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Book SynopsisAn oral history of the modern punk-revival?s West Coast BirthplaceOutside of New York and London, California?s Bay Area claims the oldest continuous punk-rock scene in the world. Gimme Something Better brings this outrageous and influential punk scene to life, from the notorious final performance of the Sex Pistols, to Jello Biafra?s bid for mayor, the rise of Maximum RocknRoll magazine, and the East Bay pop-punk sound that sold millions around the globe. Throngs of punks, including members of the Dead Kennedys, Avengers, Flipper, MDC, Green Day, Rancid, NOFX, and AFI, tell their own stories in this definitive account, from the innovative art-damage of San Francisco?s Fab Mab in North Beach, to the still vibrant all-ages DIY ethos of Berkeley?s Gilman Street. Compiled by longtime Bay Area journalists Jack Boulware and Silke Tudor, Gimme Something Better chronicles more than two decades of punk music, progressive politics, social consciousness, and di

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Trade ReviewThis book is a major contribution to Europeanist ethnomusicology, and an excellent read for any scholar interested in the political economy of music or in cultural histories of the Cold War. * Ljerka V. Rasmussen, Slavic Review Fall 2018 *Audible States offers a provocative analysis of musical political economy, and it will become essential reading on Eastern Europe and cultural policy. * Matthew Knight, Ethnomusicology 67.3 *Table of ContentsTable of Contents Acknowledgments List of Illustrations Introduction 1 Administering Music 2 Debating Song 3 Cultivating Individuality 4 Voicing Transition 5 Promoting Albania Epilogue: Hearing Like A State Appendix: Research Materials Notes References

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

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Trade Review'For beginners and those who need a refresher course in the history of jazz, a great way to start.' Beat Scene'This 1956 tome comes endorsed by Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong.' The Guardian'it says a good deal for its thoroughness and scholarship that no revision has been deemed necessary for this, the first paperback edition for 20 years ... excellent volume' Stage and Television Today'The Jazz Tradition is certainly an informative and stimulating book ... Marshall Stearns's book has long been regarded as a masterpiece of its kind. The Story of Jazz is essential reading for anyone with even a smattering of interest in the music.' Q

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Trade ReviewA bible for all song-freaks, it includes a long chapter on Rodgers that backs up enthusiasm with analysis. * BBC Music Magazine, December 1999 *'American Popular Song-The Great Innovators 1900-1950 by Alec Wilder, recently republished by Oxford University Press (Price #17.50 and worth every penny)' National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Spring/Summer 1993

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Book SynopsisLouis Armstrong was more than a great entertainer-he was one of the most important musicians of our times, not only a key figure in the history of jazz but also a formative influence on all of twentieth-century popular music. James Lincoln Collier, author of The Making of Jazz chronicles the saga of Armstrong's rise as a musician, providing a unique, insightful portrait of the man and his times.Trade Review"Destined to become one of the enduring jazz reference works."--The Philadelphia Inquirer"The definitive account of Armstrong's life. Collier is a tough, unblinkered critic."--The Washington Post"By far the most thoughtful and articulate study to date of a much misunderstood titan of jazz."--The Nation"A masterful critical biography--sophisticated in its contexts, shrewd yet sympathetic, rich in its supporting cast...and splendidly conscientious in the delicate balance between character and culture."--Kirkus Reviews"The most comprehensive account yet of the man who all but invented swing."--Newsweek"One of the most important jazz studies in recent years."--Callaloo"An excellent introduction to the real 'Satchmo.'"--History Book Review"It could be a long time before we are given a more detailed, comprehensive, perceptive, and human portrait of the great Satchmo."--Jervis Anderson, The New Republic"Only with the publication of James Lincoln Collier's biography is a truly comprehensive critical study of Armstrong available. And a splendid one it is....Distinguished by sound logic, a generous breadth of understanding of music and people, and a writing style that is a model of clarity, economy, and grace....Collier's book joins that select group of biographies of Americans in the arts whose representatives are in themselves admirable works of art."--American Music"Splendid....Distinguished by sound logic, a generous breadth of understanding of music and people, and a writing style that is a model of clarity, economy, and grace....Collier's book joins the select group of biographies of Americans in the arts whose representatives are in themselves admirable works of art."--American Music"A superb book....It is thoughtful, intelligent, informative, provocative, and comprehensive."--Stephen L. Stone, University of Oregon"This comprehensive, well-researched, highly readable biography deftly separates fact from myth in telling the rags-to-riches saga of Armstrong's life."--The Christian Science Monitor"A detailed, provocative, intellectually stimulating, and skillfully written account--in fact, one of the most engrossing biographies of a jazz musician ever written."--Down Beat"Impeccable scholarship, razor-sharp musical analysis, and lively, vibrant prose are the hallmarks of this groundbreaking biography of an American jazz legend."--Booklist

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Trade Review"An unpretentious and highly entertaining characterization of an era when black musicians tried innovatively to wrest control of their music from white big-band leaders....Informative, upbeat, carefully assembled."--Mel Watkins, American Visions "The most important and valuable book on jazz since James Lincoln Collier's The Making of Jazz, Martin Williams' The Jazz Tradition, and his own previous bop history, Jazz Masters of the '40s."--Jazziz "Mr. Gitler has done an exhaustive and creditable job, and we can thank him for the thoroughness of the interviews, the sensible organization of the material and the portrait of an emerging era marked by more interaction between new and old than historical generalizations would suggest."--The New York Times Book Review "Swing to Bop captures the genius and warmth of Parker and Gillespie, and the contributions of numerous other musicians, too-often forgotten....[It] portrays with depth and vitality what Gitler aptly described bop to be--'a music that lifted one with beauty and joy.'"--Philadelphia Tribune "A 'musician's story'...chock full of all the crazy things that can happen on the road, in the clubs, in the studios, or just about anywhere a jazz musician hangs or wears his hat."--The Christian Science Monitor "First class."--Jazztimes "An uncommonly rich selection of anecdotes, outrageous stories, hearsay and musical insight."--Baltimore Sun "An essential book, one that brings the absolute excitement and sense of change of the era vividly to life."--Cashbox "There are moments here...where provocative ground is broken...[An] enjoyable oral history."--Boston Phoenix "One of the most enjoyable volumes that I've read in a while....If you love creative music, Swing to Bop is a must--the words will make you laugh, cry, groan, and make you wish that you were right there when it happened."--Cadence

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Book SynopsisThis lively account of the Roaring 20s' in America embraces all the major personalities in jazz and popular music - singers, composers and instrumentalists - together with a detailed discography and lists of songs and films.Trade ReviewArnold Shaw has produced an interesting history of the music of the twenties, relating it strongly to the social and political influences of the decade. Agreeably anecdotal, the whole making up a rich kaleidoscope which will be of use to researchers as well as to the general reader * Stage and Television - November 1988 *Shaw's research also yields an attractive breadth of biography and social history. He sketches all sorts of luminaries of the time, producing a rich harvest of anecdote along the way. * Country Life *lively account of the Roaring 20s in America * Publishing News *Arnold Shaw has written an authoritative, exuberant, encyclopaedic book ... Shaw's knowledge ... appears infinite. Panoramic in scope, exhaustive in detail and affectionate in tone, The Jazz Age will be pored over by those who are enraptured by the period. * David Dale, The Times *eminently readable essays ... At #5.95 Lee's book is a snip. * New Musical Express *this book is so full of inside information on the era it's almost unbelievable ... a lively informative book which will be a joy to many ... Fine detail and an engaging style ... a great read. * Bernie Ralphs, Beat Scene *a feast for jazz-lovers ... goes into the jazz history of what were called the "Roaring Twenties" with a wealth of detail * Kieran Nally, Irish Independent *

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Book SynopsisTaking up where Early Jazz (OPB, #6.95) leaves off, this second volume of Gunther Schuller''s history of jazz considers the swing era - the age of dance bands and radio shows. Tracing the origins of swing and its effects on American musical and social life, he assesses the distinctive sounds of great bandleaders like Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Woody Herman, instrumentalists such as Art Tatum, Cab Calloway, and Pee Wee Russell, and such vocalists as Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, and Peggy Lee.Trade Review`Hardly anyone else can write on jazz with such authority...indispensable to serious jazz lovers...A monumental contribution to jazz literature.' New York Review of Books`a magisterial achievement...a masterpiece and a source of pure joy' Washington Post Book World`A touchstone of jazz literature...The most thorough and authoritative study ever undertaken on the period.' Philadelphia Inquirer'Reading it is like listening to one of those hugely learned men with the gift of the gab, like Bronowski or A.J.P. Taylor, talking about his favourite subject. Every observation is backed by evidence, every generalisation judiciously qualified, every side-issue detailed in a footnote, but it is all done without a trace of pomposity. The real enjoyment in reading The Swing Era, as in reading Johnson's Lives of the Poets, comes from being taught more about something you love by an erudite, courteous and generous mind.' Dave Gelly, Jazz, Issue 12

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Book SynopsisA blend of musical history and criticism, this study of jazz includes chapters on King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman. In addition to an expanded essay on Count Basie, this edition includes pieces on Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans and the World Saxophone Quartet.Trade Review'Jazz as a music provides writers with a deep well as a subject matter. Add this book to the collection if you missed it the first time round, it is among the best.' Claudia Caprez, Weekly Journal'it is never less than stimulating' Brian Glasser, Q

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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

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Book SynopsisFanny Brice was arguably the greatest American stage comedienne and the first truly great torch singer. Best known today through the Broadway and Hollywood versions of Funny Girl, the vehicle that catapulted Barbara Streisand to super-stardom, her most famous role was as `Baby Snooks'' the `incorrigible tot of network radio from 1936 to 1951''.This meticulously researched biography chronicles her entire stage career from childhood amateur shows to national fame. Full of colourful anecdote, it covers her personal life, including three broken marriages - one two a notorious gangster - and also includes four appendices detailing every aspect of her stage, film, radio, and recording careers.Trade Review'Fascinating account of the Funny Girl's career.' Peter Hepple, Stage & Television Today

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Book SynopsisIf Benny Goodman was the King of Swing, then Fletcher Henderson was the power behind the throne. Not only did Henderson arrange the music that powered Goodman''s meteoric rise, he also helped launch the careers of Louis Armstrong and Coleman Hawkins, among others. Now Jeffrey Magee offers a fascinating account of this pivotal bandleader, throwing new light on the emergence of modern jazz and the world that created it. Drawing on an unprecedented combination of sources, including sound recordings, obscure stock arrangements, and hundreds of scores that have been available only since Goodman''s death, Magee illuminates Henderson''s musical output, from his early work as a New York bandleader, to his pivotal role in building the Kingdom of Swing. He shows how Henderson, standing at the forefront of the New York jazz scene during the 1920s and ''30s, assembled the era''s best musicians, simultaneously preserving jazz''s distinctiveness and performing popular dance music that reached a widTrade Review"Magee does an excellent job of placing his subject in the context of uncertain social changes in the African American community. Well researched and highly readable."--Library Journal "An invaluable survey of Henderson's life and music. Detailed analyses of numerous musical scores are juxtaposed against a view of the roller-coaster progress of Henderson's career in the midst of the Harlem Renaissance. Perhaps most important, Magee deals with the complex issue of Henderson's identity as both a creative facilitator of other musicians' efforts and the frustrated composer-arranger of music that was a foundational element in the Swing Era--bringing triumphs that had eluded his groups to leaders such as Goodman, the Dorsey Brothers and Isham Jones."--Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times "Magee paints a vivid portrait of the central figures of early jazz and swing (Louis Armstrong is a 'strong streak of color in a crazy quilt') as well as the business of recording and touring in the 1920s and '30s. While Benny Goodman is lauded as the major force behind the Big Band sound, Magee argues convincingly that Henderson was equally important in 'building the kingdom of swing.''--Publishers Weekly "An invaluable survey of Henderson's life and music. Detailed analyses of numerous musical scores are juxtaposed against a view of the roller-coaster progress of Henderson's career in the midst of the Harlem Renaissance. Perhaps most important, Magee deals with the complex issue of Henderson's identity as both a creative facilitator of other musicians' efforts and the frustrated composer-arranger of music that was a foundational element in the Swing Era--bringing triumphs that had eluded his groups to leaders such as Goodman, the Dorsey Brothers and Isham Jones."--Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times "Magee does an excellent job of placing his subject in the context of uncertain social changes in the African American community. Well researched and highly readable."--Library Journal "Magee paints a vivid portrait of the central figures of early jazz and swing (Louis Armstrong is a 'strong streak of color in a crazy quilt') as well as the business of recording and touring in the 1920s and '30s. While Benny Goodman is lauded as the major force behind the Big Band sound, Magee argues convincingly that Henderson was equally important in 'building the kingdom of swing.''--Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisA well researched account of gospel blues that encompasses the broader cultural and religious histories of the African-American experience between the late 1890s and the 1930s. Harris skilfully contextualizes sacred and secular music styles within African-American religious history and significant social developments of the period.Trade Review'In a text that is rich in historical, cultural and musical data and analysis, the discussion of the conflict over music in the 'old line' churches comes across strongly.' David Horn, University of Liverpool, Popular Music, Volume 13, Part 3 - 1994

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Book SynopsisIn Chicago Jazz, William Howland Kenny offers a wide-ranging look at jazz in the Windy City, revealing how Chicago became the major centre for jazz in the 1920s, one of the most vital periods in the history of the music.Trade ReviewWilliam Howland Kenney ... writes vividly and effectively ... Chicago Jazz remains the definitive account for the foreseeable future * Times Literary Supplement *a meticulously researched and minutely detailed work of jazz scholarship that impressively enhances our understanding of how jazz developed, and the mileu in which it prospered. Aficionados will find this fascinating. * Trevor Hodgett, Irish News *CHICAGO JAZZ is a good example of the new historical writing in the field. This is a well written and thoroughly researched book, and ought to appeal to anyone interested in the general history of jazz and popular music. * Jim Burns, Beat Scene , No. 23 *

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Book SynopsisThis volume includes over a hundred interviews, critical essays, reviews and memoirs, as well as Ellington's own writings, to provide an historical anthology about this leading American jazz musician. It provides insights into Ellington's work and reveals the profound impact his music has made.Trade Review`gripping, constantly fascinating miscellany of writings about and by Ellington...Tucker's book is full of classic descriptions of him at work, in a swaying train compartment or on a bus, with a manuscript pad on his knee and his hat tilted back on his head.' Humphrey Carpenter, Sunday Times`meticulous collation of critical responses' Times Literary Supplement'It would have been possible to put together a perfectly decent anthology of pieces from easily available sources, but Mark Tucker has done much better than that' Observer'A valuable book has just been published: The Duke Ellington Reader.' Alun Morgan, Kent Today/Kent Messenger'comprehensive collection of writings on the composer' Andy Hamilton, The Wire'Mark Tucker's splendid volume ... offers a rich harvest of information and insight without attempting a final appraisal - which is just how Duke would have wanted it.' Geoffrey Smith, Country Life, April 1994'All his admirers will want to own The Duke Ellington Reader, admirably selected and edited by a professor of music at Columbia University.' The London Review of Books. Nov '94a carefully selected anthology of well-known and fugitive pieces, offers multiple perspectives on an elusive reader, sardonic and mocking genius who transcended the constraints of white racism and paternalism...deserves serious attention. Mark Tucker, an authority on Ellington's early life, provides succinct introductions to this and another hundred 'Selections' in a compilation which is both a joy to read and an indispensible addition to American Studies, Ellingtonia and jazz criticism. * American Studies vol 29 part 1 *this mighty tome on a giant of jazz will please new and old aficionados ... "any book that brings together a selection of articles and reviews from these magazines, and some lesser known ones, is to be welcomed, and THE DUKE ELLINGTON READER is a must for fans of his music." * Colin Cooper, Beat Scene, No. 23 *

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Book SynopsisArt Tatum defined the limits of the possible in jazz piano. Gunther Schuller called Tatum''s playing a marvel of perfection.... His deep-in-the-keys full piano sonority, the tone and touch control in pyrotechnical passages...are miracles of performance. Whitney Balliett wrote no pianist has ever hit notes more beautifully. Each one--no matter how fast the tempo--was light and complete and resonant, like the letters on a finely printed page. His famous runs have been compared to the arc left against the night sky by a Fourth-of-July sparkler. And to have heard him play, one musician said, was as awe-inspiring as to have seen the Grand Canyon or Halley''s Comet. Now, in Too Marvelous For Words, James Lester provides the first full-length biography of the greatest virtuoso performer in the history of jazz. Before this volume, little was known about Tatum, even among jazz afficionados. What were his origins, who taught him and who provided early pianistic influences, how did he break into Trade Reviewexcitingly depicts the New York City jazz scene during the rise of be-bop and the enormously rich activity of the 1930s and '40s. * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisThis study looks at the music and history of progressive rock, a genre criticized for its privileged, upper-middle class roots. By using an interdisciplinary approach it shows how progressive rock served as a vital cultural expression of the counterculture of the late 1960s and 1970s in England.Trade ReviewFor unreconstructed admirers of prog-rock this is a long overdue defence of a too-easily maligned genre, reason enough, if nothing else, to play those Genesis albums with pride. * Simon Evans, Birmingham Post *there is no getting away from its sheer vastness, tackling the quintessentially English subject with all the authority of a great American tome ... Macan's insight and detail is first-rate * Record Collector *

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of the music, players, and recordings that changed American culture. Vivid portraits of bebop's personalities - among them Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis - are combined with an instrument-by-instrument look at the key players and their innovations.Trade Reviewa book that deserves a place on the shelves of all jazz lovers * Stage & Television Today *

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Book SynopsisWoody Herman was a central figure in the development of jazz - a musical giant whose career spanned the big band and bebop eras. Gene Lees has spent close to a decade interviewing Herman's friends and fellow musicians, to produce a vivid portrayal of the triumph and tragedy of a life in jazz.Trade Reviewthe kind of book that makes you want to go and listen to all the records * New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisThis book provides the first independent examination of Dick Clark''s landmark television show, American Bandstand. It is both a history of the show and the changing styles of rock ''n'' roll music over four decades, and an examination of the business behind the show, revealing how Clark used his unique position as America''s only nationally televised disc jockey to fashion a financial empire from within the pop music industry. Based on extensive interviews with music business figures, recording stars and Dick Clark himself, American Bandstand reveals what took place behind as well as in front of ABC-TV''s cameras, and shares a story that few outside the show''s inner circle knew existed.Trade Review"Valuable and authoritative."--Publisher's Weekly "John A. Jackson's fascinating book shows how Clark worked the biz side of pop music to become a multimillionaire and how his show fit into 1950s American culture and society."--Jon Wiener, The Los Angeles Times Book Review

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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

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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 *

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Book SynopsisGamble, Huff, and Bell were the pre-eminent soul music producers of the 1970s. This book tells the story of their meteoric rise, their years of unstoppable success, and their demise from payola, competition, a tough economy, and the inevitability of changing popular tastes.Trade Review"The definitive account of Philadelphia Soul. John Jackson's five years of research have resulted in a fascinating study of the hit sound that left lasting impressions on both the recording industry and American culture. A House on Fire is a wonderful human drama set in the tumultuous world of pop music, and John Jackson expertly captures the full breadth of this rollicking story." --Gerald Posner, author of Motown: Music, Money, Sex, and Power

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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

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Book SynopsisIn 'Different Drummers', Michael Kater explores the underground history of jazz in Hitler's Germany using archival records and assembled interviews. He offers a frightening and fascinating look at life and popular culture during the Third Reich, showing that for the Nazis, jazz was an especially threatening form of expression.Trade Review"In this admirable and well-researched study, Michael Kater explores the ambiguous relationship that jazz had to the National Socialist state and society, and in the process problematizes the liberating qualities that jazz supposedly possesses. Even more significantly, the manner of the new cultural hsitory, Kater uses his study to illuminate and investigage a number of social, political and cultural issues that engage the interests of specialists in the period."--German Studies Review"Outstanding....a fine mix of archival research with the collection of oral and written testimonies. It is virtually encyclopedic in its effort to convey the life stories of so many contributors to German jazz; to evaluate the sound of particular musicians; to analyze the audience--generally urban, young, middle-class--and the business; to identify the personal connections and the main locales."--American Historical Review"Most people would assume that jazz was completely stamped out at home by the fascist government in the 1930s. Michael Kater's remarkable book paints a very different picture and deals in great detail with a little-known chapter in jazz history....There is not a jazz fan, no matter how knowledgeable, who will fail to learn a great deal by reading this important book."--Scott Yanow, Jazziz"Kater's superbly researched story is fascinating and horrifying, yet in a sense rewarding, since it shows the lengths to which young Germans would go to keep the faith with a music that was their common link."--The Los Angeles Times"Richly rewarding, challenging, provocative, and eminently insightful."--The Jazz Report"Meticulous scholarship and...astute use of oral testimony."--London Times Higher Education Supplement

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Book SynopsisA biography of Hoagy Carmichael, composer of classic American songs such as "Georgia on My Mind", "Rockin' Chair", "Skylark", "Lazybones", and "Star Dust". The book follows Carmichael from his roaring-20s Indiana youth to Hollywood legend.Trade Review"Meticulous, admiring, perceptive and informative.... A first-rate job of showing that Carmichael's mind was deeper and tougher than first impressions might suggest." --Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post"A thorough, superb and evocative biography."--Tom Nolan, San Francisco Chronicle"Musically knowledgeable and truly dedicated to his subject, Sudhalter writes for a general audience with passion, enthusiasm, and a fine understanding of the subtleties of the songwriter's craft."--Baltimore Sun"An engaging bio."--US News & World Report"An apt and able bio of a singular talent."--Kirkus Reviews"Hailed by critics as the definitive look at the Hoosier songwriter."--Indianapolis Star"Highly readable and thoroughly researched."--William F. Gavin, The Washington Times"Sudhalter is a dedicated researcher who has to admit that his hero sometimes made a few things up, tricked cold facts into a wry story and generally saw himself in a smoky light akin to that of movies."--David Thomson, Los Angeles Times Book Review"Sudhalter's entertaining yet straightforward style propels the narrative forward, and the musical examples are a plus. The exhaustive research, including interviews with Carmichael's relatives and colleagues, makes this essential for all popular music, American culture, or Indiana collections."--Library Journal (starred review)"Richard Sudhalter's new book is undoubtedly the most well-researched biography of Hoagy Carmichael available. Anyone interested in this fine American composer should get hold of a copy immediately." --Artie Shaw"Sudhalter writes with the voice of a novelist, the eye of a historian, and the heart of the superb jazz musician he is known to be. Stardust Melody sets a new standard of literary excellence for all celebrity biographies to come." --Max Morath"Richard Sudhalter has written an elegant, carefully etched portrait of Hoagy Carmichael, his life and music, with so much history and wealth of detail in every anecdote that each one comes alive for the reader. No one but a jazz musician could have shown such insight as Sudhalter does, revealing the many secrets of the man and his music and making Hoagy's songs glow forever in the mind and heart." --Marian McPartland"With the instinct and insights of a discerning musician, Dick Sudhalter is a sensitive researcher, he's hip to how songwriters think, and he knows how to write about history and make it sing. Even Hoagy Carmichael, salty and critical as they come, would have probably pumped the author's hand and said, 'You got it, buddy.'" --Dave Frishberg

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Trade ReviewA wide-ranging presentation of rock's fundamental elements compiled lovingly by a committed scholar with deep knowledge of the repertory. * Journal of the Society for American Music *One to find space for in the curriculum, since it provides the basis for systematic work on popular music before and after its stated period. * Music Analysis *Table of ContentsTEXT'S FIGURES, TABLES, AND PHOTOGRAPHS; RESOURCES IN POP-ROCK MUSIC OF THE 1950S-'60S

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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 Review...illuminating as a study, historical and sociological, of Romany culture, not least in its account of life under Nazi occupation. * John Mole Times Literary Supplement *...superb... * Garth Cartwright Froots *He writes well, but most of all he brings to his subject a boundless enthusiasm * Merrell Noden, Mojo *Superb book * Merrell Noden, Mojo *Table of ContentsPrologue Music in the Shadows; The Imperfect History of Gypsy Jazz/ 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 4Jazz 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 à 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 Frères Ferret and their Musical Clan/Chapter 10La Dernière 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 Biréli Lagrène, 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

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Trade ReviewPriestley's dedication to setting the record straight is commendable. No doubt, his study presents the most reliable account of Parker's life. * Anna Harwell Celenza, Notes *The best overall book on Parker since Gary Giddins's photo-driven 'Celebrating Bird' of 1987.... Its 60-page discography is the most comprehensive Parker compendium yet published.... Priestley has listened to and listed everything, including all the rare, noncommercial material that's come to light in the last 20 years.... Priestley places them, for the first time, in the context of Parker's career. In so doing, he contributes significant pieces to the larger puzzle depicting Parker's role in the creation of modern jazz. Indeed, Mr. Priestley offers excellent analysis of the technical aspects of Parker's playing, explaining in detail what made his music so remarkable. * Will Friedwald, The New York Sun *Easily enjoyed in a single sitting, with your favorite Parker record.... Well served by the breadth of Priestley's musical knowledge and his tenacious desire for accuracy. * New York Times Book Review *Priestley's revised and updated biography...offers valuable insights to Bird's career, mainly because it is seen through the prism of his music.... This volume makes a valuable contribution to jazz literature.... A useful addition to the Parker library. * Down Beat *Even if you've read other books on Parker, you'll gain some fresh perspective from this one. And if you've never read a book on Parker, you'd be well-advised to make this the first. Though Priestley is clearly a fan, he writes about the good in a clear-headed way and writes about the bad unflinchingly. * Kansas City Star *Brian Priestley has not just chased but captured the elusive Bird, illuminating the turbulent life and marvelous music with human and musical insight. * Dan Morgenstern, Director, Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies, and author of Living with Jazz *Brian Priestley is one of the most accomplished jazz historians, critics, and biographers, and Chasin' the Bird is an indispensable gem * an ideal introduction to a major figure in 20th century music and an inventive interpretation of Parker's life and art that will also engage veteran jazz lovers. The comprehensive discography is a major bonus, making this a handbook every Bird chaser will relish.Gary Giddins, author of Visions of Jazz and Weather Bird *

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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

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Book SynopsisPlease Please Me offers an insider's view of the British pop-music recording industry during the seminal period of 1956 to 1968, based on personal recollections, contemporary accounts, and all relevant data that situate this scene in the economic, political, and social context of postwar Britain.Trade Reviewa geniune and important contribution to the cannon of 1960s musical literature... the book offers a highly readable and clearly conveyed account of how the pop industry worked in its most fertile and experimental decade. * Paul Martin, Journal of Contemporary British History *this meaty paperback is an academic, but throughly engrossing stugy of the UK recording industry in the 60s... His text blends facts, personal recollections and period flavour, with enlightening first-hand quotes woven throughout its pages helping to capture the special atmosphere. * Russell Newmark, The Beat magazine *Table of ContentsPreface, Acknowledgements / Introduction / 1. The Velvet Glove: The Art of Production / 2. A Question of Balance: Engineering Art / 3. Mediating Change: Setting Musical Directions / 4. The Write Stuff: Songwriters / 5. Red-Light Fever: Musicians / 6. Please Please Me / 7. London Recording Studios / Discography / Bibliography

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Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Antonin Dvorak Comes to America ; American and Negro Music ; Dvorak's Symphony From the New World ; The Chicago World's Columbian Exposition from 1893 ; The National Conservatory of Music in America ; Paul Laurence Dunbar, Clorindy, and "The Talented Truth" ; James Reese Europe ; George Gershwin and African American Music ; Leonard Bernstein ; Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue ; The Clef Club Concert ; Will Marion Cook ; George Antheil's Ballet Mecanique ; Bernstein's Mass ; Duke Ellington ; Ellington's Queenie Pie ; Ellington's Black, Brown, and Beige ; Afterword ; Notes ; Selected Discography ; Selected Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisThis is a comprehensive instructional text and reference guidebook on the art and craft of jazz composition and arranging for small and large ensembles. It is written from the perspective of doing the work using music notation software, and contains many practical and valuable tips to that end for the modern jazz composer/arranger.Trade ReviewJazz Composition and Arranging in the Digital Age is a must have for any musician who plans to be a jazz musician. As composition and arranging are integral parts of developing a sound and style as a jazz artist, this book covers the basic considerations that will provide the skills to allow this to happen. Richard and Mike have left no stone unturned in laying out the fundamentals of composition and orchestration. This is a great book compiled by two fantastic musicians. I've already learned several things on the first read-through, and am looking forward to going back for more. * Bob Mintzer *Richard Sussman and Michael Abene have created an all encompassing look into the techniques and methods for realizing a musical arrangement in the 21st century. However, what really sets this book apart is the great care the authors take to emphasize that the only true guide for any musician is one's inner ear and creative instincts, thus constantly encouraging the reader to assume ultimate responsibility and ownership of the creative process. * Gil Goldstein *Unique and cutting edge. Just when it seemed the subject had no new approaches to uncover come Sussman and Abene. Grounded with solid basics and served up in the language of today's computer-enhanced music world. An extraordinary, must-have reference for all arrangers from the beginner to the seasoned pro. * Gary Anderson, Arranger / Orchestrator for TV & Film *This is one of the most comprehensive books ever written on the subject and the detailed helpful hints on using Finale or Sibelius make it THE book to use in this new century. This textbook is invaluable for college teachers and their students. * Richard DeRosa, Professor of Jazz Composition and Arranging, University of North Texas *A comprehensive book--both musically and technologically--for the 21st-century jazz composer-arranger, written by two masters of the art. * Bill Kirchner, jazz musician/producer/historian/educator, and editor of The Oxford Companion To Jazz *Table of ContentsContents ; Preface ; -What This Book Covers ; -How to Use This Book and Companion Website ; Acknowledgements ; Section I - Overview and Basic Information ; Chapter 1 - Introduction ; Chapter 2 - A Brief Overview of MIDI and Music Software ; Chapter 3 - Basic Information ; Chapter 4 - Fundamental Musical Considerations ; Chapter 5 - Introduction to Music Notation Software ; Section II - Arranging For Small Jazz Ensemble ; Chapter 6 - Overview of Small Ensemble Writing/Rhythm and Rhythmic Notation ; Chapter 7 -Melody & Melodic Development (3-4 Horns) ; Chapter 8 - Basic Harmonic Concepts (3-4 Horns) ; Chapter 9 - Reharmonization of Approach Tones (3-4 Horns) ; Chapter 10 - Melodic Reharmonization and Counterpoint (3-4 Horns) ; Chapter 11 - Form and Planning the Arrangement/Instrumentation ; Chapter 12 - Dynamics & Articulations ; Chapter 13 - The Rhythm Section ; Chapter 14 - Completing the 3-4 Horn Arrangement ; Chapter 15 - Notation Software: Generating Parts, Page Layout, & Printing ; Chapter 16 - Arranging For 5-6 Horns - Harmony and Chord Voicings ; Chapter 17 - Form and Planning the Arrangement (5-6 Horns) ; Chapter 18 - The Soli and Shout Chorus ; Chapter 19 - Completing the 5-6 Horn Arrangement ; Section III - Arranging For Large Jazz Ensemble ; Chapter 20 - Overview of Large Ensemble Considerations ; Chapter 21 - Unison & Octave Writing/Monophonic Texture ; Chapter 22 - Concerted Writing For Brass ; Chapter 23 - Concerted Writing For Saxes ; Chapter 24 - Big Band Instrumental Subdivisions ; Chapter 25 - Form and Planning the Arrangement ; Chapter 26 - Modern Harmonic Concepts & Voicing Techniques ; Chapter 27 - More on Modern Harmony, Melodic Reharmonization, & Counterpoint ; Chapter 28 - Woodwind and Brass Doubles and Mutes ; Chapter 29 - Line Writing and Polyphony ; Chapter 30 - The Soli Section (Big Band) ; Chapter 31 - The Shout Chorus (Big Band) ; Chapter 32 - Arranging For Vocalists and Instrumental Soloists ; Chapter 33 - Completing The Big Band Arrangement ; Chapter 34 - Review of Music Notation Software Techniques ; Appendices (On the Companion Website) ; A. Summary of Basic Arranging and Voicing Principles ; B. List of Recommended Scores and Recordings for Study ; C. Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisFor jazz historians, Louis Armstrong''s Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings mark the first revolution in the history of a music riven by upheaval. Yet few traces of this revolution can be found in the historical record of the late 1920s, when the records were made. Even black newspapers covered Armstrong as just one name among many, and descriptions of his playing, while laudatory, bear little resemblance to those of today. For this reason, the perspective of Armstrong''s first listeners is usually regarded as inadequate, as if they had missed the true significance of his music. This attitude overlooks the possibility that those early listeners might have heard something valuable on its own terms, something we ourselves have lost. If we could somehow recapture their perspective-without abandoning our own-how might it change our understanding of these seminal recordings? In Louis Armstrong''s Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings, Harker selects seven exceptional records to study at length: CTrade ReviewHarker has spent more than a decade immersed in Armstrong's work and it shows. He has absorbed the music, the period, and commentary about it to do something for scholarship that he claims Armstrong did for the music: consolidate what is known and weave it into something that sounds new and fresh. * Jeffrey Magee, author of The Uncrowned King of Swing: Fletcher Henderson and Big Band Jazz *For anyone who wants to learn more about Louis Armstrong's great solos from the 1920s, this book is the place to begin. And for those who already know and are weary of reading the same tired cliches repeated year after year, this book will be a joy to read, fresh and stimulating. Harker brings first-rate historical research to music that truly deserves it. * Thomas Brothers, Professor of Music, Duke University *Brian Harker's book will provide Armstrong aficionados with a deeper appreciation of Armstrong's genius, but also will provide Armstrong neophytes with an engaging introduction to these jazz masterworks. * Michael Cogswell, Director, Louis Armstrong House Museum *Harker bravely and capably combines musicology (attentive readings of Louis's playing on six famous sides recorded between 1926 and 1928) and cultural history (how were these performances influenced, shaped, and perceived)...Since the book costs what a CD would--and it is more rewarding than many--I commend it to you. Brian Harker is clearly a Big Butter and Egg Man of music. * Michael Steinman, Jazz Lives *Provides a deeper appreciation and understanding of Armstrong's genius...This book makes a significant contribution to the Armstrong literature...Essential. All readers. * Choice *Table of Contents1. Acknowledgments

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Trade Reviewan extremely thorough, in-depth, and insightful analytical study. It is a major addition to the field of jazz studies * Benjamin Bierman, Journal of Jazz Studies *Table of ContentsIntroduction and Acknowledgements ; 1. The Quintet ; 2. Analytical Strategies ; 3. E.S.P. ; 4. Miles Smiles ; 5. Sorcerer ; 6. Nefertiti ; 7. Miles in the Sky and Filles de Kilimanjaro ; 8. The Quintet and Its Legacies

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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

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