"A bestselling music historian follows Jelly Roll Morton on a journey through the hidden worlds and forbidden songs of early blues and jazz. In Jelly Roll Blues: Censored Songs and Hidden Histories, Elijah Wald takes readers on a journey into the hidden and censored world of early blues and jazz, guided by the legendary New Orleans pianist Jelly Roll Morton. Morton became nationally famous as a composer and bandleader in the 1920s, but got his start twenty years earlier, entertaining customers in the city's famous bordellos and singing rough blues in Gulf Coast honky-tonks. He recorded an oral history of that time in 1938, but the most distinctive songs were hidden away for over fifty years, because the language and themes were as wild and raunchy as anything in gangsta rap. Those songs inspired Wald to explore how much other history had been locked away and censored, and this book is the result of that quest. Full of previously unpublished lyrics and stories, it paints a new and surprising picture of the dawn of American popular music, when jazz and blues were still the private, after-hours music of the Black 'sporting world.' It gives new insight into familiar figures like Buddy Bolden and Louis Armstrong, and introduces forgotten characters like Ready Money, the New Orleans sex worker and pickpocket who ended up owning one of the largest Black hotels on the West Coast. Revelatory and fascinating, these songs and stories provide an alternate view of Black culture at the turn of the twentieth century, when a new generation was shaping lives their parents could not have imagined and art that transformed popular culture around the world--the birth of a joyous, angry, desperate, loving, and ferociously funny tradition that resurfaced in hip-hop and continues to inspire young artists in a new millennium"--

From his first encounter with the sturggling group in 1961, through their meteoric rise, to his tragic, untimely death in 1967, Brian Epstein was in many ways the heart and soul of the Beatles. Much more than simply their manager, confidant, and group guru, Epstein helped create a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. "A Cellarful of Noise," Epstein's long out-of-print autobiography, gives readers the inside story of his discovery and management of the world's most famous rock 'n' roll band. From their initial struggles to their wild rocket ride to the pinnacle of success, this true story includesHow a request for a record led to the discovery of the Beatles; Why Ringo Starr replaced the original Beatle drummer; How Paul McCartney was nearly blinded by a fan; and hundreds of other fascinating little-known facts of Epstein's life with the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, and other top stars.This new edition of "A Cellarful of Noise" features an introduction by world-renowned Beatles expert Martin Lewis, which, along with Epstein's own words, creates a compelling insightful exploration of the life and times of a gifted man who had an ear for genius.

(Vocal Selections). 13 piano/vocal selections from the 1957, 1965, and 1997 television productions of Cinderella , including: Cinderella Waltz * Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful * Falling in Love with Love * Impossible * In My Own Little Corner * Stepsister's Lament * Ten Minutes Ago * and more. Extra features include a Rodgers & Hammerstein biography, plot synopsis, a history of the show, and photos from all three productions.

(Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook). 15 songs from this talented singer/songwriter, including the smash hit "From a Distance" and: America * Be God * Dream Loud * Every Living Thing * The Girl I Found * Good Night, New York * The Heartbreak Diet * Heaven * The Journey * Mountain of Sorrow * Southbound Train * Thanks to You * Try Love * When He Walks with Me. Includes a biography, notes on each song, photos, and more.

Profiling Canada's leading poet-singer, this concise biography surveys the remarkable 40-year career of Leonard Cohen that has produced 11 books and 11 records. Focusing on the evolution of Cohen's international reputation, the book begins with a review of the Montreal years. The popularity of works like The Spice Box of Earth and Beautiful Losers is examined in detail. Cohen's musical career receives special attention, from his first studio session to his latest record. The biography concludes with a discussion of Stranger Music .

The memoirs of Mary Rodgers—writer, composer, Broadway royalty, and “a woman who tried everything.” “What am I, bologna?” Mary Rodgers (1931–2014) often said. She was referring to being stuck in the middle of a talent sandwich: the daughter of one composer and the mother of another. And not just any composers. Her father was Richard Rodgers, perhaps the greatest American melodist; her son, Adam Guettel, a worthy successor. What that leaves out is Mary herself, also a composer, whose musical Once Upon a Mattress remains one of the rare revivable Broadway hits written by a woman. Shy is the story of how it all happened: how Mary grew from an angry child, constrained by privilege and a parent’s overwhelming gift, to become not just a theater figure in her own right but also a renowned author of books for young readers (including the classic Freaky Friday ) and, in a final grand turn, a doyenne of philanthropy and the chairman of the Juilliard School. But in telling these stories—with copious annotations, contradictions, and interruptions from Jesse Green, the chief theater critic of The New York Times — Shy also tells another, about a woman liberating herself from disapproving parents and pervasive sexism to find art and romance on her own terms. Whether writing for Judy Holliday or Rin Tin Tin, dating Hal Prince or falling for Stephen Sondheim over a game of chess at thirteen, Rodgers grabbed every chance possible—and then some. Both an eyewitness report from the golden age of American musical theater and a tale of a woman striving for a meaningful life, Shy is, above all, a chance to sit at the feet of the kind of woman they don’t make anymore—and never did. They make themselves.

In this definitive biography, Wolfgang Hildesheimer demythologizes Mozart, revealing him as a flawed and puzzling human being, but a matchless artist. Hildesheimer's fresh approach to the music itself, his telling quotations from Mozart's letters (Mozart was one of the greatest and most outrageous of letter writers), and his sympathetic but unsentimental insights make this a remarkably readable portrait of one of the most popular composers of all time. Book jacket.

NOW AN ACCLAIMED DOCUMENTARY, Winter Journey Set amid the growing tyranny of Germany's Third Reich, here is the riveting and emotional tale of Günther Goldschmidt and Rosemarie Gumpert, two courageous Jewish musicians who struggled to perform under unimaginable circumstances--and found themselves falling in love in a country bent on destroying them. In the spring of 1933, as the full weight of Germany's National Socialism was brought to bear against Germany's Jews, more than 8,000 Jewish musicians, actors, and other artists found themselves expelled from their positions with German orchestras, opera companies, and theater groups, and Jews were forbidden even to attend "Aryan" theaters. Later that year, the Jüdische Kulturbund, or Jewish Culture Association, was created under the auspices of Joseph Goebbels's Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. Providing for Jewish artists to perform for Jewish audiences, the Kulturbund, which included an orchestra, an opera company, and an acting troupe, became an unlikely haven for Jewish artists and offered much-needed spiritual enrichment for a besieged people--while at the same time providing the Nazis with a powerful propaganda tool for showing the rest of the world how well Jews were ostensibly being treated under the Third Reich. It was during this period that twenty-two-year-old flutist Günther Goldschmidt was expelled from music school because of his Jewish roots. While preparing to flee the ever-tightening grip of Nazi Germany for Sweden, Günther was invited to fill in for an ailing flutist with the Frankfurt Kulturbund Orchestra. It was there, during rehearsals, that he met the dazzling nineteen-year-old violist Rosemarie Gumpert--a woman who would change the course of his life. Despite their strong attraction, Günther eventually embarked for the safety of Sweden as planned, only to risk his life six months later returning to the woman he could not forget--and to the perilous country where hatred and brutality had begun to flourish. Here is Günther and Rosemarie's story, a deeply moving tale of love and the remarkable resilience of the human spirit in the face of terror and persecution. Beautifully and simply told by their son, National Public Radio commentator Martin Goldsmith, The Inextinguishable Symphony takes us from the cafés of Frankfurt, where Rosemarie and Günther fell in love, to the concert halls that offered solace and hope for the beleaguered Jews, to the United States, where the two made a new life for themselves that would nevertheless remain shadowed by the fate of their families. Along with the fate of Günther and Rosemarie's families, this rare memoir also illuminates the Kulturbund and the lives of other fascinating figures associated with it, including Kubu director Kurt Singer--a man so committed to the organization that he objected to his artists' plans for flight, fearing that his productions would suffer. The Kubu, which included some of the most prominent artists of the day and young performers who would gain international fame after the war, became the sole source of culture and entertainment for Germany's Jews. A poignant testament to the enduring vitality of music and love even in the harshest times, The Inextinguishable Symphony gives us a compelling look at an important piece of Holocaust history that has heretofore gone largely untold.

My Nine Lives is a powerful and stirring memoir of one of the greatest pianists of the postwar era—an inspiring tale of courage, compassion, and triumph over outstanding odds. At the peak of his career, celebrated pianist Leon Fleisher suddenly lost the use of two fingers on his right hand. Miraculously, at the age of sixty-six, he was diagnosed with focal dystonia, and learned to manage it through a combination of physical therapy and experimental Botox injections. In 2003 Fleisher returned to Carnegie Hall to give his first two-handed performance in over three decades and brought down the house. With his coauthor, celebrated music critic Anne Midgette, Fleisher reveals here for the first time the depression that threatened to engulf him as his condition worsened, and the sheer love of music that rescued him from complete self-destruction.

Some musicians want to challenge an audience, force-feeding fans something that's new, different, and ostensibly "good for" them. Others take the more trad route, serving up the sonic equivalent of comfort food, tunes that lend themselves to almost instant sing-alongs (or at least Bic-flick-alongs). Lenny Kravitz has always unabashedly slotted himself into the latter category, and his righteous channeling of the spirit of '76 (1976, that is) has seldom been more effective than on this outing, which reconciles his strutting rocker side and his sweet soul singer side with panache. Kravitz's crooning has brought him many a chart hit, and this set doesn't skimp on hits-in-the-making -- although even make-out moaners like "A Million Miles Away" and "Believe in Me" are injected with a certain street savvy this time around. He's at his best when leaning into crunchy, riff-laden rockers, like "Dig In" and the Bad Company-meets-Zeppelin lust-fest "If I Could Fall in Love," and when slipping just a touch of bad-boy attitude into the mix, as on the chunky "Bank Robber Man." As is his wont, Kravitz also toys with post-hippie spirituality, but he's a bit less heavy-handed this time, making songs like "God Save Us All"--Which features a smile-inducing vocoder solo straight out of Peter Frampton's book of tricks -- seem less preachy than merely commiserating. While some might be tempted to grab Lenny Kravitz by the feather boa and let him know we've entered a new millennium, there's something reassuring about having a key to the way-back machine at the ready, and Lenny fires up the engine in no time flat.

Heavy Tales is the detailed, never before told story as lived by Jonny Zazula of how he founded Megaforce Records out of a flea market in New Jersey with his wife, Marsha and built a dynasty unmatched by others, forever changing the scope of Heavy Metal. The bands they worked with would go on to release some of the most prolific and important albums in heavy metal history, giving it its Golden Era. Jonny Zazula was a renegade youth who went from living on the New York City streets, to later working on Wall Street, and then moving unexpectedly towards the music business. In the winter of 1982, while working in a flea market, he received an unexpected demo tape from underground, unsigned band Metallica. Eager and determined to have the music heard by the entire world, Jonny Z and Marsha founded Megaforce Records in 1983, and soon after released Metallica's debut album, Kill 'Em All. Through this release Megaforce had cemented its position as the de-facto music label in America for Heavy Metal - but that's just the start. Heavy Tales details the stories of how Jonny Z worked miracles by managing and releasing albums by Metallica, Anthrax, Testament, Mercyful Fate, Raven, Overkill, Exciter, Stormtroopers of Death, Method of Destruction, Ace Frehley, King's X, Ministry, Mindfunk, Nudeswirl, Warren Haynes, Disco Biscuits and others, and how one night in 1984, he jokingly created Rap Metal before anyone else conceived the idea. With the foreword written by Chuck Billy, plus over 100 rare photographs unearthed from the MegaVault and photographer friends, Heavy Tales is the definitive American story of a family man with a dream, determined to prove to the world that heavy metal belonged on the stage, on the radio and in your living room.

THE SEQUEL TO THE NUMBER 1 BESTSELLER WORKING CLASS BOY It's a life too big and a story too extraordinary for just one book. Jimmy Barnes has lived many lives - from Glaswegian migrant kid to iconic front man, from solo superstar to proud father of his own musical clan. In this hugely anticipated sequel to his critically acclaimed bestseller, Working Class Boy, Jimmy picks up the story of his life as he leaves Adelaide in the back of an old truck with a then unknown band called Cold Chisel. A spellbinding and searingly honest reflection on success, fame and addiction; this self-penned memoir reveals how Jimmy Barnes used the fuel of childhood trauma to ignite and propel Australia's greatest rock'n'roll story. But beyond the combustible merry-go-round of fame, drugs and rehab, across the Cold Chisel, solo and soul years - this is a story about how it's never too late to try and put things right.

Eddie on his ex-wives: Debbie Reynolds : Debbie's whole life has been an act...When I left her for Elizabeth Taylor, she should have won an Academy Award for her portrayal of the wronged woman. [p. 83] Elizabeth Taylor : If I had known that first night we spent together how our love was going to help destroy my career and, for a time, my life, if I had known how much pain my love for Elizabeth was going to bring me, I still wouldn't have hesitated. [p. 144] Connie Stevens : I always wondered how she could work so hard, how she could accomplish to much. Then I took a couple of [her] pills... [p. 269] Read the explosive memoir everyone's talking about!

(Richmond Music Folios). This expanded, revised edition of the Oliver! Vocal Selections contains clean engravings of all the songs from the show, three of which were added new for this publication. Also includes a Lionel Bart biography, plot synopsis, show facts, and background, with many photographs.

Celine Dion Behind the Fairytale

"Wow, Ron Levy's book is AMAZING! Wonderful reading, entertaining, fun, educational and, well, AMAZING!" - Norman Darwen - Blues Matters! - UK "I want everyone to know, Ron Levy is one of the very best musicians I've ever played and worked with. Now, he's even written a great book! I'm so proud of my 'son'." B.B. King 4/13/13 "Ron Levy endures as an ingenious Blues keyboardist -- touring most notably with B.B. King for 7 years -- and he was there when B.B. played Muhammad Ali's private parties, as well as stadium shows in Africa and throughout the world. He was the ultimate road warrior, also tickling the ivories for Albert King, Roomful of Blues and his own Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom, while meeting everyone from Elvis Presley to Nina Simone. He distills it all in his lively, remarkably honest book (NOW IN PAPERBACK), 'Tales of a Road Dog.' Nearly everything is unique in these gritty and humorous stories of survival with some of music's great pioneers and the musicians who powered them on stage. If you thought you knew about music history, trust me that you'll know even more when you delve into Levy's rich and colorful text. This guy can write as well as he can play." - STEVE MORSE - Boston Globe, Billboard and Rolling Stone. A download link to Levy's critically acclaimed album "FUNKY FIESTA!" is included. - Also available as a Web-book & eBook!

In 1979, Beatles expert Mark Lewisohn set about establishing a complete list of the group’s live appearances from 1957 through 1966, when they stopped giving concerts; the research took seven long years and was published as the book The Beatles Live! Shortly thereafter, EMI Records invited Lewisohn to be the only person outside of the Beatles and their production staff to go into Abbey Road and listen to the entire collection of Beatles session tapes and to interview practically everyone involved in their making. The result was published in 1988 as The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, and sold over 150,000 copies. This book artfully combines and updates all the vital material in Lewisohn’s earlier two books with his definitive account of the Beatles’ work in radio, television, film, and video to create a complete day-by-day summary of the group’s entire oeuvre. First published in 1992, The Complete Beatles Chronicle has become the Beatles Bible, the one book no fan can live without, and a perfect companion to the bestselling Beatles Anthology, which recounted their story in their own words.

This is a revealing, in-depth memoir of Beverly Sills as an international operatic superstar, director of the New York City Opera, mother and wife. In this candid autobiography, Sills finally unleashes the full power of her torrential personality and provides the key to her phenomenal success.

Book by Arthur Loesser; Jacques Barzun

(Applause Books). David Merrick is the most astonishing showman of our time, and perhaps of all time. No other producer, not even Florenz Ziegfeld nor the combined lights of the Shubert brothers, has equalled his percentage of hits or his demonic flair for publicity. In this first-ever biography, Howard Kissel from his decade-long investigation reveals the man, the mask, and the myth of David Merrick. The charismatic and reclusive mogul emerges as a Broadway version of Howard Hughes, with his own panoply of eccentricities, genius and neuroses. Merrick's much publicized and oftentimes staged battles and feuds are re-ignited here full force with such major personalities as Barbra Streisand, Jackie Gleason, Ethel Merman, Lena Horne, Woody Allen, Peter Ustinov, Andy Griffith, Anthony Newley, Peter Brook, and Carol Channing. Over a hundred interviews with the major players in Merrick's drama from his pre-Merrick St. Louis childhood as David Margoulies to his latest divorce has yielded the first serious interrogation of a life that until now has been the sole creation of Merrick's own invention and press wizardry.