Music Books

it was recieved in a very timely manner - no complaints at all and in fact I would gladly do business with this vendor again!

I'd lost interest in playing for about 5 years before I read this book, but Mickey Hart's book brought me back to the reasons I started hitting the bottom of tin cans woth a wooden spoon! This book follows, to a degree, the history of drums, and studies the emotional, spiritual and physical effects of drums, old ancient, and new on people. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to play for any or no reason, and to andone who can't explain why the music makes them dance.

At a glance, Drumming at the Edge of Magic may seem like an autobiogrphical journey by the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart. While the book is autobiographical, it goes far beyond that to discover the real meaning of drumming and music in general.

The meaning of drumming (or life?) comes in many forms, and many disguises. As Hart begins to unluck the secrets to why humans desire to express themselves in music, one can't help but say, "YES!". Hart, and to a certain extent, Jay Stevens, put into words what drummers and other musicians have felt all along but have never known how to express. The journey ends up being a look inward; not just for Hart but for the reader as well.

After reading this, I had my wife and father read it. I explained, "This is how I feel about drumming."

The companion CD and sequel book, "Planet Drum," are nice additions but the book stands by its self as an outstanding source for understanding music at its most basic form.

This book will move you.

I am not a Deadhead, nor am I a drummer, but I have really admired this book, and Mickey Hart big time. He really went off the deep end of his knowledge of percussion, both conventional, and exotic. I had not had this book with me since 1995, so my mind is a bit foggy, but if I remember right, the book is also a trip down Memory Lane, speaking of the hippie days of the Haight-Ashbury, The Grateful Dead and the whole scene in general. One of my favorites was of a drum he got in Tibet made from human skulls. He was wondering why he felt like he was being cursed, and he was told that he was using the drums wrong and it was used to wake the dead. He decided to return the drums and get a similar one not made of skulls. Drumming at the Edge of Magic was also a tie-in to what was then Mickey Hart's latest CD called At the Edge. This book really makes me wished I was there with the hippies and the Deadheads, even if I, myself don't listen to the Dead. It's too bad the Dead isn't around anymore thanks to Jerry Garcia's untimely death. Whether you're a Deadhead or not, whether you're a percussionist or not, this is truly an enthusiastic and well-written book on the subject of percussion.

Drumming At The Edge of Magic is a truly inspirational book for all people interested in drumming and rhythms. It details Harts cathartic exploration and eases the modern drummer into other-worldly potentials.

I purchased this as a gift for my husband, but he has remarked at what a good collection of stories have been put together about John Wayne. This is coming from someone who has a pretty substantial collection of his movies.

Almost like a brief history of the era and new insights into how those movies were made. Enjoyed the ancedotes of fellow artists.

With John Wayne's 100th birth date coming up I started looking for books on him that I have not read. This book is very enjoyable reading. You learn alot about the man from his fellow co-workers and friends. I would recommend this one to any one.

One of the reasons Wayne was so popular was that he symbolized everything America wanted to be; strong ,brave,loyal,savvy and honest.His character was a fighter who never backed down when he knew he was right. He was a role model to millions, his screen actions were a roadmap to manhood. That was John Wayne,Icon.
But there was another side to Wayne. He was a real man,flesh and blood, and he had real thoughts and feelings,strengths and weaknesses. He was as brave as his larger-than-life screen persona in his real life,such as in the way he faced up to cancer, and very very human.This is John Wayne,the Man.
This book does an excellent job of showing both sides of the John Wayne coin,Man and Icon. It does it with stories told by people who really knew him. After reading this book you actually feel like you've had a bull session with Duke's friends and co-workers. It's got a very amiable feel to it.
The book also reminds me of Studs Terkel's books. Studs would just turn on a tape recorder and let his subjects pour their hearts out. The author here uses a similar approach. Each story is like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle and at the end of the book you can put all the pieces together to get a clear picture of the Duke.
After I finished reading, I wished I had known him too.

I am a huge fan and relative of Herb's writings. He has a true gift for the written word and I have enjoyed all of his books. Herb, my prayers and thoughts are with you during these very trying times. I am thinking of you incessantly and the entire family prays for you daily. Godspeed.

Innovative and fun! When my two year old granddaughter comes to visit she goes straight to the book, takes the CD (included) out of its envelope and hands it to me to play for her. As soon as "Ella" begins to sing, my granddaughter begins to dance. She "reads" the book and, while she may not fully understand it yet, she loves it!

M Davies

This is one of a series of fun, musical books. Not your normal children's picture book but one that the adults won't get tired of listening to. The author has captured the thrill of music from a child's perspective. My kids find it very entertaining and try to do the Shooby-doo-do-bops in time with Ella. Always on the lookout for books I like also this one hits the mark B-I-G Time. Kids of all ages will enjoy Ella the Elephant a she scats her way into their hearts.

Big winner for my 2 and 4 year old.


We already own the Charlie Bird CD which they like.

They love this one. It is very very funky fun music that adults can listen to and enjoy as well which is not the case for a lot of children's music out there as most parents know.

There's maybe 12 songs or so on the CD and 8 will be huge hits with your kids. The only minor thing I can say is the book that it comes with is mostly useless -- it's not really a book. These guys should save the money and charge even less -- not that the price isn't more than fair. But definitely a great CD if you even like jazz a little bit.

This series is wonderful! Our two-year-old absolutely loves the Baby Loves Jazz series. We bought a few to start out, then ended up buying the whole set. Two months after acquiring them, she is still enamored and requests to listen to them and read them every day. Her favorites? Well, these are the words we hear most often: "Mommy, read Duck and Miles?" or "Daddy, listen to Duck and Miles?" Philly Joe is also high on the list. I recommend them all. The books stand out on their own, but the music is what makes this series really shine. For example, on Duck Ellington's CD, he does a great Monk style on one track, then switches to great impression of Coltrane's classic quartet on the next track, with a very nice McCoy Tyner impression. Lots of variety and high quality make this series worthwhile (though I could have done without Louis Lion's potty tune). Don't forget the Go Baby Go CD as well (a stand-alone CD without a book), which is perhaps a notch above the music on the book CDs. The ABC tune is her favorite on that one.

Our 17-month old always asks for Ella the Elephant music. She's completely entertained by it. My only complaint is that the book has minimal use, as there's not much to point out for an entire song on two pages.

the Presleys were poor. no -- they were POOR.

his father Vernon borrowed $180 from the landowner to build the house Elvis was born in. five years later in 1938 (when Elvis was 3), with the loan still not fully repaid, the landowner evicted the Presleys.

as Elvis himself said of their leaving Tupelo for Memphis in 1948, "We were broke man -- broke."

even in Memphis, where WWII had brought better times, the Presleys would often do odd jobs for neighboring black families, just to have enough to eat.

as can be seen from school photos taken at the time, though his classmates had regular clothes for that period, "Elvis's first 'jump suit' was a pair of overalls."

but, as his fifth grade teacher (a niece of the landowner who had evicted the Presleys) later said, "There is something nice about everyone. There is everything nice about Elvis."

Hill and Range was the music publishing company that Elvis did business with from age 20 until his death at age 42. its owner, Jean Aberbach, stated without qualification, "Elvis was the finest human being I've ever met."

the thrust of this excellent book by Elaine Dundy (who died last year) is that no matter how poor they were, Gladys was determined to raise Elvis to be the finest human being anyone who ever met him had ever met.

"Elvis never forgot his raisin'." (Cousin Annie Presley)

I grew up poor (though not as poor as the Presleys). There were 6 people living in a 2-bedroom home. That Elvis slept with his parents (it gets cold in northern Mississippi and Tennessee) doesn't really shock or surprise me.

What does surprise me is that someone like Dee Stanley, who put her own sons in foster care so she could pursue Vernon Presley, would condemn them.

I am also not surprised that Elvis was never able to form a long-lasting relationship with a woman. Most of the women I have read about seemed only interested in what they could get from him. not what they could give to him; a total contrast to his Mother.

I thought Elaine Dundy did a masterful research job. Too bad the history books kids use in school don't usually match this level of research and dedication to facts.

This book is not just about Elvis, it is about poverty and how it shapes people and stays with them throughout their lives.

Buy this book, you will treasure it.

Just loved this book it was fascinating about Gladys and Vernons background. How poor they were and the sadness of the birth of Jesse Garon and Elvis it's to much to tell every Elvis fan needs this book. You will be amazed on how much understanding of the Presley family you will have after reading this book. This is why Elvis had such a kind and gentle way about him and a giving heart it hurts me to know that the people he loved the most used him for there own fame and fortune. All i can say is buy this book you will not be disappointed and you will come to know Elvis a lot better than before it's a must for every Elvis fan.

I've read quite a few books about Elvis and this one is excellent. The author spent a lot of time with people who knew Elvis back then and uncovered some very interesting and heart-warming stories. I learned a lot about his childhood and school days that I hadn't heard before. I'd recommend it for any Elvis fan.

The author, Elaine Dundy, not only tells the story of Elvis and his mother, she traces back several generations into the history and psyche of Elvis' ancestors: the Scotch and Irish who settled the Southeast and tamed the Mississippi Delta. Although she is British, her extensive research and comments about post-Civil War Southern society, customs, lifestyle, and mindsets are dead-on. I grew up in the rural Deep South and many of the influences peculiar to the South that Dundy sites in this book were still a part of my mid-20th century experiences.

The reader closes the book with one thought about Gladys (and Vernon) and that is that these two parents loved their son more than life itself and that they simply did the best they could. They were handicapped from the beginning by poverty, ignorance, and also quite possibly genetic pre-dispositions towards depression, obsessive/compulsive disorders, and addictions. It was not uncommon throughout the 19th century and into the 20th that first cousins would marry and have children. The inter-marriages within the Smith and Presley families were pervasive and no doubt exacerbated genetic tendencies.

Gladys' relationship to Elvis was very close in that she put his needs above everything else in her life. She was the only person who could have ever "saved" Elvis from his excesses. But unfortunately, she succumbed to her own drinking habits early on. Once she was gone, his life spiraled out of control.

Elaine Dundy leaves the question unanswered: If Elvis had such a close relationship with Gladys, why wasn't he ever able to form an equally enduring and intimate relationship with a lover? The answer comes from the reader's personal conclusion that the mother-son relationship was close to the point of crippling to Elvis. Just as he reached young adulthood his fabulous success story began. He was stretching out for independence and Gladys figuartively and literally abandoned him -- through death. Elvis was always able to keep the "enduring" part of a relationship going (i.e. he could never let Priscilla go) but his love affairs seemed to mirror his relationship with Gladys in bizarreness, obsessions, and misery.

This is a very good book, packed with concise information on latin rhythm section. It is not for beginners, as you need to be able to read music and know the basic technique for instruments, but it is a very good reference for anyone wanting to play in a latin band (and not only percussionists, but bass, piano and horn players as well should have a look at it). It covers all the classic popular styles up to songo and delves a bit into some of the folkloric genres too. Can't say anything about the drumset section, as I'm only learning the percussion.
I'm giving it four stars only because the bongo section is disappointingly short compared to congas and timbales. There's more to this instrument than just couple of martillo variations!

Really a masterpiece! It learns you everything about afro cuban drumming/percussion. I like especially the background information and it pays a lot of attention to playing together. Most afro cuban methods don't learn you anything about playing together, this method really does. It will give you lesson material for years!

If you're looking for reference or study books for afro-cuban percussion, Ed's book is very good. It contains rhythm scores for several important instruments such as congas, timables, bells, bombo, guiro, clave and pailitos, as well as scores for many different song styles for these instruments. Styles include son, son montuno, bolero, yambu, guaguanco, columbia, guiro, abakua, mozambique, songo, bombo, and calypso. Ed also includes many hand exercises that are worthwhile, I'm a guitarist of many years, and learning hand independence and percussion rhythms and rudiments has been invaluable for me. I practice on congas, cowbells, claves, drum sticks (pailitos) and bass drum several times a week, and regulary use this book as reference for different songstyles. There is of course much more to the book (and of course no one can include everything) but for what I use it for I consider it a great reference book from a very talented teacher.

An absolute wealth of information on Afro-Cuban percussion, this book is encyclopedic in its content and very effective in delivering examples of rhythms, grooves and variations. A must have for any serious student of Afro-Cuban percussion, buy this book.

This book and CD provide the aspiring conga/drumkit player with the historical and technical abilities to begin an exploration of Afro-Cuban techniques. If you spend a year or two going through the exercises in this book, you'll come out the other end with technical skills (especially independence related) that will amaze you. More importantly, it is very likely that your groove will be much deeper when your done and that will produce benefits in whatever style you happen to be playing in.

My two year old sings this story in her class/daycare. She will sing this song every time she sees or hears a firetruck. I've never heard it and I know the words! I will be ordering it though!

My daughter found out about this book in school so I bought it for her because she really likes the song, it comes with a CD to sing along with.

my 3 and a half year old son's class did this song on stage for our pre-school's 1st annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. They loved it! And all the classes love singing it too. I teach the early 3s and all I have to say is I want to ride in a firetruck and my class of 14 all start singing. I love how fast they learned it and how much they love it.

My two grandsons, ages 12 and 26 months, are absolutely crazy about this book and cd. The 12 month old cries every time the song ends, and the two year old asks for the book to be read over and over again. I was absolutely floored by their response. A definite winner at our house!

We bought 5 copies of this book and CD for all our neices and nephews, they are in love with the music and the book and love to hear the story and dance and sing to the music. We will be buying more copies of this book and CD for our newest nieces.

A nicely researched and insightful biography of Florence Lawrence, one of the most shadowy yet important figures of early cinema. Many things about Florence's life and career will perhaps always remain vague, but Kelly Brown gives a worthy account of America's "first movie star." It is refreshing to know that Flo is finally getting the recognition she deserves. This book is a must for the true film buff.

This slender volume is fascinating because it finally paints a well-researched picture of the long forgotten Florence Lawrence. I've always been fascinated by her after seeing publicity stills of her from the mid-1900s. She appeared to be warm, charismatic and fascinating. Her greatest tragedy is that none of her films have been shown in eighty years. I have one of her shorts, "Flo's Discipline" which only lasts about twelve minutes but it gives you a hint of how dazzling she was before the cameras. While her cohort, Mary Pickford, went onto a spectacular career that included mind-boggling salaries and a world-famous Hollywood castle, Pickfair, poor Lawrence was living in a small, hotel room, being paid a few dollars a week as an extra at MGM. Her life would make a wonderful movie--and a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of how fleeting fame is, and how fickle is the public when it comes to remaining faithful to the flavor of the month.

Florence Lawrence was "big" before there were movie stars. She was the original "Biograph Girl" before Mary Pickford was given that name by movie fans. After losing her job at Biograph, she was hired by Carl Laemmle's IMP company (later Universal). As a publicity stunt, Laemmle started a rumor that she was dead. Then she made a personal appearance in St. Louis and was mobbed by fans.

Unfortunately she was pretty much out of work in five years. Poor managemet by her husband Harry, as well as a painful injury forced her into bit parts. She was still acting in very small parts into 1938, when she gave up on life and committed suicide.

Kelly Brown has done an incredible research job. Using Florence's surviving correspondence, as well as trade magazine artices and advertisements, she has reconstructed Florence's life. The book has many footnotes noting sources, and there is a very detailed filmography. Instead of a book full of dry facts, Ms. Brown keeps Florence's story interesting. If you are interested in early cinema, or even important women actresses, you should definitely read this book.

Florence Lawrence was an enigma I had always wanted to know about, having been interested in silent films for many years. Information on her was scarce, save for some still photographs in silent movie history books. Kelly Brown really did her homework, in what must have been a difficult task, digging up information about a star whose heyday was almost 90 years ago! Congratulations, Kelly, on a job well done! I can't recommend this book highly enough!

I always enjoy a good biography, especially those of the nearly forgotten silent screen stars. This biography of Florence Lawrence was well researched and had many wonderful photos. The author did a good job with the resources available. Most of the films and people involved in silents are gone now, so the job is doubly difficult. Although pricey, this biography is well worth reading.

This book is a wonderful read from start to finish. As a Hindu, chanting has always been a part of my life -- so I was delighted to find information in this book that was enlightening even to me and that has made my own chanting practice more fulfilling. I enjoyed the practical reflection exercises that Kailash provides and use some of the book's illustrations as meditation tools. The bonus CD is simply stunning -- I've been moved to tears by the beauty of some tracks and taken to bliss by others. This is a book that touches the soul.

Following Sound into Silence provides an excellent doorway into the world of the yoga of sound, particularly for those who prefer an introduction in a Western voice. There is of course a substantial Eastern perspective that comes in to play since the traditions discussed are primarily from South Asia and Tibet, but I believe Kailash's training and experience in Western psychology and academic thought will provide access for those who might otherwise be put off by dense Asian linguistics and metaphysics.

As a sadhaka, sometimes-kirtanwallah, and former student of Sanskrit, Hindi, and the Western academic study of religion - in other words, someone who has approached kirtan from the point of view of Asian linguistics and metaphysics - I can also attest that this book also offers an opportunity for reconsideration to those who are already somewhat experienced in the world of chanting. Like any good introductory text, it is not just useful for beginners.

My only caveat, is that I hope beginners reading Kailash's book will bear in mind that it is one perspective on chanting. It is a very valid and very useful perspective, but there is a wide variety of equally valid perspectives within the native cultures of these chanting practices, as well as elsewhere. This book is an excellent means of entrance to the world of chanting, and I hope beginners won't stop here. (Knowing the author, I can say with confidence that he would agree.)

Following Sound into Silence by Kailash

Kailash demonstrates the power of sound and mantra in this book, "Following Sound into Silence". He presents the spiritual practice of chanting as a means to achieving inner peace, living in harmony and realizing higher states of consciousness. Chanting is an experience that cannot be known intellectually. It is a spiritual experience that abandons the false ego, opening the heart to the wonder of love.

A CD of very powerful mantras is included with this beautiful book, along with translations. Highly recommended!

Chandi Devi
[...]

I have been a practitioner of devotional chanting for about 3 years, and Kailash's book is one of the few books on the topic that I find myself reading over and over. It is incredibly rich with information, intelligently written, and very accessible for people new to chanting and also for those more experienced. He has provided the chanting community (and the world) with a gift, gathering a wealth of knowledge on this subject and presenting it eloquently. He discusses the history of chanting, explains what mantras are, the importance of our emotions on this path, and many other topics without it ever becoming overwhelming. Somehow it all flows together as one very engaging narrative.

I also appreciated the way Kailash explained some very esoteric concepts in a practical, grounded way. Since reading this book, I am so much more conscious of the words that I speak, even just in normal everyday conversation. It helped me to realise how our spoken words guide our consciousness, in effect creating our experience.

Following Sound Into Silence makes you feel like going out in the world and experiencing the benefits of chanting mantras immediately!

I had the privilege of taking a class with Kailash and I have to say it was wonderful. I had never chanted before and jumped at the chance to buy the book. I have to say I was impressed. It's wonderful and the CD that accompanies is great! I was so happy that I had that as a tool to guide me. You will not be disapponted. Find your bliss!!

It got me through Christmas and Easter without having to use the choir's musty copies.

I developed an appreciation for Handel's Messiah over 60 years ago, and to this day I listen to recordings of it frequently. While in college I became a participant, singing in the chorus, and have done so many times since. A while back I gave my vocal score to my daughter for her use, not realizing how much I missed having it at hand. Since I recently purchased a replacement I feel complete again as I refresh my readings of this great work, truly an all time classical composition.
Donald A Carlson

My copy of Handel's Messiah arrived when stated and in in perfect condition. Thank you

The Messiah is, by far, my favorite piece of classical music. It has been a Christmas tradition for me to attend singalong Messiah concerts for many years. This score has been the choice of the choral conductors and organizers of the concerts of which I have been a part. I bought this book to give to my son-in-law for Christmas, as part of a package that also included a recording of a radio program about the Messiah and Handel, and a CD of the music. He is an musician, so I knew he would enjoy it, and I wanted to provide him with material to share with my granddaughters, so they could also become acquainted with this great piece of music. He was very pleased to receive the gift.

The book arrived in a very timely manner. It was in excellent shape. I am extremely happy to have it. Now I can mark it all up for the soprano lines.

Here is Sinatra stripped of everything who leaves me knowing he has deserved my love and admiration all these years. With Sinatra, he drove himself through life going after whatever he wanted and risking the consequences. We get to look at his ups and downs and his prides and his falls. We see him suffer at love and sing about it. We see him finally, after all the aborted tries, finally sink himself into a relationship with his last wife that kept him happy until he died.

Life for Sinatra was all or nothing at all and he did life his way and fell into lots of tender traps and led some into his own tender traps, like one famous movie star I will let you discover on your own.

What so special about Nancy's book is that she is amazingly organized and objective in her account of her father's life. And the CD, well the CD is everything. You get to hear Sinatra on Sinatra, unabashed.

Everyone on the planet needs to buy and read this book to learn what life can be when you go for it all every day!

Kudos to Nancy for a biography well, well done.

This book has excellent pictures with the most vital information for a biography project. A great buy and great read for interested fans of Ol' Blue Eyes.

No wonder this book is so thick- it's filled with numerous photos of Frank Sinatra, his family, and friends over the years. I love looking at these pics, and so will any other Sinatra fan. There is detailed info throughout the book as well. This is one worth having in your collection.

This scrapbook is a real treat to any true SINATRA fan.It is full of pictures of everybody who was important in his life from his parents to collaborators like arrangers NELSON RIDDLE; all his wifes from NANCY to BARBARA;the legendary LOUIS B. MAYER etc.Better than most biographies because it is based on facts not rumours.The early pictures from his beginnings are alone worth the price.I was fortunate enough to get this book at the third of it's price and i went through it very fast because once you open it, you simply can't take your hands out of it.If FRANK became the singer of the past century, it's not by accident, he worked hard at it.I was particulary touched by his loyalty to his true friends.FRANK SINATRA is a mirror of his country. He was the son of immigrants who lived the AMERICAN dream to the fullest.Where is the AMERICAN dream today now that it's last legend is gone?Let's not complain too much ,because everything that FRANK SINATRA ever recorded is now available on cd.Nostalgia when you think of it is a very good thing.SATURDAY is not the loneliest night of the week anymore thanks to the chairman of the board.If you are not already a fan, this book should do the trick.

I had to get this book after seeing how low the price came down.The original price was 40 dollars. Nancy Sinatra's book on her Father has everything in here.I couldn't believe Frank weighted 13and a half pounds when he was born on December 12,1915.The Doctor ripped and scarred his ear,check,and neck,plus puncturing his eardrum.Frank wasn't breathing,so his grandmother Rose held the baby under cold running water until he gasped his first breath and cried.This book is like a Diary.It goes from year to year,sometimes month to month.All of Franks movies,records,concerts,TV shows,songs,and the name of the songwriters are in here,plus hundreds of pictures,starting with Frank's baby photo, ending with a touching family photo taken in 1996.There's a wonderfull picture of Marilyn Monroe taken with Dean Martin sitting ringside at the Sands..All of the stars are in here,and family pictures we've never seen before.If you are a Frank Sinatra fan,you have to get this Book.Its huge,and the pictures are fantastic.