The Rough Guide to World 100 Essential CDs (Rough Guide 100 Esntl CD Guide) [Audiobook] [Audio CD] Review

This small book is a brief introduction to 100 world music cds.The music covers a very wide range, though there is nothing from East Asia.Each entry is about two (small) pages long: it introduces the artist, and something about the artist's place in his or her culture's music.The writer chooses the musician's most accessible cd, in most cases.This means that some of the recommended cds are too westernized, in my opinion, but the articles do inform you (or warn you) about whether the music is authentic folk music, fusion, virtually indistinguishable from western pop, or whatever.
I am very interested in music, but I didn't know much about music other than western classical music and rock.Unfortunately, for about the last two years I had been becoming increasingly bored with the ordinary music I listened to, and I wanted to try something different.I picked up this book, and I found that it helped me a lot.It is a manageable guide to world music, suitable for people who don't yet know anything about it.
Another reviewer complained that this book was too shallow.I think he was missing the point of the book.Those wanting in-depth coverage of world music can go to other books.This book is a guide for beginners, and is actually small enough to carry with you to the music store.Now I don't need this book: for the past two years I have been using it to help me explore the music of other cultures, and so now my knowledge is deeper.However, for the beginner, I think this is a wonderful book: it is helpful, it points out many artists that are well worth knowing about, and the information in the articles is precise enough to help you decide if a particular cd would appeal to you or not.I've started reading other guides to non-western music, in particular the Rough Guide to World Music, volumes one and two (which, by the way, is 1,435 pages long), and of course these other guides include more musicians and are more definitive, but the purpose of this small book is to help you get started by introducing you to a few of the most popular world music cds.I think it serves its purpose admirably.

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Product Description:
Contains detailed review of 100 recordings, from Ravi Shankar to the Buena Vista Social Club, and from Albania to Zimbabwe.

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GOING TO CINCINNATI: A HISTORY OF THE BLUES IN THE QUEEN CITY (Music in American Life) [Paperback] Review

I met Steven Tracy at a signing for this book in a Cincinnati bookstore. The man is as lively and entertaining as his book.

You might not immediately think of Cincinnati as a "blues region"; however, while it may not be a major one, it's useful to remember that Cincinnati is 1) a river town like many blues capitals and 2) is a real melting pot, a place where conservative and liberal, white and black, urban and Appalachian meet and sometimes even get along. I grew up there, for what it's worth.

Tracy's book tells many fascinating stories of blues artists you may never have heard of, and a few you may have (especially in the chapter on King Records). Many of these artists can be heard on a CD from Document Records, Rare Country Blues, volume 3 (this contains all the tracks from the LP Cincinnati Blues from Document).

I don't have a substantive reason for docking this a star ... it's just that the artists covered are for the most part interesting as opposed to essential, I guess. But your opinion may differ. And Tracy really does brings this little-known material to life. If you are a country blues fan and are looking to go beyond Robert Johnson, Son House and Blind Lemon Jefferson, this is an intriguing book to explore.

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The Hal Leonard Pocket Music Dictionary (Book) [Paperback] Review

For a little pocket dictionary, it's got a lot in it. I like the way it is organized.It fits easily into my bag and on my nightstand.I am very happy with it.I still may shop around for a larger music dictionary but in the meantime this one is great and I will use it even when I get a bigger one.

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Product Description:
HereÕs the most contemporary music dictionary on the market! Conveniently divided into three main sections: The Dictionary of Music Terms defines over 2,000 music terms concisely, including notation and theory terms, instruments and terms used in pop music, electronic music and the music business; The Dictionary of Musicians provides more than 400 capsule biographies of composers and other musicians; and Reference Charts give instant, at-a-glance summaries of the essentials of music, encompassing instrumental and vocal ranges, notation signs and symbols, and scales, modes and key signatures.

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Stan Getz - Nobody Else But Me (Book) [Paperback] Review

Jazz Critic Dave Gelly has a jazzy and breezy prose style, not unlike the tenor saxophone style of the book's subject, Stan Getz. I zipped through this book, and it went down as easy as a dry martini after a hard day's work.

Getz's nickname was "The Sound" and the sound was lush, beautiful, lyrical, melodic, and swung like crazy. But Stan, "The Man" was a different story, and it is a paradox that such lovely music could come from someone so flawed. Heroin addiction at one point caused a desperate young Getz to attempt to rob a pharmacy. He later kicked heroin, but was an alcoholic wife beater. He was not the best parent. He was jealous of Chet Baker. He was an adulterous womanizer.

But then there was the music, Jack Teagarden, Stan Kenton, the Woody Herman Band, the Bossa Nova, the exciting career, the gorgeous sound . . .

Gelly tells it like it is, spinning a compelling narrative that doesn't shy away from the life behind the music, but still illuminates that music, putting it all in perspective, and making us feel the wonder of "The Sound" anew. It's all there in this book, Nobody Else But Me, shakin' like Gelly on a plate.

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Product Description:
The creator of the unforgettable "Girl from Ipanema" tenor sax tone, this son of Ukranian immigrants took his unique sound through five decades of swing, cool, bossa, and beyond. From Getz's teenage gigs with Dorsey, Goodman, and Stan Kenton, fame with Woody Herman, years as a masterful bandleader, and struggles with drugs and the law, this biography tells the bittersweet story of one of our most beloved jazz musicians. This is the first book to focus on Getz's musical legacy, exploring the lightness of touch, lyricism, and warm glow that marked his sound. It also gives insight into his skills as a consummate improviser, capable of playing with a musical, tonal, and emotional range matched by few other musicians.

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No Matter How Much You Promise . . .: A Symphonic Novel [Hardcover] Review

This is the most personal review I've ever written, and I'm somewhat embarrassed, but I don't think I care, because I can't talk about this book "objectively" anyway -- whatever that means.It has changed my life and will haunt me for a long time!The context is important to my reaction, but first . . .
Other reviewers are all over the place, and that's fine.I love differences of opinion.One talks about contrivance, and I don't see it.(Is Cliff really supposed to go after Fawn on his own?Doesn't calling 911 make better sense?)One talks about lack of control in style and structure, and I'm not convinced.Pop Butterworth's closing scene is a stupendous aria in rondo form, equal to Mozart's "Deh, perdono," no less.Think about it!OK, I grant this novel MAY have problems here and there, but that's not exactly what it's about.Here's a comparison, one I can't validate.People who read Russian tell me that Dostoyevsky is an awkward stylist, clumsy and sloppy in many places.And I treasure elegance and polish.How I admire James and Herzmanovsky-Orlando for those qualities.How I babble with delight at Wallace Stevens and Lampedusa.But isn't there a sheer overwhelming greatness about Dostoyevsky that more than compensates?That said, I don't think Yunque is sloppy or clumsy.I can't find anything wrong beyond a couple of minor points.
Anyway, I never thought I would wail and sob like a baby, ever again.For God's sake, I'm 61 years old!Thank God I was alone when I read what really happened to Billy in Vietnam, especially the circumstances under which his memory is activated.I felt like Macbeth -- "I have supped full of horrors" -- but oh man, what a scene.It was totally earned; every part of this novel makes a contribution, nothing is expendable, everything supports the four-movement structure, and I think I can prove it.I was absolutely shattered, broken to pieces and put together again in a way that makes me understand and accept life better.Any other criticism feels like a picayune quibble compared to the staggering success of weaving together all these themes on an emotional level hardly ever to be experienced.A great, great achievement.
I teach literature and hold it sacred that characters in fiction should never be treated as if they were real people.Still, these characters have so much "realness" it will always make me ache that Elsa, Lurleen, the children, and everyone who cared about Billy will never be able to know what a true hero he was in Vietnam, how completely he really was his father's son, how he achieved in the moral sphere the breakthrough he was once afraid to make in the artistic realm.
I read this novel while on retreat at a Cistercian monastery deep in the Vienna Woods.The concentration I was able to give it heightened the whole experience, as did moments during my week there.The day I finished Yunque's novel, I went to the evening service of Compline.It's all about the music, too -- at the end of Compline, the monks put out all the lights except for one candle and sing that magnificent hymn of pain and comfort crying out in the dark, the "Salve Regina," voices soaring in heartbreaking melisma.The snow was falling, the wind was going through the pine trees, and the music had me weeping like a baby again.I hope nobody saw me.
I've always known that pain is part of the deal and that joy means nothing except for the pain.Yet this book brought alive that truth as I have never felt it before.Here's what I'm risking now -- I've read novels before that blew me away, only to wonder on a second reading what I thought I saw.Maybe someday I'll be of a totally different opinion.But here and now, I will give Yunque and this book a shoutout like I've never given before.A great work!Do not miss this one, but be brave!

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Selections from a Dave Brubeck Christmas [Paperback] Review

Exactly as described and exactly what our grandson disabled with spina bifida wanted to give his Piano Playing Dad for Christmas. They both love jazz and Dave Brubeck.It is so nice to be able to find what I want on Amazon.com and have it delivered in a timely manner!

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Product Description:
Dave Brubeck, the genius of jazz, provides us with his distinctive renditions of Christmastime favorites. Titles are: Away in a Manger * Cantos Para Pedir las Posadas * "Homecoming" Jingle Bells * Joy to the World * O Tannenbaum * Silent Night * To Us Is Given * What Child Is This (Greensleeves) * Winter Wonderland.

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The Contemporary Keyboardist and Expanded (Instructional) [Plastic Comb] Review

John Novello is an amazing musician.Having a book that gives insite into his approach would be quite valuable all by itself, but he has put together a very comprehensive work that is a must have for any musician looking to expand his/her knowledge and abilities.In this modern age where the electronic keyboard provides the easiest access to the world of instrumentation, as a songwriter/arranger I find John's Contemporary Keyboardist to be an essential reference, especially as my main instrument is the guitar.

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Product Description:
This comprehensive, 562-page method, called "Solid, readable and relevant" by Keyboard magazine and "The major work for today's pianists" by International Musician, is divided into four sections. The first, "A Philosophy of Music," deals with communication, cause-effect principles and practice disciplines. The second section, "Mechanics," covers all the basics of keyboard music and playing (notation, harmony, improv, sight reading, etc.), as well as their applications. The third section, "The Business Scene," contains guidelines and industry advice for contemporary keyboardists. Section four, "Interviews," provides insights into the artistry and technique of famous players such as Herbie Hancock, Henry Mancini, Edgar Winter, Keith Emerson, Paul Shaffer and many more. Includes an index.

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