Music

Odetta

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Odetta: A Life in Music and Protest (Hardcover)

By Ian Zack
$28.95
ISBN: 9780807035320
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Beacon Press - April 14th, 2020

 

The folk revival of the 1950s and 60s didn't just stem from Pete Seeger or Peter, Paul, and Mary. It was built on the back of one of the most famous folk singers of the day who I'd never heard of Odetta. In this thorough biography tells her story, which is fascinating and unfortunately familiar. 

 

Meaghan

Go Ahead in the Rain

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Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to a Tribe Called Quest Cover Image

Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to a Tribe Called Quest (Paperback)

By Hanif Abdurraqib
$16.95
ISBN: 9781477316481
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: University of Texas Press - February 1st, 2019

 

Abdurraqib catalogs musical history with a mythic, yet personal, reverence, sharing his heroes in a way that makes them accessible while canonizing them as larger-than-life icons. Whether you’re a longtime fan of A Tribe Called Quest or a total initiate, this book holds  something fresh for you; this is what all culture writing should aspire to.

Caleb

A is for Audra

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A is for Audra: Broadway's Leading Ladies from A to Z Cover Image

A is for Audra: Broadway's Leading Ladies from A to Z (Hardcover)

By John Robert Allman, Peter Emmerich (Illustrator)
$18.99
ISBN: 9780525645405
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Doubleday Books for Young Readers - November 12th, 2019

 

With gorgeous illustrations and clever rhymes that (probably) would have even Sondheim chuckling, this book is the perfect gift for people of all ages for whom M is for Musicals!

Kate

Janis: Her Life and Music

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Janis: Her Life and Music (Hardcover)

By Holly George-Warren
$28.99
ISBN: 9781476793108
Availability: Available at Warehouse
Published: Simon & Schuster - October 22nd, 2019

 

Dubbed the Queen of Rock and Roll, Janis Joplin, born and raised in conservative Port Arthur, Texas, somehow found the BLUES in her troubled soul. She became an instant star at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and never looked back; until, three years later her use of SMACK - aka SNOW - aka WHITE DEATH - did her in. This book tells her story with unrose-colored glasses - well-written and researched - it's a must for all music lovers.  

Nathan

Solid State: The Story of Abbey Road and the End of the Beatles

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Solid State: The Story of

Solid State: The Story of "abbey Road" and the End of the Beatles (Hardcover)

By Kenneth Womack, Alan Parsons (Foreword by)
$26.95
ISBN: 9781501746857
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Cornell University Press - October 15th, 2019

 

Solid State is a compulsively readable and definitive account of the writing and recording of the Beatles’ landmark final album, Abbey Road. Filled with fascinating details demonstrating the creativity and ingenuity of the group, George Martin, and their recording engineers, and even with all that has been written about them, this book is simply a must read for any fan.

Dale

Playing Changes

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Playing Changes: Jazz for the New Century (Paperback)

By Nate Chinen
$16.95
ISBN: 9781101873496
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Vintage - July 23rd, 2019

 

Chinen’s book is so very welcome as books about contemporary jazz are few and far between, but also because it’s terrific. Chinen puts into context each of the various directions players are taking improvisational music today with a studied thoughtfulness based upon careful listening and deep historical knowledge. The discographies bookmarking each chapter as well as his list of essential 21st century albums are good guideposts for anyone’s future listening. 

Dale 

Elvis is King!

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Elvis Is King! (Hardcover)

By Jonah Winter, Red Nose Studio (Illustrator)
$17.99
ISBN: 9780399554704
Availability: Available at Warehouse
Published: Schwartz & Wade - January 8th, 2019

 

This book is beautiful! The painstakingly rendered illustrations make you feel like you’re watching a favorite animated film, and the text will have you rushing to your stereo. Classics like Elvis never go out of style; long live the King!  

Caleb

Getz/Gilberto

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João Gilberto and Stan Getz's Getz/Gilberto (33 1/3 Brazil) Cover Image

João Gilberto and Stan Getz's Getz/Gilberto (33 1/3 Brazil) (Paperback)

By Bryan Daniel McCann, Jason Stanyek (Editor)
$22.95
ISBN: 9781501323959
Availability: It's Complicated--Contact Us for More Info
Published: Bloomsbury Academic - November 29th, 2018

 

What better way to spend a cold, snowy February day reading McCann’s book while listening to the classic album that help define the bossa nova sound of the early 1960s. Part of the terrific 33 1/3 series that explores in depth seminal recordings of many different genres, this volume places the Getz/Gilberto album in social, historical, and musical context along with expert discussions of each composition cut by cut.

Dale

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