America’s most beguiling metropolis started out as a snake-infested, hurricane-battered swamp. Through intense imperial rivalries and ambitious settlers who risked their lives to succeed in colonial America, the site became a crossroads for the Atlantic world. Powell gives us the full sweep of the city’s history from its founding through statehood.

About Lawrence N. Powell

Lawrence N. Powell holds the James H. Clark Endowed Chair in American Civilization and is Director of the New Orleans Center for the Gulf South at Tulane University.

Editorial Reviews

There are bigger cities than New Orleans, more beautiful cities than New Orleans, and more important cities than New Orleans but there is no city more interesting than New Orleans. This is a fascinating book about a fascinating city.
–James Carville

A masterful unfolding of the story of the most complicated and unusual city in the United States. This will become the definitive book on the early history of not only New Orleans but much of the Gulf Coast.
–John M. Barry, author of Rising Tide and Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul

The Accidental City is a tour de force–engagingly written, broad in scope, precise in detail, and completely worthy of its fascinating, complex, soulful subject.
–Tom Piazza, author of Why New Orleans Matters and City of Refuge

An epic account of how America’s most exotic city crept and clawed its way into existence. Powell evokes the swamps, sweat, misery, grandeur, and colorful and seedy characters that came together to create a place that Thomas Jefferson could never comprehend. –Joseph J. Ellis, author of American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson

“The Accidental City: Improvising New Orleans” by Lawrence N. Powell

The Washington Post Book Review – March 30, 2012 (Excerpt)

“Long in the back of my mind was the thought of one day tackling a history of New Orleans,” Lawrence N. Powell writes, but Hurricane Katrina pushed him to turn possibility into reality. The calamitous storm of 2005 forced him “to think differently about the city,” offended as he was by “all those promiscuous statements about how my adopted hometown should be allowed to slide back into the primordial ooze.” People who knew little or nothing about New Orleans were asking: “Why rebuild a sinking metropolis on a site that shouldn’t have been selected in the first place?” Powell found the question “hurtful” but agreed that it “deserved a respectful answer.”

So now we have what Powell calls “a stab at an honest answer.” It is in fact a great deal more than that. Powell, who holds an endowed chair in history at Tulane University, has written in “The Accidental City” what should stand for years as the definitive history of New Orleans’s first century, the period that he regards as central to the city’s formation and its character. His study covers the time from its establishment in the famous southern crescent of the Mississippi River in the early 18th century to its sale by Napoleon to the United States, as part of the Louisiana Purchase, in 1803. Powell rounds out its century with a brief account of Andrew Jackson’s stunning victory over the British in the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, “a watershed in the young nation’s history . . . chiefly because the victory established once and for all that the United States was no longer a colony — not even in feeling, let alone in fact.” [Read the full article...]

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THE BLEEDING HILLS
A Novel by Wilfried F. Voss

I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith.
- 2 Timothy iv. 7

The Irish War is officially a part of history, but not for Finnean Whelan, an IRA veteran of almost 40 years. British Intelligence has produced evidence that he is the mastermind behind a conspiracy to assassinate the First Minister of Northern Ireland. For Whelan this is not only a mission of revenge, but marks the beginning of a journey into the past and the return to the one true love: Ireland. [More...]

The Bleeding Hills is available at Amazon.Com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Nobel, and any other good bookstore.

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Miles Davis, supremely cool behind his shades. Billie Holiday, eyes closed and head tilted back in full cry. John Coltrane, one hand behind his neck and a finger held pensively to his lips. These iconic images have captivated jazz fans nearly as much as the music has. Jazz photographs are visual landmarks in American history, acting as both a reflection and a vital part of African American culture in a time of immense upheaval, conflict, and celebration. Charting the development of jazz photography from the swing era of the 1930s to the rise of black nationalism in the ’60s, Blue Notes in Black and White is the first of its kind: a fascinating account of the partnership between two of the twentieth century’s most innovative art forms.

Benjamin Cawthra introduces us to the great jazz photographers—including Gjon Mili, William Gottlieb, Herman Leonard, Francis Wolff, Roy DeCarava, and William Claxton—and their struggles, hustles, styles, and creative visions. We also meet their legendary subjects, such as Duke Ellington, sweating through a late-night jam session for the troops during World War II, and Dizzy Gillespie, stylish in beret, glasses, and goatee. Cawthra shows us the connections between the photographers, art directors, editors, and record producers who crafted a look for jazz that would sell magazines and albums. And on the other side of the lens, he explores how the musicians shaped their public images to further their own financial and political goals.

This mixture of art, commerce, and racial politics resulted in a rich visual legacy that is vividly on display in Blue Notes in Black and White. Beyond illuminating the aesthetic power of these images, Cawthra ultimately shows how jazz and its imagery served a crucial function in the struggle for civil rights, making African Americans proudly, powerfully visible.

About Benjamin Cawthra

Benjamin Cawthra is associate professor of history and associate director of the Center for Oral and Public History at California State University, Fullerton.

Editorial Reviews

“To Cawthra, jazz photography genuinely captures a moment in time–these images are ‘benchmarks’ in the metamorphosis of music. He probes the portfolios of some of jazz photography’s well-known operatives–Gjon Mili, Herman Leonard, and William Claxton–whose individual styles mirror a musical genre that is just as dynamic.” -Down Beat

“Benjamin Cawthra, writing with grace and a formidable command of jazz history and American culture, makes us see the sounds, the social relations, and the myths of jazz as he ably uncovers the personal and institutional networks of musicians, writers, magazines, and record companies in which jazz photography developed. Even asBlue Notes in Black and White casts a sharp eye on photographic aesthetics—its pages brim with bracing insights into Gjon Mili’s informal but magisterial style, Francis Wolff’s use of chiaroscuro, and Herman Leonard’s concept of the sculpted face—it also works as a groundbreaking history of jazz criticism. At its best, this excellent book serves as a model for a multisensory music criticism: while reading it, I often felt I was hearing the music more deeply.”—John Gennari, author of Blowin’ Hot and Cool: Jazz and Its Critics

“This is a highly engaging and deeply engaged meditation on the development of the modern jazz photography tradition. Cawthra’s probing analysis of how ‘the photographic culture of jazz’ helped make jazz visible perceptively illuminates and contributes significantly to the fascinating, revealing, and ongoing debate surrounding not just the jazz image, notably the African American jazz image, but also jazz history, the meanings of jazz, and indeed the role of jazz in the making of modern American culture.”—Waldo E. Martin, Jr., author of No Coward Soldiers: Black Cultural Politics in Postwar America

They Put the Face on an American Sound

The New York Times Book Review – December 15, 2011 (Excerpt)

Benjamin Cawthra’s “Blue Notes in Black and White: Photography and Jazz” is not entirely, or specifically, about its subtitle. That would be a book with a lot more images, or at least with more concentrated information on the history of all kinds of jazz photography over the last century, in newspapers and magazines and in the promotional campaigns of record companies.

Instead, this occasionally powerful but uneven book is a selective and essayistic history on how the still-image camera conferred cultural legitimacy to jazz as black music, for the most part between the late 1930s and the mid-1960s. It analyzes the early photo spreads on jazz in Life magazine, as well as the writing and the layouts; the development of bebop, with its own visual code, as rendered by the jazz press; and the diverging looks of late-1950s jazz as suggested by album covers released by independent labels in New York and Los Angeles. (Shadows and cigarette smoke versus sunlight and oceanfront.) It deals at length with Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins, and how pictures of them on and off stage helped build or maintain their personas.

The book focuses on art photographers, or photojournalists with a serious interest in photography as art, and it shows you their relationships and lines of influence. (Dennis Stock, who took the book’s cover photo of Miles Davis in 1957, worked as an assistant to Gjon Mili, the innovative Albanian-American photojournalist; Herman Leonardworked for Yousuf Karsh, the Armenian-Canadian portraitist; William Claxton studied the images of Leonard; Roy DeCarava benefited from the patronage of Edward Steichen.) It considers aesthetic, ethical and political questions engaged by photographers including William Gottlieb, Mili and DeCarava.   It is to a lesser extent about the individual photographers’ technique and visual style: Leonard’s, glamorous and backlighted; Mili’s, stark and stroboscopic; DeCarava’s, shadowy and suggestive. [Read the full article...]

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CRIMSON DAWN
Book One of the Darklife Saga by Ronnie Massey

Two Women Hunting A Rogue Vampire

Vampire Valeria Trumaine must confront old demons and face new possibilities as she struggles to bring a rogue vampire to justice. Her best friend and powerful Sidhe princess, Irulan, joins the hunt. Valeria will find that Irulan’s motives for keeping her safe are not what she thinks. And soon she is faced with an undeniable attraction that makes her question everything she knew about herself. [Read More...]

Available at Amazon.Com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Noble, and any other good bookstore.

I love Pandora! For those who don’t know (you’ll be surprised how many there are), Pandora (http://www.pandora.com) is basically Internet-based radio, playing only the music you like by allowing you to create your own program.

Here is not only the music I like; I also discover “new” artists that I’ve never heard of and I LOVE them. When I list “new” names like Evanescence, Missy Higgins, Plumb, Regina Spektor (I’m currently listening to “Soviet Kitsch”), and many more great artists, I can imagine people rolling their eyes.

“What rock are you living under?” they might ask. Well, my excuse is valid: Our local radio station plays only standard music they can actually afford, and that includes “Say what you need to say, say what you need to say, say what you need to say…” Yes, it’s the extraordinary prose of John Mayer, and that’s the maximum level of sophisticated music you get from our local radio station. See also my post Pandora Kills The Radio Star… And I Like It!

Well, talking about Regina Spektor, one of my favorite artists I discovered through Pandora (and never heard on our local radio station):

Click on image to buy from Amazon.Com

Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (born February 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Her music is associated with the anti-folk scene centered in New York City’s East Village.

Spektor was born in Moscow, USSR in 1980 to a musical Russian Jewish family. Her father, Ilya Spektor, is a photographer and amateur violinist. Her mother, Bella Spektor, was a music professor in a Russian college of music and now teaches at a public elementary school in Mount Vernon, New York. She has a brother Barry (Bear), who was featured in track 7, “* * *”, or “Whisper”, of her 2004 album, Soviet Kitsch.

She learned how to play piano by practicing on a Petrof upright that was given to her mother by her grandfather. She was also exposed to the music of rock and roll bands such as The Beatles,Queen, and The Moody Blues by her father, who obtained such recordings in Eastern Europe and traded cassettes with friends in the Soviet Union. The family left the Soviet Union in 1989, when Regina was nine and a half, during the period of Perestroika, when Soviet citizens were permitted to emigrate. Regina had to leave her piano behind. The seriousness of her piano studies led her parents to consider not leaving the USSR, but they finally decided to emigrate, due to the ethnic and political discrimination that Jews faced. Spektor is completely fluent in Russian and reads Hebrew, and has since paid tribute to her Russian heritage, quoting the poem February by the famous Russian poet Boris Pasternak in her song Après Moi, and stating “I’m very connected to the language and the culture.”

Traveling first to Austria and then Italy, the family was admitted to the United States as refugees with the assistance of HIAS (the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) and settled in The Bronx, where Spektor graduated from the SAR Academy, a Jewish day middle school in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. She then attended high school for two years at the Frisch School, a yeshiva inParamus, New Jersey, but transferred to a public school, Fair Lawn High School, in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, where she finished the last two years of her high school education.

Spektor has said that she has created a great number of songs, but that she rarely writes any of them down. She has also stated that she never aspired to write songs herself, but songs seem to just flow to her. Spektor’s songs are not usually autobiographical, but rather are based on scenarios and characters drawn from her imagination. Her songs show influences from folk, punk, rock, Jewish, Russian, hip hop,  jazz, and classical music. Spektor has said that she works hard to ensure that each of her songs has its own musical style, rather than trying to develop a distinctive style for her music as a whole.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Spektor has a broad vocal range and uses the full extent of it. She also explores a variety of different and somewhat unorthodox vocal techniques, such as verses composed entirely of buzzing noises made with the lips and beatbox-style flourishes in the middle of ballads, and also makes use of such unusual musical techniques as using a drum stick to tap rhythms on the body of the piano or chair. Part of her style also results from the exaggeration of certain aspects of vocalization, most notably the glottal stop, which is prominent in the single “Fidelity”. She also uses a strong New York accent on some words, which she has said is due to her love of New York and its culture.

Her lyrics are equally eclectic, often taking the form of abstract narratives or first-person character studies, similar to short stories or vignettes put to song. Spektor usually sings in English, though she sometimes includes a few words or verses of Latin, Russian, French, and other languages in her songs. She also plays with pronunciations, which she said on a NPR interview to be a remnant of her early years when she listened to pop in English without understanding the lyrics. Some of Spektor’s lyrics include literary allusions, such as to F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway in “Poor Little Rich Boy”,The Little Prince in “Baobabs”, Virginia Woolf and Margaret Atwood in “Paris”, Ezra Pound and William Shakespeare in “Pound of Flesh”, Shakespeare’s Hamlet in “The Virgin Queen”, Boris Pasternak in “Après Moi”, Samson and Delilah in “Samson”, and Oedipus the King in “Oedipus”, Billie Holiday in “Lady” and Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome in “2.99 cent blues”. She alludes to The Beatles and Paul McCartney in the song “Edit”. She also used a line from Joni Mitchell’s California in her song “The Devil Came to Bethlehem”. Recurring themes and topics in Spektor’s lyrics include love, death, religion (particularly Biblical and Jewish references), city life (particularly New York references), and certain key phrases have been known to recur in different songs by Spektor, such as references to gravediggers, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the name “Mary Ann”. Spektor’s use of satire is evident in “Wasteside,” which refers to The Twelve Chairs, the classic satirical novel by the Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov, and describes the town in which people are born, get their hair cut, and then are sent to the cemetery.

In Spektor’s early albums, many of her tracks had a very dry vocal production, with very little reverb or delay added. However, Spektor’s more recent albums, particularly Begin to Hope, have put more emphasis into song production and have relied more on traditional pop and rock instruments. Spektor says the records that most impact her are those of “bands whose music is really involved”, specifically naming The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, Radiohead, Tom Waits, and Frédéric Chopin as primary influences.

In her songs, “Eet”, “Us” and “Après Moi” the titular sounds are used as the focal point throughout. (In “Dance Anthem of the 80′s”, the sound “eet” is also used often, on words such as “meat”, “street”, and “eat”). – Source: Wikipedia.org

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THE BLEEDING HILLS
A Novel by Wilfried F. Voss

I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith.
- 2 Timothy iv. 7

The Irish War is officially a part of history, but not for Finnean Whelan, an IRA veteran of almost 40 years. British Intelligence has produced evidence that he is the mastermind behind a conspiracy to assassinate the First Minister of Northern Ireland. For Whelan this is not only a mission of revenge, but marks the beginning of a journey into the past and the return to the one true love: Ireland. [More...]

The Bleeding Hills is available at Amazon.Com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Nobel, and any other good bookstore.

Click on image to buy from Amazon.Com

New York City’s premier jazz venue got the blues last April when Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton performed together in Rose Theater at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center for two sold-out shows dedicated to vintage blues. The extraordinary collaboration, billed as Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton Play the Blues, paired these musical virtuosos with members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as they brought to life a repertoire of songs selected by Clapton and arranged by Marsalis.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Review

Some artists reach a point in their careers where you feel they have nothing left to prove. Wynton Marsalis has earned every accolade in the jazz world-nine Grammys in Jazz and classical music, and the first Jazz musician to win a Pulitzer prize for music (“Blood on the Field”}. Eric Clapton, of course, has been one of the top guitar gods for nearly five decades. Both of these accomplished musicians could coast at this point- something they have been criticized for in recent years. For this performance, live at Lincoln Center in April 2011, they made a bit of musical history.

When Marsalis and Clapton decided on this project, they went after the sound of an early jump-blues band with a New Orleans vibe. This enabled the duo to give themselves latitude in instrumentation. The band is based on King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band (where Louis Armstrong first gained fame), but with the addition of guitar and keyboards. This culminated in a sound respecting Trad Jazz while acknowledging the music of today.

The disc’s opener, “Ice Cream” shows the group having a ball. Several members, including Marsalis sing the chorus in a fun fashion backing Clapton’s lead vocal. In true Dixieland fashion, solos seamlessly follow each other. Victor Goines plays a lovely clarinet solo in “Joe Turner’s Blues”, followed by a very nimble Clapton. Hearing him in a Jazz setting is a real treat. The great Don Vappie plays some of the best banjo this side of Bela Fleck.

After “Kidman Blues”, Clapton engages the audience rather humbly, telling how intimidated he was by so many schooled Jazz musicians. Clearly, he is the star of this show, and his playing is a perfect fit with the Marsalis band.

Reading the set list: do we need another “Layla”? This track is probably the biggest surprise on a disc filled with them. Clapton didn’t plan on adding “Layla” to the show, but bass player Carlos Henriquez was insistent. Marsalis, Clapton and Goines all play engaging solos, and Clapton’s voice just gets better with age. Along with pianist Dan Nimmer, long time Clapton collaborator Chris Stainton adds keyboards throughout the concert.

Taj Mahal is a surprise guest vocalist on the gospel standard “Just a Closer Walk With Thee”. He also guests on “Corrine, Corrina”- a bonus track not included on the CD. Here he gets to show his considerable skills on the 5-string banjo, followed by Clapton, Marsalis and second trumpeter Marcus Printup. Stainton is featured on electric piano (this guy does not age).

Jazz at Lincoln Center is one of the most successful music projects to be recorded in recent years. Kudos to producers Marsalis, Clapton and Ashley Schiff Ramos for a great recording and to director Martyn Atkins for a fine DVD. – r.j. zurek, Amazon.Com Customer Review

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THE BLEEDING HILLS
A Novel by Wilfried F. Voss

I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith.
- 2 Timothy iv. 7

The Irish War is officially a part of history, but not for Finnean Whelan, an IRA veteran of almost 40 years. British Intelligence has produced evidence that he is the mastermind behind a conspiracy to assassinate the First Minister of Northern Ireland. For Whelan this is not only a mission of revenge, but marks the beginning of a journey into the past and the return to the one true love: Ireland. [More...]

The Bleeding Hills is available at Amazon.Com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Nobel, and any other good bookstore.

Click on image to buy from Amazon.Com

Set in New York City in 1938, Rules of Civility tells the story of a watershed year in the life of an uncompromising twenty-five-year- old named Katey Kontent. Armed with little more than a formidable intellect, a bracing wit, and her own brand of cool nerve, Katey embarks on a journey from a Wall Street secretarial pool through the upper echelons of New York society in search of a brighter future.

The story opens on New Year’s Eve in a Greenwich Village jazz bar, where Katey and her boardinghouse roommate Eve happen to meet Tinker Grey, a handsome banker with royal blue eyes and a ready smile. This chance encounter and its startling consequences cast Katey off her current course, but end up providing her unexpected access to the rarified offices of Conde Nast and a glittering new social circle. Befriended in turn by a shy, principled multimillionaire, an Upper East Side ne’er-do-well, and a single-minded widow who is ahead of her times, Katey has the chance to experience first hand the poise secured by wealth and station, but also the aspirations, envy, disloyalty, and desires that reside just below the surface. Even as she waits for circumstances to bring Tinker back into her orbit, she will learn how individual choices become the means by which life crystallizes loss.

Elegant and captivating, Rules of Civility turns a Jamesian eye on how spur of the moment decisions define life for decades to come. A love letter to a great American city at the end of the Depression, readers will quickly fall under its spell of crisp writing, sparkling atmosphere and breathtaking revelations, as Towles evokes the ghosts of Fitzgerald, Capote, and McCarthy.

Editorial Review

Set during the hazy, enchanting, and martini-filled world of New York City circa 1938, Rules of Civility follows three friends–Katey, Eve, and Tinker–from their chance meeting at a jazz club on New Year’s Eve through a year of enlightening and occasionally tragic adventures. Tinker orbits in the world of the wealthy; Katey and Eve stretch their few dollars out each evening on the town. While all three are complex characters, Katey is the story’s shining star. She is a fully realized heroine, unique in her strong sense of self amidst her life’s continual fluctuations. Towles’ writing also paints an inviting picture of New York City, without forgetting its sharp edges. Reminiscent of Fitzgerald, Rules of Civility is full of delicious sentences you can sit back and savor (most appropriately with a martini or two). –Caley Anderson, Amazon.Com Review

Review

Some books unfold at a leisurely pace and demand to be read in the same way — nibbled and savored, the better to prolong the pleasure. Rules of Civility is one of those. It’s a throwback novel, the kind in which unashamedly bright characters engage in impossibly witty conversations. The novel takes its name from the 110 rules that George Washington crafted during his teenage years. Katey Kontent eventually sees Washington’s rules not as “a series of moral aspirations” but as “a primer on social advancement.” They are the rules that shape a masquerade in the hope “that they will enhance one’s chances at a happy ending.” Ultimately Rules of Civility asks a serious question about Katey’s observation: Are the behavioral rules that define “civility” simply a mask that people wear to conceal their true natures? Or are the rules themselves important, and the motivation for following them irrelevant?

The story begins in 1966 but quickly turns back to 1938, the most eventful year in Katey’s life. Katey and her friend Eve meet Tinker Grey, a charming young banker, at a jazz club on New Year’s Eve. Their blossoming three-way friendship takes an unexpected turn when Eve is injured in an accident while Tinker is driving. Tinker’s apparent preference for Katey shifts to Eve as she recuperates. Months later, something happens to cause a change in their relationship, giving Tinker a more important role in Katey’s life. Along the way, Katey’s career is leaping forward: from reliable member of a law firm’s secretarial pool to secretary at a staid publishing house to gofer and then editorial assistant at a trendy magazine. As Katey socializes with the well-to-do and the up-and-coming, she learns surprising secrets about the people in her life, including Tinker, and learns some things about herself, as well.

Katey is an outsider socializing with a privileged group of people (white, wealthy, and sophisticated), but she remains the grounded daughter of a working class Russian immigrant. She treasures her female friends. She neither hides nor flaunts her intelligence. She makes choices “with purpose and inspiration” although she comes to wonder about them in later years. Like most people who use their minds, she’s filled with contradictions. Reading Walden, she values simplicity; she fears losing “the ability to take pleasure in the mundane — in the cigarette on the stoop or the gingersnap in the bath.” At the same time, she enjoys fine dining and dressing well: “For what was civilization but the intellect’s ascendancy out of the doldrums of necessity (shelter, sustenance, and survival) into the ether of the finely superfluous (poetry, handbags, and haute cuisine)?”

To varying degrees, the characters in this novel make mistakes (who doesn’t?). As one character notes, “at any given moment we’re all seeking someone’s forgiveness.” But when should forgiveness be granted? When does love require forgiveness? Towles avoids simplistic answers to these difficult questions; this isn’t a melodrama in which characters ride out tragedies to arrive at a neat and happy ending. This is a nuanced novel that remains cautiously optimistic about life, crafted by a generous writer who sees the good in people who have trouble seeing it in themselves, a writer who believes people have the capacity for change.

Rules of Civility offers up occasional treats for readers in the form of brief passages from the books the characters are reading, snippets from Hemingway and Thoreau and Woolf, an ongoing description of an Agatha Christie novel. When Towles introduces a book editor as a character in the novel’s second act, it seems clear that Towles shares the editor’s old-fashioned respect for “plot and substance and the judicious use of the semicolon.” Towles captures the essence of minor characters with a few carefully chosen words. In the same precise and evocative style he recreates 1938 Manhattan: neighborhoods, restaurants, fashions, and music. He writes in a distinctive voice, refined but street-smart, tailored to the era in which the novel is set. His dialog is sharp and sassy. The ending has a satisfying symmetry. If I could find something critical to say about this novel, I would, but I can’t. I recommend it highly. – TChris, Amazon.Com Customer Review

Jazzy debut novel tracks trio finding their way in ’30s NYC

Boston.Com Book Review – August 1, 2011 (Excerpt)

In the dog days of the Depression, some girls knew how to have fun. Kate Kontent and Eve Ross, roommates in a New York boardinghouse, have mastered the knack of going out on virtually no money. Although they don’t rely on male generosity, when they meet an apparent swell on New Year’s Eve in 1937, they’re happy to take him around to their favorite jazz dives – and to let him buy rounds – and an odd threesome is formed.

Although the trio – completed by the suave Tinker Grey – doesn’t realize it yet, they are living in a pivotal time. As they sneak into Marx Brothers movies and nurse their cheap gin, the world is gearing up for both renewed prosperity and, ultimately, war. Both these factors will play into their lives, but in the end it is an unrelated accident that will reveal the fault lines in their natures – and their connection – as relationships shatter and realign in “The Rules of Civility,’’ a sharply stylish debut by Massachusetts native Amor Towles.

As this brilliantly realized book unfolds, each of the three hurtles toward a particular destiny. But the seeds are all there that first freezing night: Kate has achieved her nominal independence by virtue of ambition and hard work. Her Russian immigrant family couldn’t give her a leg up, but Kate – Katya no longer – has arrived in Manhattan, albeit in a clerical position. Eve is looking for something less well defined. Having come from money, she refuses handouts from her rich Midwestern father as she haunts jazz joints in frantic pursuit of a different kind of life. Tinker, meanwhile, appears to have it all. Smooth, and rather aimless, he is clearly from a wealthy background – “[y]ou could just picture his forebear at the helm of a schooner,’’ notes Kate – but that family’s history is a burden that neither of his new friends entirely understands. [Read the full article...]

Refined Manhattan Shines With Glamorous ‘Civility’

NPR Book Review – August 2, 2011 (Excerpt)

Amor Towles’ stylish, elegant and deliberately anachronistic debut novel transports readers back to Manhattan in 1938, just before the sharp lines between social stratifications were smudged by the leveling influences of World War II and the G.I. Bill. Rules of Civility takes its title from young George Washington’s Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation, all 110 of which appear in the novel’s appendix. Like the literary touchstones he evokes — F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edith Wharton and Louis Auchincloss — Towles, a principal at a Manhattan investment firm with English degrees from Yale and Stanford, writes with grace and verve about the mores and manners of a society on the cusp of radical change.

Towles uses the somewhat contrived device of a long flashback to tell his story, but it works. (In fact, my only other quibble with this polished book is its baffling stinginess with commas.) His starting point is the 1966 opening of Walker Evans’ “Many Are Called” show at The Museum of Modern Art, attended by his then-middle-aged, urbane narrator and her husband. Among the photographs — in which Evans captured New Yorkers on the subway with a hidden camera in the late 1930s — the narrator recognizes two shots, taken a year apart, of a man she used to know named Tinker Grey. Seeing these photographs sends her back to reminiscences of the year she met Grey, a turning point in her life. [Read the full article...]

Romantic Mischief in 1930s Manhattan

The New York Times Book Review – August 12, 2011 (Excerpt)

The saying “May you live in interesting times” has undeniable resonance for the investment executive-turned-­novelist Amor Towles. In 1989, he was set to go to China for two years to teach. When the Tiananmen Square massacre put an abrupt end to that plan, he headed for Manhattan. On his first night in the city, he met two strangers. One would become his brother-in-law; through the other, he found the job in which he has worked for 20 years. What would have happened if he’d hit town a day later? This is the kind of improbable-but-true serendipity that plots the lives of people in their 20s — in whatever epoch — before they know the weight that decisions made in a moment might have.

In Towles’s first novel, “Rules of Civility,” his clever heroine, who grew up in Brooklyn as “Katya,” restyles herself in 1930s Manhattan as the more clubbable “Katey,” aspiring to all-American inclusion. As World War II gears up, raising the economy from bust to boom, Katey’s wit and charm lift her from a secretarial pool at a law firm to a high-profile assistant’s perch at a flashy new Condé Nast magazine. One night at the novel’s outset touches off the chain reaction that will produce both Katey’s career and her husband, and define her entire adult life. She’s swept into the satin-and-cashmere embrace of the smart set — blithe young people with names like Dicky and Bitsy and Bucky and Wallace — with their Oyster Bay mansions, their Adirondack camps, their cocktails at the St. Regis and all the fog of Fishers Island. [Read the full article...]

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Boiled Peanuts

A Novel by John Patrick Doyle

A Peeping Tom Goes Nuts Over A Blind Girl

Paul Kirk is a librarian and one of his town’s quirkier residents.  In a childhood home lacking parents (his mother dying of MS and his father an alcoholic) Paul had imagined himself a member of the neighboring family. Now in his late twenties, Paul vicariously participates in the households of his community. His peeping-Tom proclivities express his awkward need for social bonding.

Then Paul meets Bronwyn, a counselor who is lovely, independent and blind. She has inherited her Aunt Phyllis’ house and is newly arrived in town. When Paul first sees Bronwyn at church, he knows he wants to be part of her life. As the mystery of Aunt Phyllis unfolds, Bronwyn and Paul become more deeply involved as they learn about Phyllis’ secrets and how they relate to Bronwyn and her past, but Paul’s peeping ways may ruin it all. [Read more...]

Boiled Peanuts is available through Amazon.Com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Noble, and any other good bookstore.

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In 1963, at the age of 17, Dwayne Hallston discovers James Brown and wants to perform just like him. His band, the Amazing Rumblers, studies and rehearses Brown’s Live at the Apollo album in the storage room of his father’s shop in their small North Carolina town. Meanwhile, Dwayne’s forbidden black friend Larry–aspiring to play piano like Thelonius Monk–apprentices to a jazz musician called the Bleeder. His mother hopes music will allow him to escape the South.

A dancing chicken and a mutual passion for music help Dwayne and Larry as they try to achieve their dreams and maintain their friendship, even while their world says both are impossible. In THE NIGHT TRAIN, Edgerton’s trademark humor reminds us of our divided national history and the way music has helped bring us together.

Editorial Reviews

“The Night Train will sure enough get us clear of the shucks and the dread. It is a book to remind us all about the possibilities in life, no matter what side of the tracks we inhabit. Within these pages is a real place, a community of folks divided by the railroad and more. Their hopes and fears and hardships and guilt are as indelible as the notes in the margins of their beat-up family Bibles. Their laughter in the air is as true as a steam whistle. Clyde Edgerton has an ear for the good stuff, and he has put music on the page for us to read.” (Glenn Taylor, author of The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart (NBCC Award finalist in fiction) )

“I don’t know how Clyde Edgerton does what he does, how he makes me both happy and sad at the same time, but I’m glad he’s doing it. The Night Train features some of the finest chickenry in literature, including a rooster flung into an audience watching Hitchcock’s The Birds and a hen that dances on a pan. It also has some of the finest characters, especially Larry Lime, that Edgerton has ever dreamed up. But what I like best about this novel is its even-handed look at race relations in 1963 in North Carolina, how he manages to make time timeless and place universal. Edgerton is funny and wise as ever and, somehow, keeps getting better.” (Tom Franklin, author ofCrooked Letter, Crooked Letter )

“The delightfulness of the opening scene sets the stage for this novel’s key elements….Edgerton frames his sensitive new novel around the unlikely and disapproved-of friendship between Larry, the boy the Bleeder is teaching to play, and Dwayne, a white boy who fronts a group called the Amazing Ramblers and is determined to break out of town on a talent ticket. It is the wealth of well-understood characters that carries the reader through this engaging novel’s easily consumed pages.” (Brad Hooper, Booklist (starred review) )

‘Night Train’ Pulls Through Segregated South

NPR Book Review – July 30, 2011 (Excerpt)

In Clyde Edgerton’s new novel, The Night Train, the main characters are friends, but no one knows it.

The two boys, Larry Lime Nolan and Dwayne Hallston, work side by side at Dwayne’s father’s furniture store. They both love the music that’s taken hold of the country in 1963, the time the novel is set. But in their hometown of Starke, N.C., Dwayne, who is white, and Larry, who is black, have to keep their friendship concealed like some family embarrassment.

As Edgerton tells NPR’s Scott Simon, the novel, his 10th over a long career, is informed by his own experience growing up in North Carolina in the 1960s.

“About that time, I was 19 and I joined a band,” Edgerton says, just like the character Dwayne in the novel. “Also, I had a friend named Larry Lime — not exactly a friend but he was an acquaintance. I would see him at the store near my home.”

In one scene in the book, Dwayne and Larry are playing basketball. Dwayne’s father tells him that the two boys playing together “just don’t look right.” Edgerton says “that’s a scene very much out of my life. My father did ask me, when I was playing basketball in my backyard, if I would ask Larry Lime to leave. And you know, it’s funny how memory works — I can’t remember exactly what happened after then, but it was interesting as a storyteller to be able to take that scene and re-create it and make something new out of it.” [Read the full article...]

A Novel of Jazz, Soul and Civil Rights

The New York Times Book Review – August 5, 2011 (Excerpt)

Clyde Edgerton’s slim, charming 10th novel is set in the rural South, as the spring of 1963 turns into summer. It is a fraught moment in American history, but in the town of Starke, N.C., the rhetoric and rupture of the civil rights movement are still felt only as distant tremors. Change may be blowing in the wind, as the idiom of the day had it, but it still has to travel across the ground.

Starke, well off the beaten path, is in the throes of a subtler upheaval. What “The Night Train” captures with precision is the manner in which an entire community, black and white, edges toward a new racial reality — bound not by a common will but by a common geography. The biggest moments in this engaging tale are small, and relentlessly upbeat: intimacy trumps bigotry, music expands minds, violence is averted where 10 years earlier it would have been all but assured.

It’s difficult, and perhaps counterintuitive, to write about race in America without bombast, outrage or satire. How else to confront a system of structural inequality that has savagely circumscribed lives for generations? From Herman Melville to Flannery O’Connor, Ralph Ellison to Paul Beatty, the great chroniclers of race relations have been unflinching in their confrontation of unfathomable brutality, and also in their examination of a construct brimming with absurdity and paradox. Edgerton shares the latter appetite, even if his outlook is considerably more romantic. [Read the full article...]

‘Night Train’ Riffs On Friendship, Race And Jazz

NPR Book Review – August 8, 2011 (Excerpt)

Clyde Edgerton’s homey, honeyed southern voice, introduced in the mid-eighties in his first two novels, Raneyand Walking Across Egypt, delights, disarms and charms. In book after book since, including his last novel, The Bible Salesman (2008), he has captured the foibles of his fellow North Carolinians with an uncommon warmth and wit that often evokes Mark Twain. The Night Train, Edgerton’s tenth novel, is one of those deceptively slight books that slyly tackles a heavyweight subject — racism and the breakdown of racial barriers — and pins it to the mat, seemingly effortlessly.

Set in rural North Carolina in 1963, The Night Train centers on a frowned-upon friendship which blossoms between two teens from opposite sides of the color divide and tracks. Larry Lime Nolan and Dwayne Hallston connect over their shared passion for jazz. At 16, Larry dreams of playing the piano like Thelonious Monk, and finds a mentor in a talented hemophiliac jazz musician called the Bleeder. Larry’s mother hopes that music will be his ticket out of the segregated South. Dwayne, with whom Larry works in Mr. Hallston’s furniture refinishing shop, is as enamored of James Brown, whose sound he finds “dirty and powerful and clean,” as Larry is of Monk.

The boys’ bigoted foreman, Flash Acres, disapproves of their music and camaraderie. Fortunately, he’s distracted by the needs of his stroke-stricken mother. Blacks don’t want to work for this mean KKK widow any more than she wants them — but she no longer has a choice. “The world is changing so fast. You used to could predict things. But not anymore, especially with a Catholic president,” she says pre-stroke. Ever since he created feisty 78-year-old Mattie Rigsbee in Walking Across Egypt, Edgerton has excelled at finding the endearing and humorous even in the indignities and crotchetiness of old age — particularly challenging with a character like Flash’s Mama. [Read the full article...]

Their summer of ’63 in black and white

Boston.Com Book Review – August 17, 2011 (Excerpt)

Beginning in 1985 with his comic novel “Raney,’’ Clyde Edgerton has spent his literary career writing about the small-town South with a compassionate yet unsentimental eye. The winner of a Guggenheim, he has attracted critical acclaim and devoted readers. With “The Night Train,’’ his 10th book, he takes on the complex psychological dance of blacks and whites living among each other in the last days of Jim Crow, weaving in a coming-of-age story, and making the whole book a meditation on the power of art.

In the fictional town of Prestonville, N.C., in spring 1963, black teenager and budding musician Larry Lime Nolan apprentices himself to an old musician named the Bleeder. Under the Bleeder’s expert tutelage, Larry realizes how much he’s got to learn and discovers a whole new reason to learn it: jazz.

Meanwhile, a white teenager named Dwayne Hallston – with whom Larry shares a clandestine friendship – starts a band called the Amazing Rumblers. Dwayne is determined to take the band beyond Pat Boone songs and show tunes. He has discovered James Brown, and with coaching from Larry Lime, he has the Rumblers practice every number on the album “Live at the Apollo.’’ Dwayne won’t rest until they can perform every one exactly like Brown and the Famous Flames. [Read the full article...]

Clyde Edgerton’s ‘The Night Train’

The Washington Post Book Review – October 21, 2011 (Excerpt)

Clyde Edgerton is as much an anthropologist as he is a novelist, and his specialty is rural North Carolina of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. Future historians can study Edgerton’s body of work for what he does best: capturing that elusive sense of place and people in the context of a 20th-century era.

In “The Night Train,” Edgerton’s 10th novel, the place is Starke, N.C., the time is 1963, and the people are (mostly) teenagers, black and white, who love music. Larry Lime, a 16-year-old African American, is taken under the wing of a musician known as The Bleeder (he’s a hemophiliac), from whom he learns how to play jazz piano and is introduced to the world of soul. Dwayne Hallston, Larry’s white friend, plays guitar and is hoping he’ll get to perform with his rhythm-and-blues band on a local TV show, “The Brother Bobby Lee Reese Country Music Jamboree,” which has figured out how to attract white and black viewers.

The main thrust of this novel is how music can transform lives and, in the case of Larry Lime, might even provide an escape from the dangers of the KKK. Larry’s mother, upon hearing of the piano lessons, thinks hopefully, “Jazz might get him outen the South.” Throw into this mix a dancing chicken, a family with names like Canary Bird in the Shopwindow of Love Jones ­Nolan, and a newspaper article in which a wife accuses her husband of having sex with 11 hens, and you have quintessential Edgerton: quirky, homespun and very Southern. [Read the full article...]

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Boiled Peanuts

A Novel by John Patrick Doyle

A Peeping Tom Goes Nuts Over A Blind Girl

Paul Kirk is a librarian and one of his town’s quirkier residents.  In a childhood home lacking parents (his mother dying of MS and his father an alcoholic) Paul had imagined himself a member of the neighboring family. Now in his late twenties, Paul vicariously participates in the households of his community. His peeping-Tom proclivities express his awkward need for social bonding.

Then Paul meets Bronwyn, a counselor who is lovely, independent and blind. She has inherited her Aunt Phyllis’ house and is newly arrived in town. When Paul first sees Bronwyn at church, he knows he wants to be part of her life. As the mystery of Aunt Phyllis unfolds, Bronwyn and Paul become more deeply involved as they learn about Phyllis’ secrets and how they relate to Bronwyn and her past, but Paul’s peeping ways may ruin it all. [Read more...]

Boiled Peanuts is available through Amazon.Com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Noble, and any other good bookstore.

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Hailed by Newsweek Magazine as a cross between Billie Holiday and Lauryn Hill, British soul singer Amy Winehouse’s U.S. debut, Back To Black hits the US amid a flurry of accolades, radio and TV buzz unprecedented in recent years for a young siren.

Her brassy mix of emotive vocals tinged with 60′s girl-group stylings, sly funk, and anguished jazz, sparked the New York Daily News to crown Back To Black a “marvelous debut that would do Etta James proud” while New Yorker Magazine called her “a fierce English performer whose voice combines the smoky depths of a jazz chanteuse with the heated passion of a soul singer,” and Spin Magazine affirming “there’s never been A British star quite like her.”

Back To Black smolders with a bristling fusion of old school doo-wop/soul inflected uprisings, (the charismatic singer/songwriter wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the album) brewing instant classics such as the Shirley Ellis influenced “Rehab,” the Supremes tinged title song “Back To Black,” the aching “Wake Up Alone,” and the album’s closer, “Addicted.”

Editorial Review

Amy Winehouse’s second album, Back to Black, is one of the finest soul albums, British or otherwise, to come out for years. Frank, her first album, was a sparse and stripped-down affair; Back to Black, meanwhile, is neither of these things. This time around, she’s taken her inspiration from some of the classic 1960′s girl groups like the Supremes and the Shangri-Las, a sound particularly suited to her textured vocal delivery, while adding a contemporary songwriting sensibility. With the help of producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, “Rehab” becomes a gospel-tinged stomp, while the title track (and album highlight) is a heartbreaking musical tribute to Phil Spector, with it’s echoey bass drum, rhythmic piano, chimes, saxophone and close harmonies. Best of all, though, is the fact that Back to Black bucks the current trend in R&B by being unabashedly grown-up in both style and content. Winehouse’s lyrics deal with relationships from a grown-up perspective, and are honest, direct and, often, complicated: on “You Know I’m No Good”, she’s unapologetic about her unfaithfulness. But she can also be witty, as on “Me & Mrs Jones” when she berates a boyfriend with “You made me miss the Slick Rick gig”. Back to Black is a refreshingly mature soul album, the best of its kind for years. –Ted Kord, Amazon.co.uk Review

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Review

The sassy 23 year old Londoner delivers the goods with swagger and panache. 2003s single “Stronger Than Me” and album “Frank” weren’t exactly great sellers, despite being hits with the critics. This time it’s a totally different situation, because she’s appealed to fans and critics alike. Winehouse has a new-found confidence, having slimmed down four dress sizes with more aggressive make-up; she’s turning into the UK’s most promising talent in years.

” Back To Black” is a masterstroke of contemporary Jazz-crossover material, all delivered with supreme style. Her razor-sharp singing is a major highlight, however, this album is all about truly brilliant songs, all written by Winehouse herself, with some collaborations.

Using Robbie Williams’ and lily Allen’s studio wizard Mark Ronson, Amy is going into a totally different stratosphere with this one, leaving Katie Melua and Norah Jones in her wake.

Amy said, “I didn’t want to play that jazz thing up too much again. I was bored of complicated chord structures and needed something more direct”. That said, Jazz is very much a prime element, though this time.

Jam-packed with superb songs and impressive production, she’s breaking new ground, though the past plays a big part. Delving, in places, into Tamla Motown and The Specials’ musical ideas (“You Know I’m No Good”), she’s proved to be a top class songwriter.

“Rehab” is an out and out classic, with many shades of Motown with modern twists. “Me And Mr.Jones” is textbook 60s swing, which other singers like Christina Aguilera are adopting. There’s no question where the title track came from – right out of the Motown school of classic pop – you could just see the Funk Brothers doing their inimitable thing on this – brilliant.

The stunning Soul ballad “Loving Is A Losing Game” could again be a Motown classic, taking Diana Ross head on, possibly her finest moment, as is the sprightly “Tears Dry On Their Own” : a (slight) remix could well be the next single – and another hit for sure. The triumvirate run-in has ballads using R’n'B beats, and yes, even more Motown stylings on the addictively punchy “Addicted”.

For one so young, “Back To Back” is truly remarkable, invigorating, and genuinely sensational. She’s not only a diva, but a phenomenal talent, with her best years to come. – Adarsh Amin, Amazon.Com Customer Review

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The Bleeding Hills

A Novel by Wilfried F. Voss

I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith.
- 2 Timothy iv. 7

The Irish War is officially a part of history, but not for Finnean Whelan, an IRA veteran of almost 40 years. British Intelligence has produced evidence that he is the mastermind behind a conspiracy to assassinate the First Minister of Northern Ireland. For Whelan this is not only a mission of revenge, but marks the beginning of a journey into the past and the return to the one true love: Ireland. [More...]

The Bleeding Hills is available at Amazon.Com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Nobel, and any other good bookstore.

Winehouse’s 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Her 2006 follow-up album, Back to Black, led to six Grammy Awardnominations and five wins, tying the record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night, and made Winehouse the first British singer to win five Grammys, including three of the “Big Four”: Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. On 14 February 2007, she won a BRIT Award for Best British Female Artist; she had also been nominated for Best British Album. She won the Ivor Novello Award three times, one in 2004 for Best Contemporary Song (musically and lyrically) for “Stronger Than Me”, one in 2007 for Best Contemporary Song for “Rehab”, and one in 2008 for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for “Love Is a Losing Game”, among other prestigious distinctions. The album was the third biggest seller of the 2000s in the United Kingdom.

Winehouse was credited as an influence in the rise in popularity of female musicians and soul music, and also for revitalising British music. Winehouse’s distinctive style made her a muse for fashion designers such as Karl Lagerfeld. Winehouse’s problems with drug and alcohol abuse, and her self-destructive behaviours were regular tabloid news from 2007 until her death. She and her former husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, were plagued by legal troubles that left him serving prison time. In 2008, Winehouse faced a series of health complications that threatened both her career and her life.

Winehouse died at the age of 27 on 23 July 2011 at her home in London; police have said that the cause of her death was “as yet unexplained”.

Early Life

Winehouse was born in the Southgate area of north London to a Jewish family, who were influential toward her interest in jazz. Winehouse was the younger of two children (older brother Alex) of Mitchell Winehouse, a taxi driver, and Janis Winehouse (née Seaton), a pharmacist. Mitchell often sang Frank Sinatra songs to young Amy, who also took to a constant habit of singing to the point that teachers found it difficult keeping her quiet in class.

When Winehouse was nine years old, her grandmother, Cynthia, suggested she attend the Susi Earnshaw Theatre School for further training. At age ten, Winehouse founded a short-lived rap group called Sweet ‘n’ Sour with childhood friend Juliette Ashby. She stayed at the Earnshaw school for four years before seeking full time training at Sylvia Young Theatre School, but was allegedly expelled at 14 for “not applying herself” and for piercing her nose. With other children from the Sylvia Young School, she appeared in an episode of The Fast Show in 1997. She later attended the BRIT School in Selhurst, Croydon and attended Southgate School and Ashmole School.

Early Career

After toying with her brother’s guitar, Winehouse received her first guitar when she was 13, and began writing music a year later. She began working soon after, including as a showbiz journalist for the World Entertainment News Network, in addition to singing with local group the Bolsha Band. Her boyfriend at the time, soul singer Tyler James, sent her demo tape to an A&R person. Winehouse signed to Simon Fuller’s 19 Management in 2002. While being developed by the management company, the artist was kept an industry secret. Her future A&R representative at Island/Universal, Darcus Beese, heard her by accident when the manager of The Lewinson Brothers showed him some productions of his clients on which Winehouse featured as vocalist. When he asked who the singer was the manager told him he was not allowed to say. Having decided that he wanted to sign her it took several months of asking around for Beese to eventually discover who the singer was. By this time Winehouse had already recorded a number of songs and signed a publishing deal with EMI. Through the publishers she formed a working relationship with the producerSalaam Remi.

Beese introduced Winehouse to his boss, Nick Gatfield, and the Island head shared his enthusiasm in signing the young artist. Winehouse was signed to Island/Universal as rival interest in Winehouse had started to build, with representatives at EMI and Virgin also starting to make moves. Beese told HitQuarters that he felt the reason behind the excitement over an artist who was an atypical pop star for the time was due to a backlash against reality TV music shows with audiences becoming starved for genuine young talent.

Winehouse’s greatest love was 1960s girl groups. She borrowed her “instantly recognisable” beehive hairdo and Cleopatra makeup from The Ronettes.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Major Label Success

Winehouse’s debut album, Frank, was released on 20 October 2003. Produced mainly by Salaam Remi, many songs were influenced by jazz and, apart from two covers, every song was co-written by Winehouse. The album received positive reviews with compliments over the “cool, critical gaze” in its lyrics and brought comparisons of her voice to Sarah Vaughan, Macy Gray and others.

The album entered the upper levels of the UK album chart in 2004 when it was nominated for BRIT Awards in the categories of “British Female Solo Artist” and “British Urban Act”. It went on to achieve platinum sales. Later in 2004, she won the Ivor Novello (songwriting) Award for Best Contemporary Song, alongside Salaam Remi, with her contribution to the first single, “Stronger Than Me”. The album also made the short list for the 2004 Mercury Music Prize. In the same year, she performed at the Glastonbury Festival, the V Festival, the Montreal International Jazz Festival (7 July 2004, at the Club Soda), and on the Jazzworld stage. After the release of the album, Winehouse commented that she was “only 80 percent behind [the] album” because of the inclusion by her record label of certain songs and mixes she disliked.

International Success

In contrast to her jazz-influenced former album, Winehouse’s focus shifted to the girl groups of the 1950s and 1960s. Winehouse hired New York singer Sharon Jones’s longtime band, the Dap-Kings to back her up in the studio and on tour. In May 2006, Winehouse’s demonstration tracks such as “You Know I’m No Good” and “Rehab” appeared on Mark Ronson’s New York radio show on East Village Radio. These were some of the first new songs played on the radio after the release of “Pumps” and both were slated to appear on her second album. The 11-track album was produced entirely by Salaam Remi and Ronson, with the production credits being split between them. Ronson said in a 2010 interview that he liked working with Winehouse because she was blunt when she did not like his work.Promotion of Back to Black soon began and, in early October 2006, Winehouse’s official website was relaunched with a new layout and clips of previously unreleased songs. Back to Black was released in the UK on 30 October 2006. It went to number one on the UK Albums Chart numerous times, and entered at number seven on the Billboard 200 in the United States. It was the best-selling album in the UK in 2007, selling 1.85 million copies over the year.

The album spawned a number of singles. The first single released from the album was the Ronson-produced “Rehab”. The song reached the top ten in the UK and the US. Timemagazine named “Rehab” the Best Song of 2007. Writer Josh Tyrangiel praised Winehouse for her confidence, saying, “What she is is mouthy, funny, sultry, and quite possibly crazy” and “It’s impossible not to be seduced by her originality. Combine it with production by Mark Ronson that references four decades worth of soul music without once ripping it off, and you’ve got the best song of 2007.” The album’s second single and lead single in the US, “You Know I’m No Good”, was released in January 2007 with a remix featuringrap vocals by Ghostface Killah. It ultimately reached number 18 on the UK singles chart. The title track, “Back to Black”, was released in the UK in April 2007 and peaked at number 25, but was more successful across mainland Europe. ”Tears Dry on Their Own”, “Love Is a Losing Game” and “Just Friends” were also released as singles, but failed to achieve the same level of success.

A deluxe edition of Back to Black was also released on 5 November 2007 in the UK. The bonus disc features B-sides, rare, and live tracks, as well as “Valerie”. Winehouse’s debut DVD I Told You I Was Trouble: Live in London was released the same day in the UK and 13 November in the US. It includes a live set recorded at London’s Shepherds Bush Empireand a 50-minute documentary charting the singer’s career over the previous four years. Frank was released in the United States on 20 November 2007 to positive reviews. The album debuted at number 61 on the Billboard 200 chart.

In addition to her own album, she has collaborated with other artists on singles. Winehouse was a vocalist on the song “Valerie” on Ronson’s solo album Version. The song peaked at number two in the UK, upon its October single release. The song was nominated for a 2008 Brit Award for “Best British Single”. Her work with ex-Sugababe Mutya Buena, “B Boy Baby”, was released on 17 December 2007. It served as the fourth single from Buena’s solo debut album, Real Girl.

Continued Success and Acclaim

By year’s end, Winehouse had garnered numerous accolades and awards. The singer won 2008 Grammy Awards in the categories of Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the single “Rehab”, while her album Back to Black was nominated for Album of the Year and won the Best Pop Vocal Album award. Producer Mark Ronson’s work with her won the award in the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical category. The singer also earned a Grammy in the Best New Artist category. This earned Winehouse an entry in the 2009 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records for Most Grammy Awards won by a British Female Act. She performed “You Know I’m No Good” and “Rehab” at the awards ceremony via satellite, as her visa approval came through too late for her to travel to the US. She said “This is for London because Camden town is burning down”, in reference to the Camden Market fire. After the Grammy Awards, album sales increased catapulting Back to Black to number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 after initially peaking at number seven. On 13 January 2008, Back to Black held the number one position on the Billboard Pan European charts for the third straight week. In January 2008, Universal Music International said it believed that there was a correlation between number of albums sold and the extensive media coverage the singer had received.

A special deluxe edition of Back to Black topped the UK album charts on 2 March 2008. The original edition of the album resided at the number 30 position, in its 68th week on the charts, while “Frank” charted at number 35. By 12 March, the album had sold a total of 2,467,575 copies, 318,350 of those in the previous 10 weeks, putting the album on the UK’s top 10 best-selling albums of the 21st century for the first time. On 7 April, Back to Black was residing at the top position on the pan-European charts for the sixth consecutive and thirteenth aggregate week. Back to Black was the world’s seventh biggest selling album for 2008. These sales helped keep Universal Music’s recorded music division from dropping to levels experienced by the overall music market.

At the 2008 Ivor Novello Awards, Winehouse became the first artist to receive two nominations for the top award, best song, musically and lyrically. She won the award for “Love Is a Losing Game” and was nominated for “You Know I’m No Good”. ”Rehab”, a Novello winner for best contemporary song in 2006, also received a 2008 nomination for best-selling British song. Winehouse was nominated for a MTV Europe Award in the Act of The Year category. Amy Winehouse – The Girl Done Good: A Documentary Review, a 78-minute DVD, was released on 14 April 2008. The documentary features interviews with those who knew her at a young age, helped her gain success, jazz music experts, as well as music and pop culture specialists. A clip of Winehouse’s music is included in the “Roots and Influences” area that looks at connections between different artists at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC, which opened in December 2008. One thread starts with Billie Holiday continues with Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige and finishes with Winehouse. In a poll of United States residents conducted for VisitBritain by Harris Interactive that was released in March 2009, one fifth of those polled indicated they had listened to Winehouse’s music during the previous year. Winehouse performed with Rhythms del Mundo on their cover of the Sam Cooke song “Cupid” for an Artists Project Earth benefit album that was released on 13 July 2009.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues

Winehouse’s battles with substance abuse were the subject of much media attention. In various interviews, she admitted to having problems with self-harm, depression and eating disorders. In 2005, she went through a period of drinking, heavy drug use, violent mood swings and weight loss. People who saw her during the end of that year and early 2006 reported a rebound that coincided with the writing of Back to Black. Her family believes that the mid-2006 death of her grandmother, who was a stabilising influence, set her off into addiction. In August 2007, Winehouse cancelled a number of shows in the UK and Europe, citing exhaustion and ill health. She was hospitalised during this period for what was reported as an overdose of heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and alcohol. Winehouse told a magazine that the drugs were to blame for her hospitalisation and that “I really thought that it was over for me then.” Soon after, Winehouse’s father commented that when he had made public statements regarding her problems, he was using the media because it seemed the only way to get through to her.

On 2 December 2007, images of the singer outside her home in the early morning hours, barefoot and wearing only a bra and jeans, appeared on the internet and in tabloid newspapers. In a statement, her spokesman blamed paparazziharassment for the incident. The spokesman reported that the singer was in a physician-supervised programme and was channelling her difficulties by writing a lot of music. The British tabloid The Sun posted a video of a woman, alleged to be Winehouse, apparently smoking crack cocaine and speaking of having taken ecstasy and valium. Winehouse’s father moved in with her, and Island Records, her record label, announced the abandonment of plans for an American promotion campaign on her behalf. In late January 2008, Winehouse reportedly entered a rehabilitation facility for a two-week treatment program.

On 23 January 2008, the video was passed on to the Metropolitan Police, who questioned her on 5 February. No charges were brought. On 26 March 2008, Winehouse’s spokesman said she was “doing well” and denied a published report in a British tabloid that consideration was being given to having her return to rehab. Her record company reportedly believed that her recovery remained fragile. By late April 2008, her erratic behaviour, including an allegation of assault, caused fear that her drug rehabilitation efforts have been unsuccessful, leading to efforts by Winehouse’s father and manager to seek assistance in having her sectioned. Her dishevelled appearance during and after a scheduled club night in September sparked new rumours of a relapse. Photographers were quoted as saying she appeared to have cuts on her legs and arms.

In an interview released in June 2009 Winehouse’s father said the singer was in a drug replacement programme. He said she was gradually recovering but that heavy drinking was causing “slight backward steps”. A documentary shot early in 2009 shows Winehouse apparently intoxicated according to a newspaper report. Pictures published by a magazine in July 2009 upon her return to the United Kingdom from her extended stay in Saint Lucia appeared to show that Winehouse had gained weight and that her complexion was improved. In an October 2010 interview Winehouse said she had been drug-free for three years, saying “I literally woke up one day and was like, ‘I don’t want to do this any more.’”

Winehouse entered the Priory Clinic on 25 May 2011, where she stayed for one week.

Death

At 3:54 pm BST (14:54 UTC) on 23 July 2011, two ambulances were called to Winehouse’s home in Camden, London. Shortly afterwards, the Metropolitan Police confirmed her death. As of 24 July, the investigation to determine the cause of death, which is described by police as unexplained, is still ongoing. After her death was announced, media and camera crews appeared as crowds gathered near Winehouse’s residence to pay their respects. Forensic investigators entered the flat as police cordoned off the street outside.

Fans and celebrities across the globe quickly began posting their reactions to Winehouse’s sudden death on Twitter and other social networks. Winehouse’s record label, Universal Republic, released a statement that read in part: “We are deeply saddened at the sudden loss of such a gifted musician, artist and performer.”

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Winehouse

Amy Winehouse: ‘She was a sweet, tiny thing with this huge great voice’

The Guardian – July 23, 2011 (Excerpt)

It made painful viewing. Amy Winehouse, the tiny woman with the contralto voice, was mumbling her way through some of her most famous lyrics and managing only a few strained notes as she stumbled around a stage in Belgrade, apparently drunk.

The Serbian gig was the first of what was supposed to be a 12-day European comeback tour. But the 20,000 fans who had paid around £40 a ticket to see the 27-year-old booed her and many left the venue in disgust during the 90-minute show, as the singer repeatedly dropped her microphone and left the stage, leaving her backing band to try to fill the gaps.

The next two dates, festivals in Istanbul and Athens, were swiftly cancelled by her management who had reportedly been fighting to keep her clear of alcohol, searching her hotel rooms and giving strict instructions to staff that she was not to be served drink. Winehouse, who claimed last October that she had been free of hard drugs for three years, had checked out of London’s Priory clinic earlier that month, promising to continue alcohol addiction treatment as an outpatient.

The whole tour and all scheduled performances were cancelled on 23 June. Just a month later, the troubled, talented young singer was found dead at her Camden Square home. [Read the full article...]

Amy Winehouse dies; drug-haunted British pop diva was 27

The Washington Post – July 24, 2011 (Excerpt)

Amy Winehouse, the Grammy Award-winning pop singer-songwriter whose sultry and profane compositions reflected — and ultimately were overshadowed by — a turbulent personal life and struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, was found dead July 23 at her apartment in London. She was 27.

Police sources confirmed her death, but said no post-mortem results would be released before Monday.

The British-born performer’s train-wreck-style public behavior often threatened to eclipse her talent. Although she received high-profile engagements, such as Nelson Mandela’s 90th-birthday concert at London’s Hyde Park in 2008, she routinely canceled or missed appearances, whether because of bad health or bad manners.

In June, Ms. Winehouse canceled a tour after she shouted “Hello, Athens!” to an audience of 20,000 in the Serbian capital of Belgrade. She appeared to be so inebriated that backup singers had to sing her songs when she proved incapable, and she was ultimately booed off the stage. [Read the full article...]

For Winehouse, Life Was Messier Than Music

The New York Times – July 23, 2011 (Excerpt)

She was just getting started. Amy Winehouse, dead at 27, was only two albums into a career, and a life, that would be derailed by alcohol, drugs and bad choices.

Ms. Winehouse had not released an album in five years; her masterpiece, “Back to Black,” arrived in Britain in 2006 and in the United States in 2007. Its insolent, savvy but sadly prophetic single “Rehab” won Grammy Awards as Record of the Year and Song of the Year, and it might not even be the album’s best song. Under better circumstances, “Back to Black” would have been a foundation for a long and maturing catalog. Now, it remains as a warning that Ms. Winehouse could not bring herself to heed. “I tread a troubled track,” she sang in the album’s title song. “My odds are stacked.”

The police in London have said that they are investigating the circumstances of Ms. Winehouse’s death, but that “at this early stage it is being treated as unexplained.” [Read the full article...]

Click on image to buy from Amazon.Com

Revelator is the long-awaited, song-oriented debut album by the husband-wife team of singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi and guitarist Derek Trucks. Filled with smoky, blues-dipped rockers and heart-stilling ballads that show off, respectively, the gutsier and softer side of Tedeschi’s vocal ability, plus a series of emotive, story-telling solos shaped by Trucks’s uncanny agility on slide-guitar, Revelator also serves to introduce the couple s new, 11-piece ensemble Tedeschi Trucks Band.

A dramatic leap forward for two of the music world’s most dynamic performers, Revelator is a confident yet unforced triumph offering a cohesive vision: an idyllic, musical world in which the echoes of so many great traditions Delta blues and Memphis soul, Sixties rock and Seventies funk organically flow together, blending with an entirely original, modern sensibility.

In addition to the combined weight of Tedeschi and Trucks’s equally renowned abilities, Revelator benefits from an impressive circle of talent that the two brought together. Trucks co-produced the album with multi-Grammy-winning engineer Jim Scott, whose genre-bending credits include popular albums by the Dixie Chicks, Johnny Cash, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Both Tedeschi and Trucks co-wrote the album’s twelve new songs with an impressive list of experienced songwriters, including Jeff Trott, John Leventhal, David Ryan Harris and Sonya Kitchell; Gary Louris and Oliver Wood of the Jayhawks and the Wood Brothers, respectively; and old friends like guitarists Doyle Bramhall II and Eric Krasno (of Soulive), and band members Mike Mattison, Kofi Burbridge and Oteil Burbridge.

Most notably, Revelator features the newly formed Tedeschi Trucks Band, an eleven-member ensemble overflowing with talent and musical familiarity. Brothers Oteil Burbridge (noted for his years as bassist with the Allman Brothers Band) and Kofi Burbridge (longtime keyboardist/flutist with The Derek Trucks Band) have joined forces with a pair of drummers J. J. Johnson and Tyler Greenwell, trumpeter Maurice Brown, tenor saxophonist Kebbi Williams, trombonist Saunders Sermons, and harmony singers Mark Rivers and Mike Mattison. (Additionally, Ryan Shaw and David Ryan Harris supplied harmony vocals to various tracks on the album, and Alam Khan adds his masterful sarod playing to “These Walls”.) The fact that this aggregation includes so many musicians related by experience and blood clearly adds to the notion of Revelator as a true group album, the product of a musical family.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Review

As a fan of both Derek and Susan I was a bit dubious about them combining their individual bands into this extended 11-piece band. However, from the first track “Come See About Me” they hit the ground running – starting out with an acoustic slide intro before settling down into a blues-funk groove featuring Susan’s wonderful vocals, Derek’s peerless slide guitar and Kofi Burbridge on clavinet. The rest of the CD is of a similar high standard, with great songs, marvelous playing that is full of emotion but is also very subtle. The large line up is used wisely, the album doesn’t feature the full band on every track and there is lots of space but the different elements add variety when necessary.

Although there are obviously similarities with both Derek and Susan’s previous work, they have collaborated with others such as Jeff Trott, John Leventhal, David Ryan Harris, Sonya Kitchell, Oliver Wood, the Jayhawks’ Gary Louris and Soulive’s Eric Krasno to bring in some outside influences to the songwriting. Nevertheless, Mike Mattison’s “Midnight in Harlem” (as featured in Clapton’s Crossroads DVD) is one of the best songs here. The record was recorded in Derek and Susan’s home studio in Florida and sounds great, it’s also possibly the reason that Susan sounds so relaxed. I think that up to now she has never made an album that has really shown her true potential but I think that this one definitely does – she goes from a whisper to a scream and really sells every song, an outstanding vocal performance.

The album is so consistently good that I find it hard to pick a favourite track, although “Midnight in Harlem” is right up there, as is the restrained “These Walls” where Derek’s guitar counterpoints Alam Khan’s sarod. I also really like “Learn How To Love” – one the album’s most bluesy tracks – and also the slow soul burner “Until You Remember”, with beautiful restrained brass and Stax-style backing. There isn’t as much of Derek’s guitar on this album as on his own band records but his contributions are, as ever, absolutely superb- lyrical and sinuous but with real bite. My one regret about the album is that the wonderful singer Mike Mattison is relegated to a backing vocalist, surely they could have let him sing lead on one track? I’m really looking forward to seeing the band in the UK at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire at the end of June! – G. E. Harrison, Amazon.Com Customer Review

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by Lorelei Bell

Sabrina Strong is a Touch Clairvoyant who knows a secret. She knows her mother was turned into a vampire when Sabrina was ten. Now that she is grown up, a powerful magnate in the Chicago business world hires her to reveal the identity of who relentlessly murders vampires in his ultra-modern stronghold of a hotel. [Read More...] – Including an excerpt of the first chapter.

Vampire Ascending is now available at Amazon.Com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Noble, and any other good bookstore.

Centuries ago, long before the advent of radio or recording technology, chamber music was the music for the masses – the music in which people from nearly every segment of society could find meaning and relevance. A decade into the 21st century, Esperanza Spalding – the bassist, vocalist and composer who first appeared on the jazz scene in 2008 – takes a contemporary approach to this once universal form of entertainment with Chamber Music Society.

Backed by drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and pianist Leo Genovese – and inspired by the classical training of her younger years – Esperanza creates a modern chamber music group that combines the spontaneity and intrigue of improvisation with sweet and angular string trio arrangements. The result is a sound that weaves the innovative elements of jazz, folk and world music into the enduring foundations of classical music.

“So much of my early musical experience was spent playing chamber music on the violin, and it’s a form of music that I’ve always loved,” says Esperanza. “I was very inspired by a lot of classical music, and chamber music in particular. I’m intrigued by the concept of intimate works that can be played and experienced among friends in an intimate setting. So I decided to create my version of contemporary chamber music, and add one more voice to that rich history.”

Chamber Music Society is a place where connoisseurs of classical music and jazz devotees – and fans of other musics as well – can find common ground. The recording offers a chamber music for modern times – one that brings together people of different perspectives and broadens their cultural experience, just as it did in an earlier age.

Esperanza first took the world by storm in 2008 with her self-titled debut recording that spent more than 70 weeks on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart. Two years later, she continues to push the boundaries of jazz and explore the places where it intersects with other genres. Co-produced by Esperanza and Gil Goldstein, Chamber Music Society surrounds Esperanza with a diverse assembly of musicians. At the core are pianist Leo Genovese, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and percussionist Quintino Cinalli. The string trio is comprised of violinist Entcho Todorov, violist Lois Martin, cellist David Eggar and Gretchen Parlato on voice. The great Milton Nascimento also makes a guest appearance on one track.

This is the work of a brilliant young musical talent who isn’t afraid to challenge the limits of jazz and its relationship to other forms of musical expression. Chamber Music Society is the first of two current Esperanza projects. Radio Music Society, set for release in the spring of 2011, features an exciting new repertoire of funk, hip-hop, and rock elements fused into songs that are free from genre. “I’m confident that this music will touch people,” she says of Chamber Music Society. “We all want to hear sincerity and originality in music, and anyone can recognize and appreciate when love and truth are transmitted through art. No matter what else has or hasn’t been achieved on this recording, those things are definitely a part of this music. Those are the things I really want to deliver.” (Source: Amazon.Com)

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Review

Esperanza Spaulding shot off like a rocket with her eponymous debut album in 2008. Yet, for as impressive a young jazz artist as she is, the program there seemed a bit unfocussed. Where was she going to take her unique and most promising talent?

I surmised from the first album that she would probably end up in a “post bop-fusion” mode, exploring and taking off from the early ’70′s works of such artists as Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul and Miles Davis. The live concert of Ms. Spaulding on PBS’ “Austin City Limits” seemed to confirm this direction.

But like Miles Davis, Esperanza Spaulding is much too creative and headstrong a musician ever to be pigeonholed; rather, she appears to be one to lead rather than to follow. And this perception is confirmed by this stunning second c.d.

I have listened to it over and over, and not only am I not tired of it, I find myself picking up something new with each listen. Immediately, I’m captivated by the charming duet with another young vocal lioness, Gretchen Parlato, on track 10, Jobim’s “Intuil Paisagem.” (Incidentally, one of the few non-originals. Really, the only standard is “Wild Is the Wind,” track 5, but even it doesn’t sound like what you may be used to at all). Likewise, the duet with the immortal Milton Nasciemento, “Apple Blossom,” track 6, is captivating.

But the ouerve of this disc is chamber music, really, and the recording belongs more than anything to the combo of Ms. Spaulding’s bass, David Eggar’s cello, Entho Todorov’s violin and Lois Martin’s viola. Jazz and string quartets? It absolutely works here. Kudos to executive producer, Gil Goldstein, one of the best in the business, as well of course to co-producer Esperanza.

And Leo Genovese likewise does amazing work on piano. Check out his solo on track 9, “Winter Sun,” for example.

I predict a Grammy nomination for this c.d. Granted, the Grammies in jazz (aka the “Shammies”) are generally reserved for talent who has made it. But Esperanza Spaulding has already received an hellacious amount of recognition for such a young artist. She richly deserves it, and would deserve the nomination.

I call this “Music for the Intellect,” or “Music for the Head.” It won’t make it on American Bandstand; you won’t give it a 95, because you can’t really dance to it. But this disc is one of the most intelligent, intellectually challenging recordings I have heard in a long time. Very highly recommended. RC

p.s. – 1/2/11 – This was the only vocal jazz disc of 2010 to make it into Jazz Times’ top 40 c.d.’s. (#34) I would have predicted that, in terms of it being #1. Esperanza Spaulding was also nominated as the top new artist. However, the c.d. was not nominated for a Grammy in the vocal jazz category. Can’t get ‘em all correct….RC, Amazon.Com Customer Review

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Vampire Ascending

by Lorelei Bell

Sabrina Strong is a Touch Clairvoyant who knows a secret. She knows her mother was turned into a vampire when Sabrina was ten. Now that she is grown up, a powerful magnate in the Chicago business world hires her to reveal the identity of who relentlessly murders vampires in his ultra-modern stronghold of a hotel.

Vampire Ascending is now available at Amazon.Com, Barnes & Noble, the publisher’s website, and any other good bookstore.

For more information on Lorelei Bell see her section on this website.

At age fourteen, Doris Eaton was the youngest performer in the Ziegfeld Follies, appearing with such legends as Eddie Cantor, Fanny Brice, Will Rogers, and Marilyn Miller. With two sisters and two brothers also appearing in the Follies in the years between 1918 and 1923, the Eatons became a well-known Broadway family.

Beginning their careers in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore area, the “Seven Little Eatons” became seasoned performers, working the stock-company circuit before arriving in New York City and being caught up in the golden age of Broadway. Doris and her two sisters, Pearl and Mary, became popular dancers, and throughout the twenties they were never out of work. Doris was the first Eaton to go to Hollywood, and there in 1929 she introduced the song “Singing in the Rain” in the Hollywood Music Box Review. Later, Doris left show business and went on to great success building a chain of eighteen Arthur Murray studios in Michigan, which she owned and operated for thirty years.

In a refreshingly wise voice, The Days We Danced introduces readers to the successes and poignant sorrows of the Eaton family, including alcoholism, professional failures, early death, and even a tragic murder.

With memories that span almost a century, Doris recalls the state of the American theater during World War I, the “roaring twenties,” the Great Depression–as well as the legendary names of the rich and famous celebrities with whom the Eatons worked and played. Accompanied by scores of unique period photographs, this memoir details the life of a woman who never stopped dancing–even when the curtain fell.

About the Author

Doris Eaton Travis, who resides in Norman, Oklahoma, is enjoying her third career at age ninety-nine. The first was as a dancer and actress, with three years in the Ziegfeld Follies. The second was as the owner and operator of the nation’s largest chain of Arthur Murray dance studios. And the third, with her late husband, Paul Travis, was running a quarter-horse ranch, which she continues to operate today. In 1992, at age eight-eight, she became the oldest graduate of the University of Oklahoma, where she majored in history.

Review

This book is the inspiring story of the last surviving Ziegfeld Girl. The fabulous centenarian Doris Eaton Travis takes us on an amazing journey through the ups and downs of one family – members of which just happened to be stage performers. While several of Ms. Travis’ siblings met tragic ends, she persevered – through her glorious Ziegfeld years, the sad days of the Great Depression, her loving second marriage, and her bittersweet (and ultimately disenchanting) relationship with Arthur Murray of dance studio fame. Nostalgic yet never melodramatic, Doris Eaton Travis’ writing is fresh and upbeat. I was moved to tears at the end – not from sadness, but rather from awe at this magnificent woman with the indomitable spirit! I only wish I had the priviledge of knowing this lovely woman. A truly wonderful read – I simply can’t praise this book enough! – Classic Hollywood Lives, Amazon Review

Despite Prohibition, the ’20s was the decade of jazz, flappers and hip flasks. While some took their vote and joined the Woman’s Christian Temperance Movement, others, well, took liberties. Compiled here for the first time are more than 200 publicity stills and photos of some of America’s first “It” girls—the silent film-era starlets who paved the way for the cacophony of Monroes and Madonnas to follow. Accompanying these iconic images are the stories behind them, including accounts from surviving Ziegfeld Girls, as well as ads featuring them that helped perpetuate the allure of It girl glamour.

When rare and striking portraits of these women surfaced on the internet in 1995, author Robert Hudovernik began researching their source. What he discovered was the work of one of the first “star makers” identified most with the Ziegfeld Follies, Alfred Cheney Johnston. Johnston, a member of New York’s famous Algonquin Round Table who photographed such celebrities as Mary Pickford, Fanny Brice, the Gish Sisters, and Louise Brooks, fell out of the spotlight with the demise of the revue. A sumptuous snapshot of an era, this book is also a look at the work of this “lost” photographer.

Editorial Reviews

“…sumptuous sepia-toned portraits, their subjects humming with erotic energy under a single, pitch-perfect light source.” – Playboy, March 2006

“…these silent-film era stars appear in Johnston’s delicate, elegantly composed images like beautiful ghosts.” – Nylon, June/July 2006

Review

As a longtime admirer of early celebrity portraiture, this book brings to light the works of a nearly forgotten master. Although I own over 40 books and numerous original images covering photography of 1890s-1930s, I have seen very few of the images in this book reproduced elsewhere. The text is accurate enough to give one a sense of the historical background in which Johnson worked, with one very minor error regarding Theda Bara and Bill Tilden. However, the text is brief and the book is just loaded with wonderfully reproduced images of stunningly beautiful women. Many are clothed as Ziegfeld Showgirls, the predecessors to today’s Vegas Showgirls. Some images are of early film actresses. All are captured in Johnson’s signature style which certainly influenced Clarence Sinclair Bull, George Hurrell, Harriet Ruth Louise, and other great movie studio photographers. If you appreciate early 20th Century photography, early film and American Theater of the period, you will love this book. And if you just like to admire beautiful natural beauty (not surgically enhanced), this is the book for you. – Arturo G. Zaldivar, Amazon Review

Boasting the first jazz instrumental to sell a million copies, the Paul Desmond-penned “Take Five,” Time Out captures the celebrated jazz quartet at the height of both its popularity and its powers. Recorded in 1959, the album combines superb performances by pianist Brubeck, alto saxophonist Desmond, drummer Joe Morrello and bassist Gene Wright. Along with “Take Five,” the album features another one of the group’s signature compositions, “Blue Rondo a la Turk.” Though influenced by the West Coast-cool school, Brubeck’s greatest interest and contribution to jazz was the use of irregular meters in composition, which he did with great flair. Much of the band’s appeal is due to Desmond, whose airy tone and fluid attack often carried the band’s already strong performances to another level. Together, he and Brubeck proved one of the most potent pairings of the era. –Fred Goodman

Review

When I heard that Sony remastered this CD, I immediately grabbed myself a copy. Dave Brubeck’s “Time Out” isn’t just a great album; it also gives me fond childhood memories from when I first listened to this recording as a toddler. At the risk of recycling a cliche, it’s one of those vital albums that transcends musical boundaries, and it’s accessible to the masses while also remaining cutting edge. Producer Teo Macero, who is also responsible for some of Miles Davis’ most essential recordings, brings out the very best in each of the players on this record. In my opinion, the very heart of this 1959 release is the exceptional “Take Five.” The dynamic interaction between Brubeck’s piano and Paul Desmond’s expressive saxophone makes this one of the most unforgettable and powerful pieces of jazz ever played on a vinyl record. Other album cuts like “Three to Get Ready” and “Blue Rondo a la Turk” are timeless pieces that are so effortlessly graceful they seem to walk on water. Along with Miles’ “Kind of Blue” and Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme,” Brubeck’s “Time Out” is one of THE essential jazz recordings to own. It’s a 100% risk-free purchase; even more so with the newly repackaged and remastered edition. But don’t just take my word for it. “Time Out” is an experience that has to be heard to be believed. – The Groove, Amazon Review

A mixture of Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz style come together on Latin Jazz, a lively collection of songs by masters of the genre.

The artists featured on Latin Jazz represent an honored cast of musicians ranging from early pioneers of the genre to those who have helped it remain a viable force for more than 60 years. Machito, a contemporary of Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington, was a pioneering bandleader who helped deepen the bond between Afro-Cuban music and American jazz. His classic track “Congo Mulence” opens the album and features fellow jazz legend Cannonball Adderley. Other legendary figures on the album include Tito Puente, whose mastery of the timbales combined with old-fashioned showmanship kept his music fresh and relevant over the years, and Eddie Palmieri, whose piano techniques put him in the same league as jazz legends Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner. He teams here with Brian Lynch on “Guajira Dubois,” a game of musical tag between Palmieri’s piano and Lynch’s trumpet.

The driving rhythm behind most Latin jazz comes from its powerful percussion, and Latin Jazz showcases some of the finest in this field. Master conguero (congo player) Poncho Sanchez leads one of the most popular Latin jazz groups in the world. His seasoned ensemble contribute the cool energy of “El Sabroson”, while Ray Barretto covers the classic “Summertime.” Considered the “godfather of Latin jazz,” Barretto was the first Latino to have a Latin hit on the American Billboard Charts.

Other luminaries on the album include Hilton Ruiz, a former child prodigy who appeared at Carnegie Hall at the age of 8, Chocolate Armenteros, the legendary Cuban trumpet player, and Manny Oquendo & Libre, who represent a multigenerational dynasty of Latin music. Icelandic double-bassist Tómas R. Einarsson, and New York icon Chico Alvarez round out the collection.

Review

Latin jazz has a long&storied presence in American music. From Carlos Santana dabbling in jazz fusion despite Clive Davis’ discouragement to the current popularity of Bebel Gilberto and the J.Lo/Marc Anthony biopic about salsa singer Hector Lavoe, Latin flavors have spiced up American jazz.

Putumayo’s “Latin Jazz” is an excellent sampler of the genre,beginning with a 1957 song from Machito and Cannonball Adderley,and ending with a track from the Latin Jazz Grammy winning Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project. It’s as sweet as Cuban rum,as spicy as mojo sauce-this compilation has mojo.

Poncho Sanchez’s “El Sabroson” (the flavorful one) is a fitting song for this album;it’s Sanchez at his spicy,percussive best. Tomas Einarsson,an Icelandic double bass player,gives a chill vibe to “Rumdrum.” The late Tito Puente’s “Cha Cha Cha” shows why he is considered a master of Latin jazz. Chico Alvarez’s “La Clave,Maraca y Guiro” has a joyous interplay between the three staples of Cuban percussion. Ray Barretto’s cover of “Summertime” is perfect for a sultry summer day. The late Hilton Ruiz,who tragically passed away on his way to a Hurricane Katrina benefit, contributes the steamy,sexy “Steppin’ with TP”,a tribute worthy of Tito Puente. Manny Oquendo&Libre have a jazzy song addressing injustice&inequality. Chocolate Armenteros lives up to his name with a smooth,flavorful track. The closing “Guajira Dubois” has delightful improvisation&interplay between pianist Eddie Palmieri and trumpeter Brian Lynch.

“Latin Jazz” is one of Putumayo’s few great compilations of 2007;it’s also a rarity in being primarily instrumental. It clocks in an hour,with songs ranging from three to ten minutes long. It’s savory,and worth enjoying over a languid summer afternoon,complete with mojitos. – Amaranth, Amazon Review

Besides selling 40 million albums and winning 9 Grammys in less than 10 years, over the years Norah Jones has collaborated with dozens and dozens of artists from across the spectrum of music. This album collects Norah’s favorite collaborations from 2001-2010 into one amazing collection: legends like Ray Charles, Willie Nelson and Herbie Hancock, rock artists ranging from Foo Fighters to Ryan Adams to Belle and Sebastian, hip hop luminaries OutKast, Q-Tip and Talib Kweli. No matter the genre however, Norah’s enchanting voice is the common denominator and while the partners are varied, she ends up owning every song and this album is a wonderful collection that holds together brilliantly. The album is a testament to Norah’s status as one of the most in-demand and tasteful musical connectors in music.

Review

A generous, well-oiled – though incomplete – sampling of Norah Jones’ non-album collaborations with her colleagues, “Featuring Norah Jones” is an excellent compilation of wonderful work from the past decade. For fans of Jones who did not realize the great frequency with which she works as a guest and session musician – or lacked the wherewithal to hunt each individual track down – this disc is ideal.

There is quite a diverse array of artists on the disc – from Twalib Kali to Dolly Parton to Outkast – which might lead some to worry that “Featuring Norah Jones” sounds like a bunch of songs thrown together disjointedly. Fortunately, the tracks are sequenced in a way that not only feels natural, ideal for straight-through play, but that highlights Jones’ versatility. She is an intriguing, deceivingly simple talent, and a fascinating common denominator.

A few tracks actually predate her “Come Away With Me” success, including the best track here – and still one of the best Jones has ever recorded – “More Than This,” a collaboration with the exquisitely talented jazz musician Charlie Parker from his 2001 release “Songs from the Analog Playground.” The Roxy Music cover is blissful, elegant and everlasting in its arrangement, continuing to sound fresh, and Jones’ emphatic, less-is-more vocal approach is instantly memorable. It is a track to savor.

The Grammy-winning “Here We Go Again” with the late Ray Charles is a slinky, R&B-flavored treat, even though it could have garnered a Grammy no matter how they arranged it. Tracks with Herbie Hancock and the Foo Fighters are also easy on the ears.

Jones’ country leanings show her wide artistic pallete, but they are rather reigned in as opposed to dour, so they can be enjoyed by those listeners who prefer her cocktail jazz stylings. She harmonizes heavenly with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings on “Loretta” and waxes poetic with Ryan Adams on “Dear John,” a 2005 collaboration from Adams’ startlingly executed “Jacksonville City Nights” album. The results sound seamless, clearly the result of great labor and attention to detail. “Creepin’ In,” a folksy, lighthearted duet with Dolly Parton is the only track to repeat from a Norah Jones release.

Elsewhere, Willie Nelson oozes charm with Jones on “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” a Q-Tip and Outkast collaborate to produce cool, trippy sounds on “Life is Better” and “Take Off Your Cool,” respectively.

A sprawling, nicely woven collection, “Featuring Norah Jones” is everything it promises to be and more. Nicely complimenting her solo work, it entertains while affirming Jones’ post-”Don’t Know Why” worth. – Rudy Palma, Amazon Review

Jazz Icons: John Coltrane provides an epic 95-minute overview of a true giant of 20th-century music. Three separate shows reveal Coltrane’s ascending creative arc from hard bop innovator as a member of the Miles Davis Quartet in 1960 to consummate bandleader in 1961 to unrivalled jazz visionary in 1965. This DVD not only features Trane’s classic quartet with Elvin Jones (drums), Jimmy Garrison (bass) and McCoy Tyner (piano), but also spotlights him onstage with other jazz legends including Stan Getz, Eric Dolphy and Oscar Peterson. Includes mind-blowing versions of his signature tunes “My Favorite Things” and “Impressions”.

Jazz Times

“Jazz Icons is doing for jazz what the Criterion Collection has done for classic and important films”.

Review

What can be said about Trane that hasn’t been said before? Well after watching this DVD, you probably won’t say anything because your jaw will be hanging for an elongated period due to the bombarding attack that has just pierced your ears, eyes, and soul. Seriously guys, this is a SMOKIN’ HOT DVD!! You get 3 sets: Germany-March 28 1960 with the ‘Kind of Blue’ band(Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb, and Wynton Kelly), Germany-December 4 1961 with Eric Dolphy & Reggie Workman(Jimmy Garrison had not joined the band full time yet. This set was filmed a month after the famed Village Vanguard sets), & Belgium-August 1 1965 with the Classic Quartet of McCoy, Elvin, & Jimmy(This set was filmed a mere five days after their gig at the Antibes Jazz Festival in France, which was the only time A Love Supreme was performed in its entirety).

This 3rd set is worth having the DVD alone. It showcases the Quartet at the height of their powers. A stunning all out ‘Vigil’ kicks off the 3 song set, with everyone absolutely feeding off each other. John then brings it down a couple of notches with his beautiful ballad ‘Naima’, and to go out with a bang(and two foot stomps), you get 21 minutes of pyrotechnics with ‘My Favorite Things’. Thus ends the bombardment. This 3rd set is some of the heaviest playing I have ever heard, any band, any genre. And you can’t classify it as just jazz, its actually progressive music. Just a year later Mike Bloomfield composed East-West while he was with the Butterfield Blues Band, seemingly carrying the progressive torch that John had lit. A year later you get Cream turning it upside down, then The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jaco, the list goes on. This is just me rambling.

GET THIS DVD!! Matter of fact, go for all the titles in the Jazz Icons series. Jazz is a great art form, its provided so much influence on so many styles and forms. And for a little over a decade, a man named John William Coltrane helped redefine the idiom. Add this priceless investment to your music DVD collection today! – J. Harmon, Amazon Review

This five-CD box set soundtrack to filmmaker Ken Burns’s 10-part, 19-hour documentary Jazz spans nearly a century of jazz styles, from the martial rhythms of James Reese Europe to the soul-jazz of Grover Washington Jr. It includes time-tested classics like Benny Goodman’s 1938 classic, “Sing, Sing, Sing”; John Coltrane’s chanting 1965 immortal track, “A Love Supreme”; Billie Holiday’s blue-ember ballad, “God Bless the Child”; and Ella Fitzgerald peeling off “A-Tisket A-Tasket.” Bebop is represented by Charlie Parker’s orchestral bop version of “Just Friends”; Thelonious Monk’s nocturnal calling card, “‘Round Midnight”; and Dizzy Gillespie’s “Salt Peanuts” and “Groovin’ High.”

The jazz-instrumentalist-as-singer comes to life on Coleman Hawkins’s “Body and Soul” and Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers’ “Doodlin’.” Clifford Brown and Max Roach’s “I Get a Kick out of You” epitomizes the hard-bop era, while Miles Davis’s “So What” stands as the modal masterpiece. The cool school is in session with Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan dishing out “Walkin’ Shoes,” and the Modern Jazz Quartet’s soulful elegy “Django” straddles all the above musical orbits. As for Django Reinhardt, he’s featured on “Shine” with the justly famed Le Quartet du Hot Club de France.

Louis Armstrong’s “West End Blues” and “Potato Head Blues” and Duke Ellington’s rousing rendition of Billy Strayhorn’s anthem, “Take the A Train,” and his moody “Solitude” show why they are the Olympian masters of this art form–and the most frequently featured artists in the series. Although Ken Burns tries bringing the music up-to-date with Wynton Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson, and two jazz-hip-hop-influenced tracks–Herbie Hancock’s robotic “Rockit” and the French-language “Un Aige en Danger” by MC Solaar and bass legend Ron Carter–there are significant holes here. After Cecil Taylor and Ornette Coleman, the avant-garde period from the late 1960s to the 1980s is lacking. And aside from the bossa nova hit “Desafinado,” Latin jazz is also missing. It’s a tough task summarizing jazz in five CDs, and Burns has given us a vibrant and vivid multicolored aural portrait of the music. –Eugene Holley Jr.

Review

Along with a number of other jazz fans and critics, I’ve been looking forward to the Ken Burns Jazz video history with mixed emotions, given that what has already been issued–the book in particular–seemed to lack a basic understanding of the art form’s most-recent half-century. Although there is some evidence of that stance here, the sheer abundance of classic tracks on this five-CD set makes it an excellent introduction to the art form, particularly for newcomers. Absorb this box, and you are well on your way to experiencing the width and depth of this ever-evolving art form, one that at its best values both teamwork and individuality.

What I like about this set is that with five-CDs, there is room to give a number of important events in jazz history a bit more play than just a cameo appearance. For instance, Louis Armstrong’s 1920s classic hot 5/hot 7 recordings are represented by three key tracks. With 2-3 examples of such creative peaks, one can better discern the unique qualities of each artist. With multiple chances to listen, one can become more familiar with a player’s sound…the consistencies and variances in a player’s solo approach become increasingly apparent when comparisons can be made.

Other early greats are similiarly documented, from Ellington, Basie, Goodman, and Billie Holiday up through the late-1940s bebop revolution (Monk, Parker, Gillespie, Powell, Davis, etc.). The one negative about this set is that, after bebop, there isn’t enough room left in the box to continue this comparison process. Thus, only two artists (Ellington and Davis) out of jazz’s most recent half-century get more than one track per creative peak each..and at least in Miles’ case, the two successive tracks are nearly bookends to a extended, rapidly evolving period of creativity.

Even so, there is at least a taste of the avant-garde, fusion, pop jazz, bossa nova, neo-classicism, etc., so recent events are not entirely ignored, just given relatively brief exposure. Add that to the excellent overview of jazz’s up-and-coming decades, and this set overall serves a valuable purpose, particularly for those who wonder what jazz is ALL about. – J. Lund, Amazon Review

Great Ladies of Jazz is a very solid CD that features some really great songs performed by some of the very best female jazz singers ever. The quality of the sound is fantastic; and the artwork is very well done as well.

“It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” is a live track of the great Ella Fitzgerald, the First Lady Of Song; and Ella swings this out like the pro she always was! The piano arrangement is stunning and Ella really throws herself into this number. If you listen it’s immediately apparent that Ella enjoyed a great rapport with her audience, too–she usually did! Ella was the best of them! Ella returns for “Our Love Is Here To Stay;” I love that horn treatment and the overall musical arrangement works wonders for “Our Love Is Here To Stay.” I love it! Ella’s voice is in excellent form; it’s rich, warm and extremely vibrant. Great!

Listen also for the great Billie Holiday to perform a sublime rendition of “Come Rain Or Come Shine.” Billie sounds more mature on this recording; but make no mistake about it–her voice is still in excellent form. Billie’s uncanny sense of timing and her excellent diction bolster her ability to sing this ballad with panache, heart and all her soul. In addition, Billie’s treatment of “God Bless The Child” strikes me as being especially pretty and moving; Billie Holiday was always one of my very favorite female vocalists and just one listen to this will tell you why! “Ain’t Misbehavin’” by Dinah Washington features Dinah squarely front and center–and that’s where she belongs! The big band arrangement enhances “Ain’t Misbehavin’;” this Fats Waller tune shines brightly when the great Dinah Washington delivers it flawlessly.

Sarah Vaughan sings “‘S Wonderful” with her usual style and grace; and the horn stands out in the music that accompanies her fine singing! “‘S Wonderful” by Sarah Vaughan is easily a major highlight of this album. Listen for Sarah a second time around as she performs “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off” with yet another big band arrangement. Sarah’s voice is clear as a bell and her voice is very rich and full.

“Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?” gets a fine jazzy interpretation from Abbey Lincoln; Abbey’s voice sounds better than ever and this Depression era ballad is greatly enhanced by Abbey’s interpretation. The CD even ends strong with Shirley Horn delivering “I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good” flawlessly; the piano arrangement is very elegant as well.
Shirley does this one up right!

Fans of the great female vocalists on this album are bound to want this CD in their collections. This CD oozes good taste and class and it’s bound to be available for sale for quite some while to come. – Matthew G. Sherwin, Amazon Review

Editorial Reviews

Giddins is without question the most persuasive literary stylist current working in jazz criticism—no writer has ever written about Louis Armstrong with such vividness, or about Cecil Taylor with such sympathy and analytical insight. DeVeaux provides academic clout and formal rigor, bringing to bear a strong foundation in musicological methodology. (Time Out New York )

This is without a doubt one of the best books on jazz ever written. Gary Giddins and Scott DeVeaux have achieved a monumental feat by creating a history of jazz that will appeal to academicians and aficionados alike. Thoroughly researched and carefully documented, yet written in an entertaining and enjoyable narrative style, this is truly a book for jazz lovers of all backgrounds. By telling the story of jazz in its full cultural, musical, political, social, economic, and historical context, Giddins and DeVeaux have given us one hell of a kick-ass book! (David Baker, Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Jazz Department, Indiana University )

Gary Giddins and Scott DeVeaux’s Jazz cuts through the gibberish, racial politics, and ideology that typify so much of contemporary jazz criticism. This excellent book, which not only addresses musical theory but provides insight into the history of the art as well, will serve the general reader but can also be used to stimulate discussion groups and jazz workshops. (Ishmael Reed, author of Mixing It Up: Taking On the Media Bullies and Other Reflections )

Like no other history, Jazz involves the reader right from the start in an active listening role. The parsing of the selected recordings is brilliantly done, and this feature alone makes the book a must, for beginners and seasoned fans. But there’s much more, all imbued with the coauthors’ love for and understanding of the music, in all its many facets–and as a living, still evolving language. (Dan Morgenstern, director of the Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University, and author of Living with Jazz )

In an innovative departure from previous approaches to the history of American Jazz, this eagerly awaited new text by Gary Giddins and Scott DeVeaux offers a unique combination of cutting-edge historical scholarship and experienced journalistic perspectives. This book is destined to become an important resource, one that confronts crucially important musical and social issues in depth—and with passion. (George E. Lewis, Case Professor of American Music, Columbia University, and author of A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music )

This extraordinary book is the one we’ve been waiting for–an exhaustive, multi-disciplinary, judiciously crafted history of jazz and its culture. It is sure to become the industry standard, cherished by students as well as aficionados, who may dispute its judgments but will surely keep it close at hand as an essential reference. (Krin Gabbard, author of Hotter Than That: The Trumpet, Jazz, and American Culture )

Starred Review. There are numerous histories of jazz on the market, but renowned cirtic Giddins and scholar DeVeaux’s offering jumps immediately to the top of the list. (Booklist )

Review

Starting with the iconic photo of Dexter Gordon on the dust jacket through to the last page, this book is an outstanding presentation of the history and musicology of America’s classical music, jazz. It is a book that should be useful to the die-hard jazz fan, the jazz novice and everyone in between.

The book begins with a chapter on the basic elements of music, followed by a chapter covering the basics of jazz styles and improvisation. This introduction is followed by 17 chapters covering the history of the music, from its roots in spirituals, the blues, and ragtime up to the jazz (what there is of it) of today. There is also a useful glossary and a short section on record collection and jazz films.

Many books on jazz history are available, some covering the entire century-plus of the music, and others concentrating on certain periods. There are also a few books on jazz musicology, most notably Mark C. Gridley’s outstanding “Jazz Styles”. But Gridley pointedly avoids any discussion of the personalities and the non-musical activities of the musicians, as though they created their music in a vacuum. This leads to such oddities as a section on Bud Powell, for example, in which Gridley notes that Powell was “only sporadically active during most of his career”, without explaining that Powell was a diagnosed schizophrenic who suffered not only from the disease, but also the horrific “treatments” of the day. Not for “Jazz” authors Giddins and DeVeaux is this `hands off the personal lives’ approach. They include brief biographies of the most important musicians, warts (of which there are many) and all. This is essential, in my view, to understanding the music that these men (and a very few women) created.

But this book also contains sufficient discussion of the technical aspects of the music, if not employing quite the music school language of Gridley’s book, which is fine with this non-musician fan, and probably for most readers. And while the authors must have their preferences, one will not find them imposed on the reader, as is common in some books. While I appreciate and use such books as the “Penguin Guide”, I find Cook’s and Morton’s sometimes quirky and avant-garde taste not always to my liking.

An interesting feature of the book is a bar-by-bar (almost) account of some of the most important performances in jazz history. In order for this feature to be useful one must, of course, have the recordings to listen to while reading the discussions. Like many jazz fans and collectors, I have most of the performances in my record collection, but for those who don’t, the authors provide a 4-CD set that goes along with the book, though at the hefty price of $60 on Amazon. This would be essential for the serious jazz novice without access to a jazz record collection; for jazz-o-files, it would be useful and convenient, but perhaps not worth the additional cost. I’m still trying to decide if it’s worthwhile searching my collection for each of the correct tracks, or paying up for the CD set.

If there is any complaint that I could about this excellent book, and it is a minor one, is its the lack of discussion of the jazz scenes today outside the USA, where jazz continues to be vital a musical culture, while it atrophies here in its home country. The UK, and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe, along with Australia and even parts of Latin America are where jazz is prospering in the 21st century. – C. A. Smith, Amazon Review

With the exclamatory message “18 of the Greatest Jazz Recordings Ever!” inset in its tray card, Pure Jazz isn’t a bashful anthology. It opens with Nina Simone’s early hit, the shuffle-rhythm “My Baby Just Cares for Me,” then features another dozen vocal tracks that hit high marks all around. The most familiar are probably Billie Holiday’s “God Bless the Child,” here from the achingly poignant Lady Sings the Blues collection, and Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong teaming up on “Summertime.” But there’s also Sarah Vaughan on “Misty” and Nat “King” Cole on “Unforgettable.”

Among the instrumental cuts are Michel Legrand’s 1958 arrangement of Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight” for Miles Davis, the original (and forever beguiling) “Take Five,” Paul Desmond’s most famous composition and his and Dave Brubeck’s most famous performance by far. For “Peel Me a Grape,” some of the song’s veteran interpreters get one-upped by Diana Krall, and rather than reach deep into the discography for, say, “West End Blues,” the collection closes with Armstrong’s famous take on “What a Wonderful World,” a choice that will irritate some. True to its title, though, this set includes 18 great jazz performances, and it will likely pique the appetite for more. One minor quibble is the lack of musician credits–which may be clutter to some, but they are central to many listeners. –Andrew Bartlett

Review

In the past few years, we’ve seen a flurry of “Pure” collections (“Pure Disco,” “Pure Funk,” “Pure Reggae,” etc.) and for the most part, they have been fairly thorough in their collecting essential tracks from any given genre. With “Pure Jazz,” however, we have a disc that is almost essential to any music lover’s library. I would not label myself a jazz fanatic–I purchased this CD mainly because of the inclusion of several tracks I am familiar with–but I was astounded by the fact that I am familiar with every one of these songs through various aspects of the culture we live in (television commercials, background music in films, etc.). To listen to this CD is to listen to the birth and growth of a truly American art form, and to taste culture with a uniquely American spirit.

The songs on “Pure Jazz” run the gamut from thrilling live performances (Count Basie’s “April In Paris” and Ella Fitzgerald’s “Mack The Knife”) to well-known standards (Billie Holiday’s “God Bless The Child” and Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable”) to songs that became the basis for pop music (Glenn Miller’s “In The Mood,” Etta James’s “At Last,” and Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World”) to improvisational, smoky numbers (Miles Davis’s “Round Midnight” and Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five”). As a listening experience, this CD jumps through different sounds, so it’s not the greatest idea for mood music on a romantic evening. But, in every sense of the word, you truly feel the energy and talent of each of these gifted performers.

Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald’s duet on the “Porgy And Bess” number “Summertime” (which even rock fans will recognize as the song interpolated onto the band Sublime’s song of the same name) is gut-wrenchingly haunting in its beauty. Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto’s “Girl From Ipanema” has lost none of its bossa nova brilliance over the years, and sounds just as fresh today as it must have sounded 1964. And words cannot describe how gorgeous Sarah Vaughn’s “Misty” and Dinah Washington’s “What A Difference A Day Makes” are. Even Chet Baker’s hesitant and technically underwhelming vocal performance on “Everything Happens To Me” is hypnotic (and it’s not really fair to grade Baker on his singing style…he was a master musician.) I honestly cannot think of anyone who would not enjoy some aspect of this CD. It is certainly one of the most surprisingly enjoyable purchases I’ve made in a long time. Just think of it this way–for the purchase price, you get a piece of American history! – Amazon Review

This is the one jazz record owned by people who don’t listen to jazz, and with good reason. The band itself is extraordinary (proof of Miles Davis’s masterful casting skills, if not of God’s existence), listing John Coltrane and Julian “Cannonball” Adderley on saxophones, Bill Evans (or, on “Freddie Freeloader,” Wynton Kelly) on piano, and the crack rhythm unit of Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums.

Coltrane’s astringency on tenor is counterpoised to Adderley’s funky self on alto, with Davis moderating between them as Bill Evans conjures up a still lake of sound on which they walk. Meanwhile, the rhythm partnership of Cobb and Chambers is prepared to click off time until eternity. It was the key recording of what became modal jazz, a music free of the fixed harmonies and forms of pop songs. In Davis’s men’s hands it was a weightless music, but one that refused to fade into the background. In retrospect every note seems perfect, and each piece moves inexorably towards its destiny. –John Szwed

Review

KIND OF BLUE (1959) has a stark, hushed, understated, but very heady nature, a staggering difference from the previous year’s MILESTONES. KIND OF BLUE went on to become a mega-classic, historic and trend setting. It introduced modal tunes to jazz, which provide much more space for improvising on each chord compared to conventional jazz tunes and standards. Consider “So What,” which opens the album. There are but two chords, D minor 7th and E-flat minor 7th, and there are spots were 24 bars pass, all on the D minor 7th. This allows the soloist to–as Miles put it–stay in the mode. The song initiated a wave of influence and inspired a host of modal tunes, including John Coltrane’s “Impressions” (built on the same chords and structure). “So What” also has the very rare instance of the melody being played by the bassist (but this was Paul Chambers; check out his Blue Note album BASS ON TOP from 1957). For those who don’t know, the late Bill Evans is a jazz-piano icon. This brilliant innovator contributed two compositions here: “Blue In Green” and “Flamenco Sketches.” Bill’s hypnotic vamps and harmonically rich voicings add to the heady atmosphere that Miles typically created with his sparse, cerebral style.

It’s difficult to pick out high points; the whole album is on such a high level. Coltrane, Adderley, Evans…these guys could play. The solos throughout are haunting and magical. All of the compositions exhibit unusual and sometimes subtle characteristics, like the altered blues changes in “Freddie Freeloader” (on which Wynton Kelly plays piano) and the 10-bar, “A”-section-only form of “Blue In Green.” In “All Blues,” pay special attention to the harmonic treatment during the last eight bars of its 24-bar blues-waltz structure. You don’t have to be a music student to recognize the unique magic or the mood-inducing power that pervades this album. With players of this caliber, the music making is magnificent and amazing. The talent and importance of these truly monumental musicians cannot be stressed enough. And, the importance of KIND OF BLUE as a record is deserving of all the hoopla that can possibly be mustered on its behalf. This is a legendary recording by a legendary band.

Another reason this album is historic is the introduction of what came to be known as “So What” chords. They are the chords that answer the melody line in “So What.” Here are the two chords Bill Evans played there:

E below middle C, up a fourth to A, up a fourth to D, up a fourth to G and up a major third to B.

D below middle C, up a fourth to G, up a fourth to C, up a fourth to F and up a major third to A.

If you’re so inclined, try playing those two chords to answer the melody and you will hear the heady magic they produce. To use this chord elsewhere, just remember it’s the root, eleventh, seventh, third and fifth of a minor seventh chord.
Cheers,
Murray, Amazon Review

If you want nothing but the best that Smooth Jazz has to offer, look no further than this premium collection. Featuring only #1 hits (Radio & Records Smooth Jazz chart) from the superstars of the genre, this must-have CD is essential for all fans of grooving, contemporary jazz!

1. Boney James f/ George Duke “The Total Expereince”
2. Paul Brown “The Rhythm Method”
3. Kenny G “Sax-O-Loco”
4. Chuck Loeb “Window of the Soul”
5. Eric Marienthal “Blue Water”
6. George Benson / Al Jarreau “Mornin’”
7. Jessy J “Tequila Moon”
8. Norman Brown “Let’s Take a Ride”
9. Candy Dulfer “L.A. City Lights”
10. Walter Beasley “Ready for Love”

Review

What were they thinking about when they put this CD together? This is a collection of some of the best smooth jazz artist ever assembled. From the seasoned veterans like George Benson w/ Al Jarreau, Walter Beasley, Chuck Loeb, Norman Brown, & Candy Dulfer, to up and coming stars like Boney James, & Jessy J, this CD is bound to be labeled as one of the best ever made. It rocks from start to finish. It covers all spectrums of the smooth jazz genre, fast, slow, up tempo and just flat out easy listening music. One of the best CD’s I own, you can just put it in and do whatever it is you have planned. What an awesome CD. – DeeJay Dr. Jamm, Amazon Review

Editorial Reviews

“In this passionately opinionated encyclopedia of the old-school virtuosos of the American songbook, music writer Friedwald celebrates 200-odd performers of jazz and pop standards, from the mid-20th-century titans to latter-day acolytes, with a raft of unjustly obscure singers in between. . . . [Friedwald] accords each a substantial career retrospective, selected discography and wonderfully pithy interpretive essay. His tastes are wide-ranging and idiosyncratic . . . However unconventional, his judgments are usually spot-on . . . Friedwald’s exuberant medley is that rarest of things: music criticism that actually makes you sit up and listen.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“I think Will Friedwald’s Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers will be of real interest to anyone who cares about the music.”
—Hugh Hefner, editor-in-chief of Playboy

“If there were such a volume as the Great American Songbook, this book should be right next to it on your shelf.  It is truly the definitive work on those who sing and swing those songs.”
—Alan Bergman, Grammy and Academy Award–winning songwriter

Review

Will Friedwald’s gift as a critic is his ability to make anyone reevaluate their opinions about popular singers, including his own. It’ll come as a surprise to readers of his 1990 book Jazz Singing: America’s Great Voices From Bessie Smith To Bebop And Beyond, in which he argued that rock & roll ushered in the Apocalypse for good music, that he now considers Elvis Presley to be one of the greatest of all popular singers, the first man to assimilate rhythm and blues, country, and mainstream pop into a seamless whole. Even in praising an artist, Friedwald’s opinions are provocative, as when he avers that Dean Martin was a major influence on Elvis’s singing; it sounds nutty, but careful listening will back it up.

What makes a jazz or pop singer “great”? Tricky question. The 811 double-columned pages of this book provide a series of contentious, informed, and highly entertaining answers in the form of extended essays on its two hundred or so performers. (The BIOGRAPHICAL GUIDE, which Friedwald spent a decade writing, is modeled after David Thomson’s BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF FILM, but with much longer, and better written, entries.) For Friedwald, great pop music is centered on the American songbook, and its finest singers were active during the LP era, the heyday of the concept album (1955 – 1985). What this means for his book is that he doesn’t write about too many singers born after 1950, though Diana Krall, Kurt Elling, Michael Feinstein, Audra McDonald, and Dee Dee Bridgewater are among the boomers too interesting NOT to warrant an essay apiece.

Elsewhere, Friedwald is busy challenging our perceptions of the classic performers and throwing away critical gems on almost every page. For example: “I can only imagine that both Sinatra and Dylan had moments when they felt like Dr. Frankenstein: They had created a monster and couldn’t control the damage it caused.” “Streisand…is incapable of easing up — whether on a note, on the beat, on the band, on the words, on anything. [She] nearly always sounds as if she’s attacking you with a song.” “What will it take to convince Aretha Franklin that she is, in fact, a great artist, and not a fly-by-night hit maker? Why does she consistently act as if she’s in the same league with Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston?” And then there are the deeper insights: “One thing [Ray Charles] has in common with Tony Bennett is the way he revels in the rapture of the sound of strain — like an alto saxist struggling for a high F. And one thing he has in common with Ornette Coleman and Albert Ayler, two bluesmen in a different kind of music, is that he challenges our notion of sound itself.”

Chances are, several of your favorite contemporary singers, like several of mine, are going to be missing from this book, but there’s more than enough interesting material here to make it an essential purchase anyway. You’ll be reading and re-reading it for months. – Roochak, Amazon Review

Will Friedwald’s “Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers,” reviewed by Dennis Drabelle

The Washington Post – November 7, 2010 (Excerpt)

In this mammoth volume, jazz critic Will Friedwald does for jazz and pop vocalists what David Thomson has done so brilliantly for the movies in his “New Biographical Dictionary of Film.” As with Thomson’s, the organization of Friedwald’s book invites readers to flip to their favorites, and I foxtrotted off with Peggy Lee. Allotting her eight double-columned pages, Friedwald starts off by dividing all “great American female singers” into two groups: jazz singers such as Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, and pop singers such asJudy Garland, Doris Day and Rosemary Clooney. [Read the full article...]

Product Description

The Movie Songbook is the follow up to Sharleen Spiteri’s top three debut solo album Melody, and the ninth studio album from a 21 year recording career. A collection of Sharleen s favourite soundtracks, the album is a musical journey from pop to country via disco, bossa-nova, folk, rockabilly and jazz. Phil Ramone (who has produced various Hollywood legends from Marilyn Monroe to Frank Sinatra via Liza Minnelli and Barbra Streisand) is on production duties for the album , which includes God Bless The Child , Xanadu , Cat People (Putting Out Fire) and The Sound Of Silence .

Review

Okay, I’m like every other Texas fan…I’ve been listening to Sharleen Spiteri rock the house for the last twenty years. I feel that I know her voice well enough to single her out in Grand Central Station! So, I was delighted with her first solo effort, “Melody”.

When I heard the news regarding Songbook, I thought, “An album of soundtracks? In a Lady Gaga kinda decade? Wow, what a ballsy chick!” Well, I really don’t share Sharleen’s love of movie soundtracks but I bought the cd anyway…well, because….that’s what fans do.

I can’t tell you how happy I am that Ms. Spiteri has the mondo-sized cojones that she does!:) The album is killer! The music is lush and as always, Sharleen’s voice is exquisite. HOWEVER, what stole my heart is the range of songs that she choose and how she presents them. This is no ordinary cover album! She puts her own spin and personality into each and every selection. She’s coy and tongue-in-cheek with, “Pretty Woman” and “What’s New Pussycat?”. Something for the girls.:) “If I Can’t Have You” is better than the original (by far) and “Many Rivers To Cross” is just beautiful! “God Bless The Child”, “This One’s From The Heart” and “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” all make me want to pour myself a dry martini (shaken, not stirred) and hang out in a piano bar. But my favorite track is “Sound of Silence”. I’ve always loved that song and once wrote the lyrics in my journal in a moment of teenage angst. Sharleen Spiteri’s rendition made me remember that moment in vivid detail. I swear, if I didn’t mind poverty, I’d quit my job and follow her tour around the country shouting, “More, MORE!”

Now, don’t get me wrong, this isn’t an annoying pop album that you shove into the car cd player and bebop on down the road. No, this is a grown-up’s album, best enjoyed on surround-sound, sipping a glass of wine with candle-light (lover/bubble-bath optional). Any less of an atmosphere will rob “Movie Songbook” of it’s greatest effect! Buy this album…or,trust me…one day you’ll think, “This is a PERFECT moment for Songbook! Why didn’t I buy it when I had the chance?” – Laurie A. Hunter, Amazon Customer Review

Portrait of the artist: Sharleen Spiteri, musician

guardian.co.uk, September 20, 2010

What got you started?

The week before my 18th birthday, I was DJing in a club in Glasgow. A guy I vaguely knew came over and said, “I hear you can sing.” With that terrible arrogance of youth, I said, “Yeah, and?” His name was Jerry [McElhone]; I started writing songs with him and his brother Johnny – that was the start of Texas.

What was your big breakthrough?

We put out our first single, I Don’t Want a Lover, in 1989; it was a hit record, and that was it. Before that, our record company hadn’t really noticed Texas – they were too busy looking after Tears for Fears. Then they heard our song on the radio, and it was like, “Who is this band? Oh, they’re on our label.”

Is it harder for women to succeed in the music business?

Yes, absolutely. Female artists keep the industry afloat, but it’s still a boys’ club. I’ve come under pressure to be “sexy”: you go into a photo session, and they always want you lying back on the sofa, showing a bit of leg, a bit of tit. For me, that’s not sexy. Mystery is sexy.

Name a song you wish you’d written.

Back to Black [by Amy Winehouse]. Its lyrics make it one of the all-time greats.

[Read the full article...]

Describing the American singer-songwriter Tom Waits is not an easy task. I am thrown between calling him controversial, bizarre, or brilliant (Lady Gaga move aside…). And I still haven’t decided whether or not I like his music. I believe, it may be an acquired taste.

Since I am lacking the words, let’s refer to critic Daniel Durchholz who described Waits’ distinctive voice as sounding “like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car.” His lyrics, sung with his trademark growl and incorporated into styles ranging from blues, jazz, and vaudeville, are mostly portrayals of grotesque, often seedy characters and places, although he has also shown a penchant for more conventional ballads.

One of these songs is The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me), and like this one, just reading the titles from his CDs puts an occasional smile on your face. Here are just a few more example:

• Cemetery Polka
• Tango Till They’re Sore
• Lie To Me
• Little Drop Of Poison
• Fish In The Jailhouse
• What Keeps Mankind Alive
• Pasties And A G-String (At The Two O’Clock Club)
• Bad Liver And A Broken Heart
• Better Off Without A Wife
• Warm Beer And Cold Women
• Drunk On The Moon
• Just Another Sucker On The Vine
• Is There Any Way Out Of This Dream?
• You Can’t Unring A Bell
• I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You
• Grapefruit Moon
• Little Trip To Heaven

The Piano Has Been Drinking Not Me

Tom Waits

The piano has been drinking
My necktie is asleep
And the combo went back to New York
The jukebox has to take a leak

And the carpet needs a haircut
And the spotlight looks like a prison break
‘Cause the telephone’s out of cigarettes
And the balcony’s on the make

And the piano has been drinking
The piano has been drinking

And the menus are all freezing
And the light man’s blind in one eye
And he can’t see out of the other
And the piano-tuner’s got a hearing aid
And he showed up with his mother

And the piano has been drinking
The piano has been drinking

‘Cause the bouncer is a sumo wrestler
Cream puff Casper milk toast
And the owner is a mental midget
With the I.Q. of a fencepost

‘Cause the piano has been drinking
The piano has been drinking

And you can’t find your waitress
With a geiger counter
And she hates you and your friends
And you just can’t get served without her

And the box-office is drooling
And the bar stools are on fire
And the newspapers were fooling
And the ash-trays have retired

‘Cause the piano has been drinking
The piano has been drinking
The piano has been drinking

Not me, not me, not me, not me, not me

Last, but not least, a little gem…

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Boiled Peanuts

A Novel by John Patrick Doyle

A Peeping Tom Goes Nuts Over A Blind Girl

Paul Kirk is a librarian and one of his town’s quirkier residents.  In a childhood home lacking parents (his mother dying of MS and his father an alcoholic) Paul had imagined himself a member of the neighboring family. Now in his late twenties, Paul vicariously participates in the households of his community. His peeping-Tom proclivities express his awkward need for social bonding.

Then Paul meets Bronwyn, a counselor who is lovely, independent and blind. She has inherited her Aunt Phyllis’ house and is newly arrived in town. When Paul first sees Bronwyn at church, he knows he wants to be part of her life. As the mystery of Aunt Phyllis unfolds, Bronwyn and Paul become more deeply involved as they learn about Phyllis’ secrets and how they relate to Bronwyn and her past, but Paul’s peeping ways may ruin it all. [Read more...]

Boiled Peanuts is available through Amazon.Com, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Noble, and any other good bookstore.