Black Music?whether it be jazz, blues, r&b, gospel, or soul?has always expressed, consciously or not, its African "oral" heritage, reflecting the conditions of a minority culture in the midst of a
General Leslie Groves and J. Robert Oppenheimer were the two men chiefly responsible for the building of the first atomic bomb at Los Alamos, code name "The Manhattan Project." As the ranking militar
The Group Theatre was perhaps the most significant experiment in the history of American theater. Producing plays that reflected topical issues of the decade and giving a creative chance to actors, d
Keaton's autobiography, My Wonderful World of Slapstick, is our only record of the quirky mind behind the stoic face. Filled with stories about his childhood in vaudeville where, billed as 'The Human
"No European jazz musician has so enchanted the word as Django Reinhardt, the gypsy guitarist whose recording with Stephane Grappelly and the Hot Club of France have meant ""The Thirties"" to several
This is the only jazz history written by a musician that is not strictly autobiographical. Rex Stewart, who played trumpet and cornet with Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington, knew personally all th
When Erwin Rommel died—by forced suicide at Hitler’s command—he left behind in various ingenious hiding places the papers that recorded the story of his dramatic career and the exac
"Chicago has always had a reputation as a ”wide open town” with a high tolerance for gangsters, illegal liquor, and crooked politicians. It has also been the home for countless black musicians and the
The portraits of Freud, Shakespeare, Einstein, and Leonardo da Vinci on the cover symbolize a major theme of How We Know—that the creative imagination plays a role in the sciences no less than
Moonlight Serenade, Sunrise Serenade, Little Brown Jug, In the Mood... These and other memorable tunes endeared Glenn Miller to millions in the Swing Era and all who recall those times. After playing
Among the few truly experimental composers in our cultural history, Harry Partch's life (1901?1974) and music embody most completely the quintessential American rootlessness, isolation, pre-civilized
With over 100 drawings, this text offers explanations for over 250 ballet terms. In order to soften the aridity of technical terms, references are made to ballet steps in actual performance. The autho
"In 1933 Irving Berlin wrote to composer-lyricist Cole Porter, ”I am mad about Night and Day.” Millions of others throughout the world have been ”mad about” that Porter gem, as well as dozens of other
By 1940 the big band sound had grown stale, and jazz musicians began to search out new sounds and styles. At the Harlem nightclub Minton's Playhouse, a small group of musicians -- John Birks, Dizzy
The Complete Operas of Verdi is the first full-length study of all of Verdi's operas. This work of the brilliant British music critic Charles Osborne covers Verdi's complete operatic oeuvre--includi
Long out of print, the three beautiful volumes contained here offer the modern reader a rare opportunity to see Vaslav Nijinsky, Anna Pavlova, and Isadora Duncan through the eyes of their contemporari
Always elusive, constantly moving, incessantly changing, John Coltrane stood astride the jazz world of the late ‘50s and ‘60s. He was a giant of the saxophone and a major composer. His mu
Offers the piano player suggestions on practice methods, the correct interpretation of musical compositions, and the preparation of a repertoire and concert program.
Once the king of the blues-derived "stride" school of jazz piano, Fats Waller earned his reputation as the most perfect of all jazz pianists with impeccable time keeping, instrumental mastery, the int
From the field cries and work chants of Southern Negroes emerged a rich and vital music called the country blues, an intensely personal expression of the pains and pleasures of black life. This music-
For this first full-length reminiscence, Reisner interviewed eighty-one of Parker's friends, relatives, and fellow performers. From Charlie Mingus, one of the few real innovators since Bird, and Dizzy
"The names of Nat Hentoff and Albert J. McCarthy have become almost synonymous with jazz writing. Hentoff, editor of Jazz Review, writer for Downbeat, High Fidelity, New Yorker, and the Village Voice,
This encyclopedia is the diverse lexicographic work available in the English language and provides a treasure trove of information on the violin—its technique, its history, and its place in mus
Presents a look at the psychological and sociological pressures that force women to be the primary parent, making it impossible to be successful at work
A physical, psychological, and spiritual transition that can bring with it the potential for great personal growth and family closeness, dying requires special care and understanding. Peaceful Dying,
From an expert in the Pacific theater of World War II comes the tragic story of the pilots who fought the last fight of the war during the first hour of peaceWhen Billy Hobbs and his fellow Hellcat
Sequel to Grammy-nominated bestseller Under the Big Black Sun, continuing the up-close and personal account of the L.A. punk scene, with 50 rare photosPicking up where Under the Big Black Sun left off
The story of the world's largest, longest, and best financed scientific expedition of all time, triumphantly successful, gruesomely tragic, and never before fully told The immense 18th-century scien
An epic narrative of World War II naval action that brings to life the exploits of the destroyer squadron that put up the most impressive record of any naval squadron during the war
From a registered dietician and at the Cleveland Clinic and a renowned liver disorder specialist: a detailed overview of our most important organ, the liver, with tools and strategies to boost liver f
A popular, comprehensive biography of Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox," covering his famous engagements as well as a private side of him that has rarely been explored
The memoirs of the legendary Beach Boy member offer unstinting insights into his difficult relationship with his father, the women in his life, his parenting experiences and the events that inspired h
Chronicles the untold story of a German luxury liner--pride of the Third Reich--repurposed for military use, propaganda and ultimately a floating concentration camp. 20,000 first printing.
The story of psychedelics and the Grateful Dead is a secret American through-line between the 1950s and the present, an always-radical and ever-changing counterculture that continues to have a transfo
Trouble Boys is the first definitive, no-holds-barred biography of one of the last great bands of the twentieth century: The Replacements. With full participation from reclusive singer and chief songw
When it was conceived in the early nineteenth century, New York City's rigid rectilinear street grid was intended to end the notorious chaos of "old New York" spreading unplanned fro
