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Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum
by Robert Andrew ParkerRegardless of whether they've heard of jazz or Art Tatum, young readers will appreciate how Parker uses simple, lyrical storytelling and colorful and energetic ink-and-wash illustrations to show the world as young Art Tatum might have seen it. Tatum came from modest beginnings and was nearly blind, but his passion for the piano and his acute memory for any sound that he heard drove him to become a virtuoso who was revered by both classical and jazz pianists alike. Included in the back matter is a biography and bibliography.<P><P> Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award
Teach Yourself Basic Guitar
by Simon Pitt Simon TroupThe core information that you will learn in this book will be useful to you whichever styles of popular music you may later choose to specialize in. Whether you want to play rock, pop, blues, reggae, funk, folk or jazz, you'll need to start developing good left- and right-hand technique, and learn the chords and scales that are the building blocks of almost all western popular music. While this book doesn't go into any depth on classical guitar technique, there is a great deal of information and advice that will be of benefit to anyone who may decide that they wish to specialize in classical guitar playing in the future.
The Rough Guide to Flute and Piccolo
by Hugo PinksterboerTeaches how to play flutes and piccolos, and many other things readers want to know about them.
Showdown at the Okie Dokie (Cheetah Girls #9)
by Deborah GregoryThe Cheetah Girls now have a demo tape in the works. Then they perform at a new urban rodeo, the Okie Dokie Corral, and their arch rivals, the Cash Money Girls -- CMG -- accuse Galleria and Chanel of cribbing lyrics from a CMG song. They warn the Cheetah Girls that they better bounce off the music scene -- or else.
It's Raining Benjamins (Cheetah Girls #6)
by Deborah GregoryNow that the record company is going to give them a test single deal, Chanel and Galleria duke it out for control of the group. They both want to be the group's queen diva, while the rest of the Cheetah Girls just want them to compromise. Even though there's only room for one in the spotlight, Chanel and Galleria come up with a solution that lets both of them shine. Soon it's raining Benjamins - and cash comes falling from the sky!
Come Sing, Jimmy Jo
by Katherine PatersonWhen his family becomes a successful country music group and makes him a featured singer, eleven-year-old James has to deal with big changes in all aspects of his life, even his name.
Amos's Killer Concert Caper
by Gary PaulsenAmos is desperate. He's desperate for two tickets to the romantic event of his young life...the Road Kill concert! He'll do anything to get them because he heard from a friend of a friend of a friend of Melissa Hansen that: she's way into Road Kill.
The Jazz Kid
by James Lincoln CollierPlaying the cornet is the first thing that twelve-year-old Paulie Horvath has taken seriously, but his obsession with becoming a jazz musician leads him into conflict with his parents and into the tough underworld of Chicago in the 1920s.
Blast from the Past (Star Power)
by Catherine HapkaIs Samantha who she says she is? While on tour in Switzerland, Star meets a girl named Samantha. Sam explains that she and Star went to kindergarten together before Sam's family moved away to Europe. Star doesn't really remember Sam, but Sam seems to have lots of fond memories of Star's parents, and that's a topic Star never gets tired of discussing. Soon Star and Sam are virtually inseparable. But Mike and Mags are suspicious of Star's friend's motives. Is Sam really a blast from Star's past, or is she after something more than memories?
Duke Ellington
by James Lincoln CollierDuke Ellington is considered to be one of the great genius' of jazz--its major composer and leader of probably the most significant of all jazz bands. Yet, other than his own not-very-revealing autobiography and a collection of reminiscences of his band members, there has never been an in-depth biography of this pre-eminent figure in twentieth century music and entertainment. Here at last is the definitive critical biography of both the man and his music. James Lincoln Collier, author of the highly acclaimed Louis Armstrong: An American Genius, has produced a fascinating work which tells the full story of Edward Kennedy Ellington, from his childhood as the pampered and adored only son of a middle-class Washington black family to his death in 1974, hailed as "America's greatest composer" (according to the New York Times obituary) and mourned at his funeral by more than 10,000 people. Collier describes Ellington's charisma--his sense of being special even from childhood, when he would announce to his cousins "I am the grand, noble, Duke; crowds will be running to me,"...the formation of his band, including some of the greatest names in jazz history, among them, Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Cootie Williams, Lawrence Brown, and Paul Gonzavles...his arrival at the legendary Cotton Club in Harlem in the 1920s...his involvement with his manager Irving Mills, who manipulated and cheated him and even put his name on some of Ellington's songs, but who made him famous...his relationship with his family, including his troubled relationship with his son, his marriage and many affairs (including involvements with some of his own musician's women). But most of all, the book is about the creation of the music, from classic songs like "Sophisticated Lady" to the "sacred concerts" of Ellington's last years. Collier maintains that it is not necessary to see Ellington as a "composer" in the narrow sense of the word but as something just as important: an improvising jazz musician. His instrument was a whole band.This is a controversial book--not all will agree with Collier's assessments--but it will enthrall jazz buffs as well as anyone interested in a fascinating life and times.
Louis Armstrong: An American Genius
by James Lincoln CollierLouis Armstrong. "Satchmo." To millions of fans, he was just a great entertainer. But to jazz aficionados, he was one of the most important musicians of our times--not only a key figure in the history of jazz but a formative influence on all of 20th-century popular music. Set against the backdrop of New Orleans, Chicago, and New York during the "jazz age", Collier re-creates the saga of an old-fashioned black man making it in a white world. He chronicles Armstrong's rise as a musician, his scrapes with the law, his relationships with four wives, and his frequent feuds with fellow musicians Earl Hines and Zutty Singleton. He also sheds new light on Armstrong's endless need for approval, his streak of jealousy, and perhaps most important, what some consider his betrayal of his gift as he opted for commercial success and stardom. A unique biography, knowledgeable, insightful, and packed with information, it ends with Armstrong's death in 1971 as one of the best-known figures in American entertainment.
Jazz: An American Saga
by James Lincoln CollierOne thing we can be sure of is that jazz was invented in America. From the small sunlit barns that dotted the Louisiana countryside around the turn of the century to the booming nightspots in New York in the 1920s, America has always been the home of jazz. But how did jazz get started? Who were its first musicians? And what was it about America that made it the birthplace of this century's greatest music? Newbery Honor-winner and jazz critic James Lincoln Collier tackles these questions and others, tracing the history and evolution of jazz in America. Beginning with the African tribal music transported here by slaves, Collier reveals the roots of jazz in gospel and ragtime before launching into a discussion of Dixieland, swing, bebop, the cool school, free jazz, and fusion. Along the way, we meet the great personalities who shaped the music: giants like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, who brought jazz into the mainstream; mavericks like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, who toyed with its sound and structure; and avant-gardists like Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane, who revolutionized and reinvented jazz. In this lively, sometimes controversial photo-filled account, Collier shows us how jazz became an international craze, all the while remaining as American as apple pie.
Something Beautiful
by Gloria GaitherWhat began 50 years ago, when two high-school English teachers in an Indiana farm community began writing songs to express spiritual insights, has become a volume of church standards sung the world over. Bill and Gloria Gaither's songs have found permanent homes in people's hearts and hymnals, making this couple among the most prolific and popular in Christian music history. Now fans and music lovers can see inside the inspiration and life events that created the songs they sing most, including Because He Lives, There's Something About That Name, and The Family of God. In her trademark elegant prose, Gloria has created a beautiful keepsake for all those who love Christian music and its history.
YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!: The Beatles, Beatlemania, and the Music that Changed the World
by Bob SpitzIt starts in the housing projects and school playgrounds of Liverpool, where four boys would discover themselves--and a new form of music called rock 'n roll. It takes us from the famous first meeting between John and Paul, to the clubs of Liverpool and Germany when George and Ringo join the band, down Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields, to America and the height of the Beatles' success--when they were still teenagers. In Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!, Spitz recreates the thrills, tears and magic of his New York Times bestselling adult biography, but in a style and format that's accesible for young readers. This book includes photos, sidebars and graphic elements. It's a book about teens who changed the world.
The Louis Armstrong You Never Knew
by James Lincoln CollierExplores the childhood, character, and influential events that shaped the life of Louis Armstrong, the famous African American jazz musician. Includes bibliographical references and index.
Duke Ellington: Giant of Jazz
by Wendie C. OldExamines the life and career of the talented jazz composer, bandleader, and pianist, from his childhood in Washington, D.C., through his battle against racism, to his influence on the world of jazz.
The Star-Spangled Banner (Cornerstones of Freedom)
by Deborah KentTAn account of how, during the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key came to write the poem that became the national anthem.
Lullaby of Birdland
by George Shearing Alyn ShiptonBritish pianist George Shearing emigrated to the United States in 1947, going on to achieve success in an American jazz world impressed with the accomplishments of the blind musician. In his autobiography he narrates his childhood, his beginnings in music, and his activities and encounters in the world of jazz. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Together We Can Do It (Star Power)
by Catherine HapkaHow far will the gossip go? Star's opening act in Sweden is a local singer named Sven Studborg. The two performers get along great -- until someone starts spreading rumors about them in the press. Who could be out to spoil things for Star and Sven? Meanwhile, Star decides to fly in some friends from home for a visit. But when Aaron says he can't make the trip, Star realizes that the media gossip could have consequences that stretch far beyond her singing career.
The Great Jazz Artists
by James Lincoln Collier Robert Andrew ParkerSurveys the lives and music of such well-known jazz performers as Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, and others.
Over the Top (Star Power)
by Catherine HapkaCan the answer to Star's dreams be found in a crystal ball? Star and her team attend an industry event in London, where they run into Jade, Eddie Urbane, and his latest girlfriend, New Age guru Xandra. When Xandra says she's psychic and gives Star some shocking news about Star's parents, Star isn't sure what to believe -- after all, with Eddie around, trouble is never far behind! Still, Star can't resist following up just in case. To get to the bottom of things, she goes to the most unlikely person for help -- and the results are more shocking than Star could have imagined.
Teach Yourself Guitar
by Dale FraddTeach Yourself Guitar is an essential guide for anyone who wants to learn how to play this beautiful instrument. It will take you from choosing your guitar and tuning it, to reading the music and actually playing it.
Debbie Harry Sings in French
by Meagan BrothersWhen Johnny gets out of court-mandated rehab and his mother sends him to live with his uncle in North Carolina, he meets Maria, who seems to understand his fascination with the new wave band Blondie, and he learns about his deceased father's youthful forays into glam rock, all of which gives him perspective on himself, his past, and his current life.
Audrey, Wait!
by Robin BenwayCalifornia high school student Audrey Cuttler dumps self-involved Evan, the lead singer of a little band called "The Do-Gooders". Evan writes, "Audrey, Wait!," a break-up song that's so good it rockets up the billboard charts. And Audrey is suddenly famous! Now rabid fans are invading her school. People is running articles about her arm-warmers. The lead singer of the Lolitas wants her as his muse. (And the Internet is documenting her every move!) Audrey can't hang out with her best friend or get with her new crush without being mobbed by fans and paparazzi. Take a wild ride with Audrey as she makes headlines, has outrageous amounts of fun, confronts her ex on MTV, and gets the chance to show the world who she really is.
Kelly 'n' Me
by Myron LevoyFifteen-year-old Anthony falls for Kelly, the mysterious girl whom he meets singing in Central Park and joins to perform street music all over New York, but their romance is threatened by their very different backgrounds.