is essential reading for anyone interested in modern jazz from the late thirties on, you'd better believe it!. . . . Tell your own true love that, this year, you don't want any more partridges in a pear tree, lords a-leaping or even five golden rings. No, what you want for Christmas this year is (apart from him/her) a Sophisticated Giant.” * bebop spoken here *“Offers a rare vantage point into the life of one of jazz’s most cherished figures.” * Jazziz *“Easy-to-read, well-written, superbly documented, much-anticipated. . . . One unique thing about the book is that it makes you feel like you are there with her listening to her talk, about her time in the jazz world with some of the best musicians on earth. But just when you get used to her writing like an excited jazz fan, she easily switches to a keen researcher and a solid scholar.” * Jazz Corner *“Maxine Gordon's recently released book ‘Sophisticated Giant: The Life and Times of Dexter Gordon’ is no ordinary jazz biography. It is a book that transports you into the reality of a Jazz musicians’ life, the highs and lows, the hardships and the inexplicable power of Jazz – beautifully written by an author whose passion for ensuring Dexter’s story is told honestly, is inspiring. Dexter Gordon was indeed a ‘Sophisticated Giant’ but when you read the book, you can’t help but feel there are actually two sophisticated giants here.” * The Jazz Room @ Style Quarterly Magazine *"Exceptional. . . . Maxine Gordon believes that 'the story of Dexter's life is nothing less than a cultural history of creative Black Americans in the interwar and postwar years.' In Sophisticated Giant, she's written a book that reflects this important truth." * New York City Jazz Record *“Sophisticated Giant paints a convincing picture of an extremely charming, intelligent, resilient, and talented man." * Arts Fuse *“This is a story that had to be told.” * KUVO/KVJZ *“An intimate, keenly-rendered new biography that will interest jazz enthusiasts and anyone with an interest in American popular culture. . . . It’s a warm, subjective story that trains an astute lens on the social and political circumstances that helped shape a career; and for that, it stand outs as a landmark contribution to the literature of the jazz.” * Seattle Times *“A work that’s both scrupulously researched history and intimate memoir.” * MOJO *Table of Contents1. The Saga of Society Red 1 2. An Uncommon Family 13 3. Education of an Eastside Altar Boy 26 4. Leaving Home 35 5. Pops 44 6. Blowin’ the Blues Away 51 7. Business Lessons 62 8. Mischievous Lady 77 9. Central Avenue Bop 87 10. Trapped 99 11. Resurgence 113 12. New Life 120 13. Very Saxily Yours 134 14. Trouble in Paris 144 15. The Khalif of Valby 155 16. Homecoming 167 17. Bebop at Work 179 18. Round Midnight 191

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Book SynopsisLiner Notes for the Revolution offers a startling new perspective on Black women musicians from Bessie Smith to Beyoncé. Informed by the overlooked contributions of women who wrote about the blues, rock, and pop, Daphne A. Brooks argues that acclaimed entertainers have also been radical intellectuals, challenging the culture industry to catch up.Trade ReviewBrooks traces all kinds of lines, finding unexpected points of connection…inviting voices to talk to one another, seeing what different perspectives can offer, opening up new ways of looking and listening by tracing lineages and calling for more space. * New York Times *Daphne Brooks has written a gloriously polyphonic book. Moving through the tumult of the twentieth century and the millennium, she scores, archives, and curates the history of Black woman musicians and their radical modernities, all created in a culture that presumed they had no voices or minds. What did they do to be so Black, brilliant, and blue? Listen. And read on. -- Margo Jefferson, author of the National Book Critics Circle Award–winning NegrolandBrooks takes on a wide-ranging study of Black female artists, from elders like Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters to Beyoncé and Janelle Monáe. But she reaches far beyond music, exploring writers like Zora Neale Hurston and Pauline Hopkins…Liner Notes is a secret history…connecting the sonic worlds of Black female mythmakers and truth-tellers. -- Rob Sheffield * Rolling Stone *Brooks moves deftly between eras, from early-twentieth-century blues and vaudeville to Lemonade-era Beyoncé…In articulating the intellectual labor of so many Black women artists—unknown, ‘undertheorized,’ or both—she implicitly acknowledges those who, for whatever reason, didn’t make it into the capital-A archive, but whose contributions surround us nonetheless…Liner Notes is a loud warning shot: seeing Black women everywhere is not the same as seeing Black women. -- Rawiya Kameir * Bookforum *Takes on the weighty task of sifting through more than a century’s worth of music history, cultural criticism and long forgotten archives to explore the revolutionary practices of Black women musicians…Brooks is effusive in her belief that not only did these women exist in spaces previously thought to be exclusively white, she suggests their impact can be felt in all spheres of music today. -- Stephanie Phillips * The Wire *A passionate book, written with a vigorous confidence…Brooks’s command of history and her reading are broad and deep…Instinct says there is a large audience that is not only sympathetic to what she has to say but would be charged up by Brooks’s ideas, that would hear in the music what Brooks hears. -- George Grella * Brooklyn Rail *Effortlessly poetic, deeply historical, and insistently imaginative, Liner Notes for the Revolution doesn’t merely give voice to unheeded and crucial innovators; it offers a new method for approaching music history itself. -- Ann Powers, author of Good BootyDaphne Brooks’s brilliant evocation of what gets lost when women of color don’t speak, let alone sing, is one of the most moving testaments to the power of silence, and what breaking that silence means, that I have ever read. Vivid, joyful, and heartbreaking in its passionate understanding of soul in all its manifestations, Liner Notes for the Revolution is itself a new kind of music: propulsive, witty, wise, and true. -- Hilton Als, author of White GirlsFor Daphne Brooks, black feminist sound is sensuous thought. In Liner Notes for the Revolution, she feels and shows and says this with such devotion, such critical and emotional intelligence, such archival commitment and dexterity, and such urgent social aspiration that listening itself is new again. -- Fred Moten, author of All That BeautyLiner Notes for the Revolution is a groundbreaking and breathtaking volume from one of our leading cultural historians that will forever change the way we write and think about American culture. Daphne Brooks insists upon the genius of Black women music-makers, listeners, and critics. This transformative work of intellectual generosity is sure to join the ranks of classic works such as Amiri Baraka’s Blues People and Greil Marcus’s Lipstick Traces. -- Farah Jasmine Griffin, author of Harlem NocturneIt went so many unexpected places and it fed me. I was especially drawn to the under-told stories of trailblazing women who were the collectors, archivists, and storytellers. She’s made what has been in the shadows legible. It’s full of stories of creative resistance and persistence. Perfect for this moment. * Los Angeles Times *A sweeping survey of Black women’s contributions to music history and a rigorous mapping of their lives as intellectuals. From Bessie Smith to Beyoncé…A positively revolutionary ‘critical re-attunement.’ * Pitchfork *A groundbreaking study that is necessary reading for scholars of Black studies, women’s studies, sound studies, and performance studies. The methods and arguments put forth by Brooks will undoubtedly inspire the growth of Black feminist archival scholarship dedicated to unearthing the stories of many more sidelined, yet-to-be-recognized culture makers. -- Shanice Wolters * Women and Music *Through storytelling, analysis, and archival research, Liner Notes for the Revolution spans generations of Black women as musical pioneers, including Ma Rainey, Billie Holiday, and Tina Turner, and calls attention to their resounding influence. -- Jaelani Turner-Williams * Teen Vogue *Enlightening…a fresh perspective on more than a century’s worth of Black female musicians…Brooks combines an impressive archive of musical works and the artists’ own words to convincingly reveal how they each impacted popular culture. Music aficionados should take note. * Publishers Weekly *A spirited study of how Black women musicians and writers have informed each other despite gatekeepers’ neglect and dismissals…A sui generis and essential work on Black music culture destined to launch future investigations. * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *A lyrical masterpiece that takes readers on an exhilarating journey through a century of Black sound from Bessie Smith to Beyoncé…Brooks’ liner notes are a ‘requiem’ for the oversight of Black women musicians and their intellectual resonance. * New Books Network *An impressive exploration of Black women’s intellectuality in music. -- Jordannah Elizabeth * Amsterdam News *Rich with insights…A rigorous and sweeping counter-history of American pop. -- Danielle A. Jackson * Vulture *

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Book SynopsisTold in personal interviews, this is the collective story of a punk community in an unlikely town and region, a hub of radical counterculture that drew artists and musicians from throughout the conservative South and earned national renown.Trade Review“This beautifully crafted page-turner presents the outsider history of a thriving southern punkhouse where military brats, rocker chefs, queerdoe artists, revivified veterans, a newborn, and a rotating pack of dogs lived nearly cash-free in a filthy and vibrant wonderland they made imperfectly together.”- Anna Joy Springer, author of The Vicious Red Relic, Love;“A Punkhouse in the Deep South is a ray of light from a completely unexpected direction: a lucid, humble, sweet-natured account of building a small DIY utopia that would continue to flourish for more than 25 years in ostensibly hostile terrain. Its success may not be replicable, but that it happened at all is cause for wonder.”- Luc Sante, author of Low Life: Lures and Snares of Old New York;“The first punk oral history to illuminate a chronically undervalued context for southern misfit life: that it thrives because of its relationship to its community, not despite it.”- Nate Powell, artist of the March trilogy;“This book celebrates the punks who do the grunt work to build places where they can conspire to make a better way of life. It is an essential contribution to the history of music, counterculture, and cities.”- James Tracy, coauthor of Hillbilly Nationalists, Urban Race Rebels, and Black Power: Community Organizing in Radical Times.

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Book SynopsisOver the course of his long career, legendary bluesman William "Big Bill" Broonzy (1893–1958) helped shape the trajectory of the genre, from its roots in the rural Mississippi River Delta, through its rise as a popular genre in the North, to its eventual international acclaim. Along the way, Broonzy adopted an evolving personal and professional identity, tailoring his self-presentation to the demands of the place and time. His remarkable professional fluidity mirrored the range of expectations from his audiences, whose ideas about race, national belonging, identity, and the blues were refracted through Broonzy as if through a prism. Kevin D. Greene argues that Broonzy''s popular success testifies to his ability to navigate the cultural expectations of his different audiences. However, this constant reinvention came at a personal and professional cost. Using Broonzy''s multifaceted career, Greene situates blues performance at the center of understanding African American self-presentation and racial identity in the first half of the twentieth century. Through Broonzy''s life and times, Greene assesses major themes and events in African American history, including the Great Migration, urbanization, and black expatriate encounters with European culture consumers. Drawing on a range of historical source materials as well as oral histories and personal archives held by Broonzy''s son, Greene perceptively interrogates how notions of race, gender, and audience reception continue to shape concepts of folk culture and musical authenticity.

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Book SynopsisFinalist, 2024Lesbian Memoir/Biography, Lambda Literary Award for Arts and Culture Winner — Walter & Lillian Lowenfels Criticism Award, 45th Annual American Book Awards, Before Columbus FoundationA queer, Black “biography in essays” about the performer who gave us “Hound Dog,” “Ball and Chain,” and other songs that changed the course of American music. Born in Alabama in 1926, raised in the church, appropriated by white performers, buried in an indigent’s grave—Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton''s life events epitomize the blues—but Lynnée Denise pushes past the stereotypes to read Thornton’s life through a Black, queer, feminist lens and reveal an artist who was an innovator across her four-decade-long career. Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters “samples” elements of Thornton’s art—and, occasionally, the author’s own story—to create “a biography in essays” that explores the life of its subject as a DJ might dig through a crate of records. Denise connects Thornton’s vaudevillesque performances in Sammy Green’s Hot Harlem Revue to the vocal improvisations that made “Hound Dog” a hit for Peacock Records (and later for Elvis Presley), injecting music criticism into what’s often framed as a cautionary tale of record-industry racism. She interprets Thornton’s performing in men’s suits as both a sly, Little Richard–like queering of the Chitlin Circuit and a simple preference for pants over dresses that didn’t have a pocket for her harmonica. Most radical of all, she refers to her subject by her given name rather than 'Big Mama,' a nickname bestowed upon her by a white man. It''s a deliberate and crucial act of reclamation, because in the name of Willie Mae Thornton is the sound of Black musical resilience. Trade ReviewDenise offers a desperately-needed corrective in this volume about the art, life, and legacy of Thornton, whose song “Hound Dog” (later recorded by Elvis) changed the course of American music. A standout installment in the University of Texas Press’s always great Music Matters series. * The Millions *The enigmatically intelligent and scholarly productive thinker, Lynnée Denise, who has made strides in Black realms of music for well over a decade is now presenting a new book. Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters gives an honest and incredibly bright examination of the relevance of Big Mama Thornton. * The New York Amsterdam News *Denise uses shrewd music criticism and a Black, queer, feminist lens, to reintroduce Thornton as a performer who transcended gender norms . . . Denise’s thoughtful reimagination of Thornton’s career pays tribute to a woman that embodied Black creation and resilience. * Alternative Press *Impressive research and thoughtful commentary illuminate the life and career of Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton (1926–84) in this eloquent volume...What emerges is a portrait of an extraordinary woman who influenced later blues, rock, and pop music performers such as Janis Joplin...An engaging and well-written must-read with generous resources for further study. * Library Journal, starred review *Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton was a Black, queer blues woman often recognized for her song, “Hound Dog,” but she was so much more. In the latest volume of the Music Matters series, Lynnée Denise rediscovers and reclaims Thornton’s life and legacy, a gift to us all. * Ms. Magazine *Denise reintroduces Thornton as a performer who transcended genres and gender norms. * The 19th *Denise effectively delivers perhaps her most salient point: Who is authorized to convey the story of these Black musicians? * The Austin Chronicle *Table of Contents Introduction Mothering the Blues The Black South Matters Sisters of the Dirty Blues White Boy Magic and the Making of Genre Grown Little Girls, Tomboy Women, and Black Radio Don’t Ask Me No More about Elvis California Love / California Dreamin’ Willie Mae inna England Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine Mixtapes, White Biographers, and Black Blues People Saved by the Amazing Grace of Mahalia Jackson A Jailed Sassy Mama The ’80s Blackness of Willie Mae’s Blues Epilogue Acknowledgments Sources and References

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Book SynopsisCarol Vernallis examines short form audiovisual mediafrom TikTok mashups to Beyoncé's Lemonadeto offer techniques for understanding digital media.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments xi A Note on the Cover xiii Introduction 1 I. Post-Classical Cinema at the Limit 1. Partying in The Great Gatsby: Baz Luhrmann’s Audovisual Sublime 27 2. Shattered Pleasures: Michael Bay’s Transformers: Age of Extinction 48 II. Music Video and the Art-Video Border 3. Beyoncé’s Overwhelming Opus; or, the Past and Future of Music Video 71 4. Avant-Gardists and the Lure of Pop Music 97 5. Beyoncé’s Lemonade: She Dreams in Both Worlds (Carol Vernallis, Lisa Perrot, and Holly Rogers) 122 6. Tracing the Carters through the Galleries: “APES**T/APESHIT” and the Louvre 138 7. Storytelling on the Ledge: Lady Gaga and Jonas Åkerlund’s “Paparazzi” 154 III. Music Video’s Late Late Style 8. How to Analyze Music Videos: Beyoncé and Melina Matsoukas’s “Pretty Hurts” 175 9. Dave Meyer’s Moments of Audiovisual Bliss 196 10. Janelle Monáe’s “You Make Me Feel” and Anderson.Paak with Kendrick Lamar’s “Tints”: Getting Up in My [Rearview] Mirror 211 IV. Audiovisual Aesthetics Online 11. Who Needs Music Documentaries When There’s TikTok and Carpool Karaoke? 231 12. TikTok and Costume-Drama Mashups on YouTube 247 V. New Modes of Analysis: Industry 13. The Art of Color Grading (Carol Vernallis, Jonathan Leal, Eric Weldt, and Aubrey Woodiwiss) 265 14. Music Video Directors, Production Houses, and the Media Swirl 290 VI. New Modes of Analysis: Neuroscience 15. Music Video’s Multisensory 307 16. Tracing the Asset: Humanistic and Quantitative Approaches to Cybercrime Film Trailers (Snowden and Bourne) 319 VII. New Modes of Analysis: Politics and Vernacular Culture 17. New Technologies, Social Justice, and the Future in Beyoncé’s Audiovisual Albums 335 18. Fox News, COVID-19, Brief Media Aesthetics, and Historical Resonances 356 Afterword 369 Notes 373 Bibliography 403 Index 429

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Book SynopsisIn this revised and updated edition of The Dark Tree, Steven L. Isoardi tells the story of Horace Tapscott and the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, a community arts group in Los Angeles that provided community-oriented jazz and jazz training for African American musicians, poets, playwrights, and artists for four decades.Trade Review“The Dark Tree is just wonderful. One cannot understand the history of Black arts on the West Coast without a thorough assessment of this movement; Isoardi knows this history so well and tells a much bigger story. The book does a fantastic job of capturing the nitty-gritty nature of the music scene and resurrecting local figures in the Arkestra who have never gotten any press for their astounding musicianship. This is a remarkable book.” -- Robin D. G. Kelley, author of * Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original *“This is a revelatory document, virtuosically combining scholarship and oral history to connect the dots of African American music on the West Coast. Far more than a mere historical ‘overdub’ of an underdocumented scene, this book disrupts the mythic notions of jazz history, showing instead how music and community unfold as one. Both a celebratory and a cautionary tale, it also delivers some of the most frank and eye-opening musicians’ accounts since Arthur Taylor’s Notes and Tones.” -- Vijay Iyer, musician and composer“In these pages, Horace Tapscott says to the audience, ‘This is one more you wrote through us.’ And this is what Isoardi has done here: given voice to the nearly lost history of a revolutionary community movement through its key players. Epic in scope, dazzling in detail, and sensual as any Coltrane solo, this rare book—informative, intimate, lyrical, scholarly, nuanced, and essential—reads like no history book you’ve read before.” -- Chris Abani, author of GraceLand"An impressively constructed tapestry of voices, it includes memories and opinions from myriad people while maintaining a strong narrative thread through lsoardi's authoritative voice. . . . lsoardi's interviews with dozens of members—not one of whom declined to participate—recover a wealth of information crucial to the history of Los Angeles jazz. In the process, he has made The Dark Tree a truly collaborative project that itself shares in the communal spirit of the UGMAA." -- Matthew Blackwell * The Wire *Table of ContentsPreface to the Second Edition ix Acknowledgments xv 1. Ancestral Echoes: Roots of the African American Community Artist 1 2. Ballad for Samuel: The Legacy of Central Avenue and the 1950s Avant-Garde in Los Angeles 19 3. Lino’s Pad: African American Los Angeles and the Formation of the Underground Musicians Association (UGMA) 43 4. The Giant is Awakened: The Watts Uprising and Cultural Resurgence 69 5. Warriors All: UGMA in the Middle of It 117 6. The Mothership: From UGMA/UGMAA to the Pan Afrikan Peoples Akrestra and UGMAA 141 7. To the Great House: The Arkestra in the 1970s 179 8. Thoughts of Dar es Salaam: The Institutionalization of UGMAA 215 9. At the Crossroads: The Ark and UGMAA in the 1980s 259 10. The Hero’s Last Dance: The ’90s Resurgence 285 11. Aiee! The Phantom: Horace Tapscott 311 12. The Black Apostles: The Arkestra/UGMAA Ethos/Aesthetic: Music, Artists, Community 341 Epilogue: The Post-Horace Pan African Peoples Arkestra 363 Appendix: A View from the Bottom: The Music of Horace Tapscott and The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, by Roberto Miranda 369 Notes 379 Bibliography 407 Index 425

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Book SynopsisAN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERAn electric, searing memoir by the original rebel girl and legendary front woman of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre.Hey girlfriend I got a proposition goes something like this: Dare ya to do what you want Kathleen Hanna’s band Bikini Kill embodied the punk scene of the 90s, and today her personal yet feminist lyrics on anthems like “Rebel Girl” and “Double Dare Ya” are more powerful than ever. But where did this transformative voice come from?In Rebel Girl, Hanna’s raw and insightful new memoir, she takes us from her tumultuous childhood to her formative college years and her first shows. As Hanna makes clear, being in a punk “girl band” in those years was not a simple or safe prospect. Male violence and antagonism threatened at every turn, and surviving as a singer who was a lightning rod for controversy took limitless amounts of determination.But the relationships she developed during those years buoyed her, including with her bandmates Tobi Vail, Kathi Wilcox, JD Samson, and Johanna Fateman. And her friendships with musicians like Kurt Cobain, Ian MacKaye, Kim Gordon, and Joan Jett reminded her that, despite the odds, the punk world could still nurture and care for its own. Hanna opens up about falling in love with Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys and her debilitating battle with Lyme disease, and she brings us behind the scenes of her musical growth in her bands Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin. She also writes candidly about the Riot Grrrl movement, documenting with love its grassroots origins but critiquing its exclusivity.In an uncut voice all her own, Hanna reveals the hardest times along with the most joyful—and how they continue to fuel her revolutionary art and music.

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