Genres Books

This is a great book. I couldn't put it down. It's a good combination of seriousness and humor. Andrew is a phenominal writer. A must for Project 86 fans.

I bought this for my son(17 years old). He is an Andrew Schwab fan, and he requested it for his birthday. He sat down and read the book so quickly. He was laughing and sighing at the same time.

The book is filled with a humorous but realistic look at the life of a band on the road.

My teenager HIGHLY recommends this for everyone!

i read it in 3days. amazing book couldnt stop reading it, for all die hard project86 fans or anyone who wants to laugh

Since Project 86 will probably never enjoy mainstream success, this is the closest any fan will ever come to anything resembling a VH1 Behind the Music special on Project 86.

From satirical (and often amusing) commentary, to hilarious tour stories, to heart-breaking situations, lead singer Andrew Schwab must be admired for his honesty, bluntness, and sincerity.

Uncovering his humanity for all to see, Schwab bears it all...even when it makes him look like less than the perfect Christian. Even while reading the book, I found my attitude toward Schwab wavering from excitement to disappointment to compassion. (Causing a reader to go through such an experience is an ability that only a talented writer possesses.) But in the end, I always came back to the realization that we all have growing to do in regards to our character and our relationships with the LORD.

I would recommend this book to anybody who is an avid fan of Project 86. My only major criticism of the book is that it wasn't edited very carefully...there is a plethora of omitted words that occasionally limits smooth reading.

CONSIDER THIS FAIR WARNING: If you have P86 (and especially Schwab) on a pedestal, you may be slightly shocked by what you read.

I found this to honestly be one of the best books that I have ever read. This is a must-have for any Project 86 fafn, or even any Tooth and Nail Record supporter. Andrew shares some of his deepest feelings as well as some of his most inspiring and touching stories he has to offer. You will find yourself unable to put the book down and find yourself wanting to share with Andrew how you feel for him and how much you appriciate what he does. Being a Project 86 fan, reading this made me love the band even that much more. You will most definitely not be disappointed with this one.

For some reason it'n not immediately apparent on Amazon, but this has been re-released. See:Jazz Guitar Single Note Soloing, Volume 2

I studied with Ted Greene in the early 70's at the age of eighteen. At the time I was also taking lessons with George Van Eps and shared my lesson materials with Ted while he worked on Chord Chemistry, the first of his books which was originally published in the 70's and revised later. Any electric guitarist should have all of his books period! These are not fancy riffs or solos but the most creative and best organized series of works on jazz guitar ever written. Most think of Ted as a finger style jazz player. However, when I jammed with him there was no one faster or smoother with a single note flat pick. He simply didn't go in for flash. Also, he could outplay anyone in any style, rock, folk, country, and yes classical music. In fact, when I knew him he always carried a copy of the Bach Chorales around which he studied to perfect his chord voicing system. If you are serious about the guitar and play at the intermediate or better level you have to learn this material.

This is one of four published guitar books by Ted Greene. Ted was one of the Great guitarists and a superior teacher. This volume is extremely good. Anything by Ted Greene is required reading.

There are several scales patterns per chord pattern or chord strummed. Actually, you only need to learn one scale pattern. Ted Greene provides you with at least one scale per chord to solo over. What's interesting is learning how to combine four or five scale patterns so you can play up and down the neck (over one chord). This book will provide you with all the elements needed to solo over most chords. I already had an idea of what to play, but I didn't have information on the many arpeggios you could play over each chord. Ted gives you sample arpeggios to play over each chord through several scale patterns. What I like about this book is knowing you can link four patterns together (over one chord) and play up and down the neck. If you're having problems with your solos, buy this book.

Ted Greene's marvelous books have become staples in guitar instruction, starting with the famous "Chord Chemistry" (Ted frequently referred to the book as "Chord Catastrophe").

"Single Note Soloing, Volume 1" is the perfect book for those that are interested in jazz and have experience playing the guitar, but want to learn the ins and outs of jazz phrasing. The musical examples in this book (all in notation, no TAB here) are great and Ted's comments include a wealth of information about left and right hand tips, phrasing ideas, and how to use the examples. A pleasant "side effect" of going through this book is your sight-reading will noticably improve, especially in the higher positions (such as the 7th, 8th, and 9th). And for those who might already know the theory involved, it makes a for a great warmup and provides a refresher course in important fundamentals. Even though I knew most of the theory in the book when I first went through it, it was a great learning experience because it filled up the holes in my knowledge, some that I didn't even know were there. That is part of the greatness of Ted Greene. Never does the book have a pretentious or snobby air to it, and his thoughts are always encouraging and inspiring when you read them. Many guitar books create more holes than fill them, because the authors themselves do not have the needed grasp of the fundamentals. There's no need to worry about that here, as Ted was a master at learning (and therefore, teaching) things the right way.

Overall this has to be one of the best books on the subject that I've gone through, especially for a book that is guitar-specific. If you could only choose one book on jazz scales for guitar, choose this one.

I originally bought this songbook in the 1960's when I was a teenager. During the ensuing years it disappeared. I've taken up guitar again, and wanted this songbook back. I was delighted to find it. It's still the best ever for those interested in folk music

Excellent...it is a replacement for one that I lost in a flood several years ago.

Haunting, beautiful melodies..Timeless tunes the likes of "Jackaroe" & "Fenerio" make this a treasure.. the only thing missing is Joans' perfect voice!

In 1965 - this book taught me how to play guitar. The songs are shown in their original keys and are not easy for a beginning guitarist. HOWEVER, all songs are transposed and with the use of a CAPO (song book says CAPO at 3rd Fret) you are playing the same chords Joan plays. If your guitar is tuned.. you play right along with her.. sure beats Volga Boatman!

The Joan Baez Songbook is an excellent foray into the folk music that put Ms. Baez on the map. All the songs included are classics, and easy to play. Fans of Joan Baez or folk music should have this songbook in their repertoire.

I read this book in one go. Once I started, I just could not put it down. Besides giving the reader a great inside look behind the scene of the 1972 tour madness of the Rolling Stones, the author also provieds us with an excellent snapshot of the political and social situation in the USA during the early seventies. Of course, you get all the juicy details of groupies, drugs and playboy bunnies - but you also get a feel for how depressing at times the isolation of a major tour can be. You should definitely buy this book, if you love Rock'n'Roll, no matter if you are a Rolling Stones fan or not !

I think I know this book by heart. I can still recite the tour cities and dates. And... ahem, ahem, I really believe the reason they got Keith out of jail in Warwick, RI was not because of "the show must go on" (please!), but because Keith would've started heroin withdrawl. Get it?

This could easily be subtitled "Fear and Loathing on the Concert Trail." A fantastic book that features intelligent writing and an unsentimental look at the cast of characters that accompanied the Rolling Stones on their tour of America in '72. I just finished re-reading it and I still think its the best look at life on the road. Highly recommended even if you're not a stones fan.

I purchased and read this book when it was first published in the 1970s. It is a no-holds barred account of a rock band at its creative and decadent zenith during the legendary 1972 tour of America. Greenfield intersperses his blow-by-blow description of life on the road with vignettes of the interesting and off-beat fans and groupies that swirl around the vortex of the world's greatest rock and roll band. Particularly interesting is the drama surrounding the arrest of Keith Richards at a Boston airport prior to a concert, the scramble to get him out of jail thanks to the intervention of the mayor of Boston, and Keith's triumphant return to the stage. This is a Stones legend and this book tells it like you are there. Well-written and informative, I think I may just re-read this classic for the Nth time. A must for any Stones fan's bookshelf.

Full of casual sex and violence, this is a salacious account of life on the road with the Rolling Stones. Greenfield excels at nailing personalities and describing the fishbowl the band lived in. The Stones begin the tour in a vulnerable state of mind, scared that their glory days are behind them. Their braggadocio picks up considerably as the tour progresses. Near the end we have 16 year old girls doing "favors", beatings are given to anyone who steps out of line, groupies being filmed "in action" (despite Bill Wyman's 10 yr old kid hanging around!) for that infamous tour movie who's title I can't even mention here. Plenty of cruel nihilism. Oh well, I didn't read this expecting a nursery rhyme! This book delivers, warts and all.

If you are discovering or reliving the music of the master composer, the epitome of tango, Astor Piazzolla , than you have to have this book. I cannot over emphasize the clarity it lends to the music La Camorra as you listen Tango: Zero Hour and read simultaneously about one of the great 20th century musical figures. This book is fantastic. It is a journey that begins in Mar del Plata, south of Buenos Aries and traverses the globe, highlighting the life of Astor Piazzolla as he spread and expanded his musical vision of the tango worldwide. The authors present a book that begins somewhat dense and challenging at first but than draws you into the magical world of Astor's humble beginnings, continues as he he spreads his tango vigor with evangelical zeal and an untiring work ethic that resulted in over 3,000 compositions; all the while as he rubs elbows with all the major dignitaries and artists of his time and goes through several mariages and many bands with different musicians from different genres.. The authors who colloborated on this great book, about an even greater man, Maria Susana Azzi and Simon Collier, give us a glimpse into Astor Piazzolla that is both intimate and scholary at once; the balance lends itself to the character of the subject. They both have extensive credentials when it comes to tango and Latin America. The portrait of the man revealed is not sugar coated, as the various first hand accounts of dealing with the sometimes troublesome and difficult genius indicates. This is a complete book and a great compliment to Natalio Gorin's Astor Piazzolla: A Memoir that is even more detailed. The book is divided neatly into three parts, Part I Struggle, Part II Man and musician and Part III Fame. the first part deals with his early life up to the mid-seventies and fame takes it from the mid-seventies until his death in 1992. As you can see, from the years indicated, that most of his life was a struggle. As there are many different versions of his compositions recorded, the book serves as a good reference point to distinguish the players or different groups that made the recordings. This is one of the interesting , strong points of the book that helps you understand the music of Astor Piazzolla. The classical-jazz-avant garde-traditional sound of maestro Piazzolla's tango is brought to the forefront with explanations as to the goings on in his life that resulted in such wonderful compositions and the varied interpretations. The book also has several "extras" like a foreward by Yo-Yo Ma Soul of the Tango: The Music of Astor Piazzolla, a family tree, a glossary of South American terms, sources and notes and some great photographs that include some from the family archives. Essentially, this is about as a complete a book as you can find on Maestro Piazzolla and not to be be missed. If you are fan of the tango and the man who furthered the evolution of the soul of the music of Argentina than you need this book. Recommennded for people who want to know more about the controversies and music associated with Maestro Astor Piazzolla's tango.

Piazzola means tango for many people. The first tango music I ever purchased was Piazzola's music. His music dominated Sally Porter's movie, "Tango Lesson." This is a man that you must know about if you like tango, the dance and the music. Even if your interest is 20th century music, you will be fascinated. The story of Piazzola's life is a story of how cultures, music, and people are interrelated. As a person who was born in Argentina, his music was tango; as a kid named "Lefty" who grew up in Manhattan, he felt the influence of jazz. As a musician known as "El Gato," he built on the tango traditions of Troilo, Sarli, and Pugliese.

He began his musical career as a musician who could not read music. Anibal Troilo hired Piazzola because he had memorized the band's repertoire. He studied music and composition while playing in tango groups, and went on for more formal training in Paris. Piazzola loved everything from the classical music of Rubenstein to the jazz of Gershwin. Although we think of Piazzola in terms of tango, many of his contemporary tango aficionados hated his music because it was nontraditional, evolutionary, and avant gard.

This book was of value to me because it increased my understanding not just of Piazzola, but also of the major twentieth century tango musicians and composers. It may not make me a better dancer, but the increase of knowledge added to my appreciation of the music not just of Piazzola, but also of Pablo Ziegler, Romulo Larrea, and Felix Leclerc. It was a fitting complement to "Tango!" a collaborative book by Simon Collier, Artemis Cooper, Maria Susana Azzi, and Richard Martin. You don't have to be a serious student of music to enjoy either book. It will add to your appreciation of tango.

This is the best and most complete document about the life and work of Astor Piazzolla. The authors inter-link Piazzolla's work with the major events of his life and the artistic and political context of the time. If you are really interested in learning about Piazzolla, you should go ahead and buy this book.

Piazzola means tango for many people. The first tango music I ever purchased was Piazzola's music. His music dominated Sally Porter's movie, "Tango Lesson." This is a man that you must know about if you like tango, the dance and the music. Even if your interest is 20th century music, you will be fascinated. The story of Piazzola's life is a story of how cultures, music, and people are interrelated. As a person who was born in Argentina, his music was tango; as a kid named "Lefty" who grew up in Manhattan, he felt the influence of jazz. As a musician known as "El Gato," he built on the tango traditions of Troilo, Sarli, and Pugliese.

He began his musical career as a musician who could not read music. Anibal Troilo hired Piazzola because he had memorized the band's repertoire. He studied music and composition while playing in tango groups, and went on for more formal training in Paris. Piazzola loved everything from the classical music of Rubenstein to the jazz of Gershwin. Although we think of Piazzola in terms of tango, many of his contemporary tango aficionados hated his music because it was nontraditional, evolutionary, and avant gard.

This book was of value to me because it increased my understanding not just of Piazzola, but also of the major twentieth century tango musicians and composers. It may not make me a better dancer, but the increase of knowledge added to my appreciation of the music not just of Piazzola, but also of Pablo Ziegler, Romulo Larrea, and Felix Leclerc. It was a fitting complement to "Tango!" a collaborative book by Simon Collier, Artemis Cooper, Maria Susana Azzi, and Richard Martin. You don't have to be a serious student of music to enjoy either book. It will add to your appreciation of tango.

Nearly ten years after Astor Piazzolla's death, the debate still rages about whether or not his music is "tango". Well, some of it is, and some of it isn't. But the roots of all his music lie deep in the tango tradition and whether or not a particular piece is or isn't tango is of no real importance. The fact is that Astor Piazzolla composed some of the finest music in any genre and all Argentines can take pride in that. I have been a fan of Astor Piazzolla for nearly 30 years but only knew the music. After having read Le Grand Tango, I now feel as though I know the man. Having "met" him, my understanding and admiration of both the music and the man has increased exponentially. Azzi and Collier have authored an easy to follow, entertaining and informative book about El Maestro. One learns not only about his music but about his forceful personality and the forces which shaped Piazzolla and drove him to be the most dazzling musician of the 20th century. His life, his loves, his triumphs and his failures all spring to life here. Though most readers will likely be hardcore fans of Piazzolla, its flowing style makes it an engaging hagiographical read for anyone who has even a mild interest in music history or in the forces and personalities which have shaped and regenerated tango throughout second half of the 20th century.

Linkin Park is my favorite , I just adore them. I ordered there book and I'm waiting for it to arrive , but I have to tell you , if LP rules so much there book MUST be cool , I mean it features my favorite 6 guys. LP fans , based on previous reviews this is the book for you AND me. :)

With more than fifty pages of in-depth text,this book tells you the history of Linki Park.Many pictures I have never seen before are also in this book.Highly recommend this to all LP fans.

if you want to know it, this book has it. This book tells the history of the band, even a little about Chester's old band! It's got awesome information and great pictures. Every LP fan should own this

All in all, this book was 5/5, but the problem was, when I was starting the hang of it, i thought it had more pages to be read, but its only less information, oh well.. this explains the forming of the band, where they met, how they started, the Hybrid Theory days..... Chester's band called _xero_ was also mentioned on the book, i really recommend this!!!

This book is awesome. I was up all night readin this. Linkin park die hards this is the book for u. Keep it, tresure it, do whatever u have to. I know i will.

Lyrical Life is a classy, clever gift idea for any music fan and it would make a great stocking stufffer. The artwork is wonderful and the concept is a lot of fun - my friends and I have been quizzing each other on the songs that make up the storyline.

Every page has a wealth of tunes, puns and fun! I especially liked the sight gags. The author and the illustrator obviously collaborated well. What I can't understand is how they stopped laughing and got the tears cleared long enough to get this book written!

Music is always with you, when you drive, when you think, when you dream and when watch tv. Songs remind you of summers, lovers, moments and moods. This books will capture all of that. It will talk deep into your soul, showing you that the lyrics you know form a nice story, well narrated and illustrated. But this book is way more then that. This book is different for every reader, because each page will resonate in a different way for each reader. There are a thousand stories in this book, hidden among the lines.
You need to find yours!!

You've got the music in you!!! (new radicals)

What a wonderfully inventive idea....the illustrations are SO clever and they MAKE this book, without a doubt. Bold, great colors and textures, creative, very witty and artfully intelligent drawings...we should see more of Mark Malloy!! This book has great appeal to music lovers, and especially to those who grew up during the 70s and 80s. You will find yourself singing along! I bought a bunch to share with friends, and recommend you all do the same.

This is a must have for any music fan! Great stocking stuffer!!

Mr Fordin's a great writer with great taste in subject matter. I owned this one first in hardback as "The World of Entertainment". It's so fabulous I bought it again in paperback. One of the best researched and documented film books I know.

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!!!!

I love to know the behind-the-scenes of the days Gene Kelly made his magic at MGM, so Gene drew me to buying this book. Well, Mr Arthur Freed, if there could be more "bosses" like you today, the workplace would be a much happier place to be. Arthur and his "UNIT" or as I like to call them, "THE CREW" will have you laughing, maybe even crying and definitely astounded, amazed and so very happy that this man was the back bone and the money maker of this fabulous studio of the real movie days. His mind is one that could never be found again in any producer of today. They definitely cracked the mould when they made this man. So, I recommend that you buy this book, and even purchase the movie under the same title. Mr Hugh Fordin has done the most fantastic job on this book. You will feel like you are standing there in every scene that is described..

Hugh Fordin is an expert in his field. His detailed research is clearly evident throughout this work. His love of theater, film and particularly the Hollywood (make that MGM) Musical is revealed in the many interviews he conducted with people involved in every aspect of the productions he writes about.He shares small insights and many heretofore unknown facts about this disappeared genre of movie making. If this isn't a textbook at film schools, it should be. A superb work whose value increases over the years.

I was expecting this to be a straight biography of Arthur Freed with discussions on his films but instead I was pleasantly surprised to see that the entire book is a blow-by-blow account of how the films were made (which to a movie buff is pure heaven) and, as the author says, Freed's movies were his life anyway.

I think it says something that the title of this book is "M.G.M.'s Greatest Musicals", since the truly amazing thing is that one man was more or less responsible for all of them. Great behind-the-scenes stories.

The text of this book is very interesting. It's more of a nuts and bolts of how the movies were put together than a critque of the movies themselves.

However, beware if you are replacing an older edition of this book. This edition is inferior to one that I had years ago. The pictures in this version look like they were photocopied from an earlier version of the book. Many are grainy and washed out. Also, a number of the pictures at the tops of pages are cropped so that tops of some of the heads are cut off. I know this wasn't how earlier versions of this book looked. Although a minor point, in the back of previous editions there was a list of much money each film cost, as well as the domestic and foreign grosses of each film. I found this interesting, and I was sorry to see it missing.

As you have probably guessed by now, this audio is one family's account of their emotional journey through the process of adopting a Russian child. This story serves as an example for others who are interested in pursuing the adoption process, and is filled with hope and disappointment, love and loss, happiness and despair. A good job from a new audio publishing venture.

If anyone has journeyed down the road of international adoption, they empathize with the author's every pen stroke. The book starts off with John describing a little girl who longs to be adopted after her best friend is adopted. He captures what this little girl was surely going through in heart-touching detail, having obviously been told first-hand what it was like to be so lonely, teetering on the verge of losing hope. The delicate feelings of many sweet children, as well as the see-saw emotions of the would-be mom and dad, who never gave up, are captured so vividly in this book. This book is based on actual experiences. Knowing that simply makes the tears of sadness and joy flow more freely as you live this experience. If you haven't experienced internation adoption, you just might find yourself Google'ing 'Russian Adoption' before you finish.

I received an advance copy of this book some months ago. The commercially edited version is just as good, and perhaps flows a bit better. While written as "fiction" to protect privacy, almost all of the events depicted are taken directly from John and Amy's experience in adopting three children from Russia.

The book offers a tremendous amount of insight into the bureaucratic world of international adoption. But this isn't a "how-to" book on adoption. It is a story of love, hope, fear and triumph. There are no villains. Most of us will live a whole lifetime without ever encountering a real villain. There are problems to overcome. Differences of opinion. Of course there is bureucracy..........can't be helped. In short, it is a story of life - several lives really. And that makes it a story we can all relate to.

Three Russian orphans had their lives changed forever because someone was willing to love them and pay the price to salvage them. The story teaches that we can all save someone. You need to read the book, and if you ever get the chance to hear John or Amy tell you their story personally, do whatever it takes to do so. It will change your perspective on life.

i really enjoyed reading this book and could barely put it down until i finished it. i would recommend this novel whether you are considering adoption or not. it is a wonderful story about the love of a family.

This book is a must-read for anyone considering adopting a
child from overseas. It also is an eye-opener if you know
someone who has. You will discover they've gone on a journey
that may be marvelous but also was filled with emotionally
draining setbacks and disappointments. But a warning to
everyone else: After you finish this you might very well
want to adopt a child yourself. The dedication, under a
picture of four older girls and one younger one, foreshadows
the joy and sorrow ahead: "For Marina, Svietta and the girl
in the blue bandana. Three beautiful young woman who saw
past the shards of their own shattered dreams, to find joy
in the fulfillment of hope for a beloved younger sister in
tribulation, who they would never see again in their lives.
You will trouble my thoughts and dreams as long as I live."

We follow the fictionalized account of Mike and Laura Knight
(who have two sons of their own) as they adopt two girls
from Russia (Katya and her younger sister, Luba, who lives
in a different facility). John Simmons wisely begins the
story with Katya at an orphanage in Partizansk. We feel her
disappointment as a friend leaves and through one of the
workers, Sofia, experience the mixture of hope and cynicism
characterizing post-Soviet Union Russia. There are then some
contrasting chapters between the orphanage and the Knights'
life in America that create early drama. Once the adoption
process is in full motion there is drama enough to carry us
forward. There are also a few surprises for readers. Mike,
we discover half way through the book, was a Mormon
missionary to Brazil for a year when he was a young man. And
Laura has a revelation about her own past that adds
poignancy to the story.

I love the cover but the title is too Walt Disney-ish
(though it takes on added significance in the final
chapters). Some description of the early adoption process
seems as if it were out of a brochure, and the interaction
between the couple at times feels sugar coated. But the
children are real, real, real. And there is no doubt the
author and his wife have experienced each stage of this
process themselves. He speaks with absolute veracity. Why do
we write? Sometimes it is for escapist pleasure or to
discover some profound truth. But there is also the sharing
of experiences that help us understand life a little better
and appreciate the goodness of the human heart. That may not
make for great literature, but it just might provide
something more important.

When we meet the children, through Mike and Laura, it is as
if we are trying to assess what we see, do the right thing
for the officials and pick up the Russian word or two that
will allow us to connect with each girl. Even more
interesting are the girls' first experiences being
overwhelmed by too many choices and the couple's early
attempts to exercise some parental control. Then there is
Mike's mother dying of cancer back in the United States.
Like the two girls she is, "...torn between two worlds, not
bearing to leave, not bearing to stay." When I finished the
book I went out and bought a small present for my
one-year-old grandson. What miracles children are. What joy
they return to our lives.

Only Max Morath and his wife, photographer Diane Skomars, could have created this book. It's a beautifully designed time capsule, a portrait of a showman who, though he plays music from the turn of the century, is very much a man of the present. The iconography of the freeway -- lurid hotel, restaurant, and gas station signs -- is part of this story, as well as Max's pithy words on chocolate malts, where to sit on an airplane (on the aisle toward the front), and a thoughtful final essay called "Thinking About the Music" wherein Max tells us exactly where American popular music came from.

This is a non-fiction book you can actually read! It's funny, truthful, revealing, exciting and fun. Max approaches this book the way he approaches his music--with vigor and enthusiasm. The pictures have depth--you get to know Max through the photography. Would highly recommend it!

Max Morath and Diane Skomars have created a handsome book celebrating Max's career as a channeler of American popular culture. Max loves the American present as much as he loves its past. He's been stirring the melting pot for fifty years now, mixing musical styles, fact, fiction, humor, and social observation. This book is much like a Morath concert--that is, it is sweet, funny, and wise. Skomars' photographs gorgeously depict the world of "Present Max"--a world of fast food, lookalike motels, freeway signs--as he travels to take "Past Max" to audiences everywhere. A beautiful evocation of Max at work and on his way to work.

In all of the mass of literature about American entertainment, there are only a few books that give you an accurate idea of what show business is really like -- ACT ONE, by Moss Hart, THE TROUBLE WITH CINDERELLA, by Artie Shaw, ALL OF MY BEST FRIENDS, by George Burns, and the occasional passage in a star's autobiography (Sophie Tucker, Billy Rose, Little Richard).

Now, THE ROAD TO RAGTIME has joined that select company. Thanks to Max Morath and Diane Fay Skomars, we have a document that shows what real American show business is like in the late 20th Century trenches -- the one-man show, the community concerts circuit, the roadhouses and honky-tonks, radio, television, and anywhere else there's an audience ready to be entertained.

Max Morath is one of America's greatest entertainers. He's one of those magical peformers who's able to get the audience in the palm of his hand the moment he takes the stage. What's extraordinary is that he's been able to be so successful without ever compromising the integrity of his music.

He's a national treasure -- and this terrific book helps us unlock it.

-- Murray Horwitz National Public Radio

Only Max Morath and his wife, photographer Diane Skomars, could have created this book. It's a beautifully designed time capsule, a portrait of a showman who, though he plays music from the turn of the century, is very much a man of the present. The iconography of the freeway -- lurid hotel, restaurant, and gas station signs -- is part of this story, as well as Max's pithy words on chocolate malts, where to sit on an airplane (on the aisle toward the front), and a thoughtful final essay called "Thinking About the Music" wherein Max tells us exactly where American popular music came from.