Raise Up Off Me: A Portrait of Hampton Hawes


Hampton Hawes - 1974
    Among his peers from California the self-taught Hawes was second only to Oscar Peterson. At the time of his celebration as New Star of the Year by downbeat magazine (1956), Hawes was already struggling with a heroin addiction that would lead to his arrest and imprisonment, and the interruption of a brilliant career. In 1963 President John F. Kennedy granted Hawes an Executive Pardon. In eloquent and humorous language Hampton Hawes tells of a life of suffering and redemption that reads like an improbable novel. Gary Giddins has called it "a major contribution to the literature of jazz." This book includes a complete discography and eight pages of photographs.

Good Things Happen Slowly: A Life in and Out of Jazz


Fred Hersch - 2017
    His prodigious talent as a sideman--a pianist who played with the giants of the twentieth century in the autumn of their careers, including Art Farmer and Joe Henderson--blos-somed further in the eighties and beyond into a compositional genius that defied the boundaries of bop, sweeping in elements of pop, classical, and folk to create a wholly new music. Good Things Happen Slowly is his memoir. It's the story of the first openly gay, HIV-positive jazz player, and a deep look into the cloistered jazz culture that made such a status both transgressive and groundbreaking. It is a remarkable, at times lyrical evocation of New York in the twilight days of post-Stonewall hedonism, and a powerfully brave narrative of the illness that led to Hersch's two-month-long coma in 2007, from which he would emerge to create some of the finest, most direct and emotionally compelling music of his career.

A Listener's Guide to Free Improvisation


John Corbett - 2016
    Maybe they’re even suspicious of it. John Coltrane’s saxophonic flights of fancy, Jimi Hendrix’s feedback drenched guitar solos, Ravi Shankar’s sitar extrapolations—all these sounds seem like so much noodling or jamming, indulgent self-expression. “Just” improvising, as is sometimes said. For these music fans, it seems natural that music is meant to be composed. In the first book of its kind, John Corbett’s A Listener’s Guide to Free Improvisation provides a how-to manual for the most extreme example of spontaneous improvising: music with no pre-planned material at all. Drawing on over three decades of writing about, presenting, playing, teaching, and studying freely improvised music, Corbett offers an enriching set of tools that show any curious listener how to really listen, and he encourages them to enjoy the human impulse— found all around the world— to make up music on the spot.           Corbett equips his reader for a journey into a difficult musical landscape, where there is no steady beat, no pre-ordained format, no overarching melodic or harmonic framework, and where tones can ring with the sharpest of burrs. In “Fundamentals,” he explores key areas of interest, such as how the musicians interact, the malleability of time, overcoming impatience, and watching out for changes and transitions; he grounds these observations in concrete listening exercises, a veritable training regime for musical attentiveness. Then he takes readers deeper in “Advanced Techniques,” plumbing the philosophical conundrums at the heart of free improvisation, including topics such as the influence of the audience and the counterintuitive challenge of listening while asleep. Scattered throughout are helpful and accessible lists of essential resources—recordings, books, videos— and a registry of major practicing free improvisors from Noël Akchoté to John Zorn, particularly essential because this music is best experienced live.           The result is a concise, humorous, and inspiring guide, a unique book that will help transform one of the world’s most notoriously unapproachable artforms into a rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Changing Lives: Gustavo Dudamel, El Sistema, and the Transformative Power of Music


Tricia Tunstall - 2012
    What began in Venezuela has now reached children in Los Angeles, New York City, Baltimore, and cities around the world. No matter the location, the overarching goal of El Sistema is unwavering: to rescue children from the depredations of poverty through music. Part history, part reportage, this book reveals that arts education can indeed effect positive social change.

Cherry on Top: Flirty, Forty-Something, and Funny as F**k


Bobbie Brown - 2019
    She’s still smoking hot, but telling jokes about farting on men’s balls isn’t helping her find The One...Hilarious, sweet, and bitingly honest, Cherry On Top reveals how one gorgeous, potty-mouthed blonde took back Hollywood in middle age, and embarked on a fresh search for love―one fart joke at a time.

Satchmo: The Genius of Louis Armstrong


Gary Giddins - 1988
    Louis Armstrong has been called the most influential jazz musician of the century. Together this auspicious pairing has resulted in Satchmo, one of the most vivid and fascinating portraits ever drawn of perhaps the greatest figure in the history of American music. Available now at a new price, this text-only edition is the authoritative introduction to Armstrong's life and art for the curious newcomer, and offers fresh insight even for the serious student of Pops.

The Blue Moment: Miles Davis's Kind of Blue and the Remaking of Modern Music


Richard Williams - 2009
    It is the sound of isolation that has sold itself to millions.” Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue is the best-selling piece of music in jazz history and, for many listeners, among the most haunting works of the twentieth century. It is also, notoriously, the only jazz album many people own. Recorded in 1959 (in nine miraculous hours), there has been nothing like it since. Richard Williams’s “richly informative” (The Guardian) history considers the album within its wider cultural context, showing how the record influenced such diverse artists as Steve Reich and the Velvet Underground.In the tradition of Alex Ross and Greil Marcus, the “effortlessly versatile” Williams (The Times) “connects these seemingly disparate phenomena with purpose, finesse and journalistic flair” (Financial Times), making masterly connections to painting, literature, philosophy, and poetry while identifying the qualities that make the album so uniquely appealing and surprisingly universal.

Christmas Joke Book for Children: Funny Christmas Jokes for Kids (Christmas Joke Books for Kids)


Johnny B. Laughing - 2014
    Laughing and jokes have been proven to have positive mental and physical effects on the body! This books is especially great for long trips, waiting rooms, and reading aloud at home. Funny Christmas jokes Excellent for early and beginner readers Hours of fun and entertainment for kids and children Great for long trips, waiting rooms, and reading aloud Funny and hilarious Christmas jokes for children of all ages, teens, and adults The Joke King is back with another hilarious joke book full of funny, laugh-out-loud, crazy comedy and MASSIVE assortment of Christmas jokes for children of all ages, teens, and adults. This awesome joke book for kids is easy to read and full of laughs!WARNING: This funny joke book will cause you to laugh hysterically! From this Funny Joke Book... Q: What nationality is Santa Claus?A: North Polish! HAHA! Q: What’s Scrooge’s favorite Christmas game?A: Mean-opoly! LOL! Q: What did they call Santa after he lost his pants?A: Saint Knickerless! HAHA! Q: How do sheep in Mexico say Merry Christmas?A: Fleece Navidad! LOL! Q: What’s Tarzans favorite Christmas song?A: Jungle bells! Christmas Jokes for Kids! (Clean Jokes for Children) This awesome collection of Christmas jokes is one of the funniest collections in the world! These jokes about Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, elves, reindeer, presents, Christmas trees, and other Christmas and holiday fun of all shapes and sizes will make make you go wild with laughter. This joke book is excellent for kids, children, teens, and adults. Johnny B. Laughing is the online comedy king! Scroll up and click 'buy' to start giggling today! 100% Money Back GuaranteeTags: Christmas, kids Christmas, childrens Christmas, kids Christmas book, childrens Christmas book, funny jokes, Christmas jokes, Christmas joke book, jokes, Santa, Santa Claus, elf, elves, reindeer, Rudolph, Christmas, Christmas tree, Christmas jokes, Christmas joke book, joke book, books, ebook, funny, ebooks, comedy, hilarious, joke book about Christmas, kids joke book, children's joke book, ebook, laugh, kids jokes, kids joke books, Christmas book, childrens joke book, childrens joke books, laughing, lol, haha, best jokes, funniest jokes, Christmas jokes, funny jokes, funny joke, hilarious, jokes online, comedy, hilarious jokes, laugh, laughing, clean jokes, clean jokes for kids, free joke book, free jokes, free gift included, best jokes, funniest jokes, in the world, kids jokes about Christmas, free gift included, free joke book download, free joke book, ages 4-8, ages 6-8, preschool, early reader, beginner readers, Christmas books, kindle book, kindle joke book, jokes for kids, kids jokes, childrens jokes, funny jokes

All That Glistens


Anne Baker - 2009
    Jane's dismayed when Edwin and Hilda become romantically involved; she knows that her father deserves happiness again after the death of her mother, but must it be with Hilda? With the help of her new fiance, Nick, Jane begins to unravel the shocking truth about Hilda's past - and soon she fears that Edwin may be about to take a step he will live to regret bitterly.

How To Be A Badass Vigilante: Book Three


Michael Anderle - 2021
    Because the other way lies a painful end.

The Andrews Sisters: The Lives and Legacy of the Famous Singing Trio during the Swing Era


Charles River Editors - 2020
    

Finding A 'G' For Me On Christmas


Antoinette Sherell - 2019
    Now, as an adult, she has everything that she promised herself she would. Still, she can’t help but feel that something is missing. When a trip home for the holidays lands her in the presence of Gyan ‘G’ Parks, she soon realizes that she may need more than what money and a lavish lifestyle can afford her. Find out if Christmas will gift her the missing piece of what she once considered a perfect life.

Happy Halloween


Amelia Morgan - 2016
     This time, a double-crossing carpet salesman turned theater owner is the victim. As a witch, Meg has unique abilities to investigate the case, but she'd prefer to leave the sleuthing to the cops. All that changes when the police suspect one of Meg's friends as the possible killer. Meg knows she can't stand idly by. In order to prove her friend's innocence, she decides to find the real killer herself. Can she crack this case and save her friend without the town finding out her secret that she's a witch? Books in this set include: The Witches Of Enchanted Bay, Ax To Grind, Killer Twist, A Bewitching Murder, The Nuts And Bolts Of Murder, and A Riddle Of A Murder.

Wolf Pack Chronicles; Boxset


Amelia Wilson - 2019
    She’s not sure what drew her here. Maybe because it’s far away from the man that tried to kill her? Or because she’s longed to be back in the wilderness once again? Or the fact that her long-lost friend, has suddenly appeared back in her life? There’s something about Rowan that shakes her to the core, especially when he touches her for the first time. She knows there’s an animal inside of him, but can she handle his incredible thirst to mate with her? Shadow Of The Wolf (Wolf Pack Chronicles #2) A wolf with a bad temper…A woman with unexplainable power... Ryland... This girl drives me wild. She’s not afraid of me, not like the others. I’ve never tried to find a mate. A dark shadow has such a hold on me. I want to get a hand on her, show her what it’s like to be with an alpha. But what if I’m a little too rough? Krista... The visions are getting stronger lately. Who is this shadow that haunts me in my dreams? Then, there’s this alpha. His temper is wicked, and his strength unmatched. I want him to put his hands on me, But with a curse unleashed, can our love even find a way? Secrets Of The Alpha (Wolf Pack Chronicles #3) “Do you know the secrets lurking in the shadows?” For Danielle, she never believed in the supernatural; that is until she found herself face to face with a real live werewolf. Now, she must make a hard choice, one that is sure to change her life forever. But as Danielle discovers that her best friend Alice, has been keeping this dark secret from her, loyalties are put to the test and lives are at stake. Time is ticking. Will Alice reach Danielle before she is bitten? Or will she become distracted by the cute park ranger Bash?

A Mother's Journey


June Hampson - 2012
    Fourteen-year-old Vera has led a sheltered life with her overbearing, religious mother and older sister. But her world is turned upside down with the arrival of the Lovell family on her street. Vera quickly befriends the daughter, Angela, an impulsive, worldly young woman who opens Vera's eyes to what she has been missing. But Vera, unaware of the effect she has on men, invites the unwanted attention of Angela's father, with devastating consequences. Outraged at the news that her teenage daughter is pregnant, Vera is sent to a home for wayward girls. After giving birth to a baby boy, Vera manages to escape the brutality of the institution, only to end up homeless. Alone and struggling to make ends meet, Vera is determined to give her son a better life, at any cost. But just as their fortunes seem to change for the better, everything Vera has worked for is threatened. June Hampson brings heartbreak, warmth, and humor to this compelling tale of family tragedy and a young mother's fight for her son.