Genres Books

Ok I will spend hours with this, lots here to learn, I understand you might be able to find the old VHS of this as well. Lots of fun end enjoyment for a bass player....

An essential book for any drummer serious about understanding and playing Afro-Cuban grooves on the drum set.

Combining traditional Latin claves with a funk backbeat. I bought this book / cd combo to improve my bass playing and drumming. (Yep! I play both.) I enjoy Latin / rock type music and wanted to become more familiar with the various styles and rhythms of this music. This book is awesome! It is also not fot the beginner or the timid unless you are dead serious about your playing. This will not only improve your playing, but your reading as well. The CD's start with a group of songs performed by the band. Then they break into LOTS of examples of ALL different styles of Latin music. Once you think you have it all mastered, the songs you heard at the beginning of the cd are there without drums / bass depending on which cd you want to play along with. Yes there are 2 cd's. One for drums, one for bass. By the way, all the songs on the cd have studio grade charts in the back of the book for you to follow. If this book doesn't keep you busy for a long time, you must already be a seasoned studio professional. Even if you are, there's probably something in here for you. ENJOY!

This book is essential if your a non-latin drummer trying to understand this percussive language. Clear, concise, this book will occupy you for months, even years.

This book is a goldmine of information and ideas pertaining to the addition of the salsa feel in your playing. The authors lay out, in both English and Spanish, the different latin styles and feels clearly, and the included cd's make learning the material that much easier. The different patterns discussed include the clave, tumbao, songo, guaguanco, cha-cha, mozambique, and afro-cuban styles. Also included are 6 songs (complete with charts) for the student to play with (recorded with and without drum/bass tracks). This book is a must have for a player of any level. It was recommended to me by a bass player friend of mine who plays in a touring group specializing in latin/flaminco music. It has made a huge difference in my playing, and I've been drumming for 23 years. Get this book and enjoy the new world of ideas and possibilities!

A superb book - lots of fun - but digestible only in little bites. There is a lot of information in here!

This book is a must read - it was so entertaining and funny, I had pop comming out of my nose laughing! And my friends and I had a great time sitting around the piano playing and singing the composed musice enclosed! We even added a few lyrics of our own to the already hilarious lyrics ;-)
Have Fun!

If you share my growing concern at the musical cross-over tendencies in synagogue songs and how "un-Jewish" much of today's Jewish music sounds, you'll find a charming antidote in Dr. Jack Gottlieb's new and original coffee table book: Funny, It Doesn't Sound Jewish. Gottlieb's earnest musical detective comparisons and analyses invite us into joyfully playing the "sounds like" game. After we chuckle in consternation, at the Yiddish or liturgical roots of a pop song's pedigree, we marvel at the truism that there seems to be "nothing new under the sun"; especially under the show biz music lights.

Gottlieb loves to make puns and burst bubbles. This effervescently entertaining study is filled with anecdotes, song sheet covers, musical illustrations, photos of composers and performers, and even an accompanying Audio CD to bring home his astute assertions.

Some of my favorites include: Did you realize that -

George Gershwin's It Ain't Necessarity So is kin to the Torah blessing Barachu Et Adoshem Ham'vorach?

The Torah cantillation for Merchaw R'via inspired both Bach's Oh Sacred Head Now Wounded and Paul Simon's American Tune?

Rozhinkes Mit Mandlin prompted Irving Berlin's Blue Skies.... and my all time favorite

I Am A Gay Caballero, I'm back again from Janeiro is both Y'hei sh'mei rabah m'vorach from the Kaddish and Ashrei yoshvei veitecha od y'hall'lucha selah

Are you curious to follow Gottlieb's unearthing of more of these amusing affinities? There are dozens of other examples, some more apparent than others, but all will cause you to "aha!" pause, smile, and, most importantly, think about what we consider immutable Jewish traditional melodies.

Dr. Gottlieb is an engaging author and lecturer (this book began as a touring presentation with him at the piano). He is a published composer of both secular and synagogue music who most recently was honored by The Milken Archive of American Jewish Music when it distributed a CD of his works on the Naxos label. He is also a meticulous researcher, program notes writer, and former assistant to Leonard Bernstein. In all these endeavors it is quite obvious that he is also a passionate lover of all thing musical and Jewish.

We offer kudos to Dr. Gottlieb for this wonderfully endearing study of Jewish melodic ties to mid 20th century pop music and enthusiastically recommend it as both an urbane entertainment and a carefully documented study. Buy it and enjoy!

Over 30 years ago there was a famous ad campaign for a brand of "Jewish rye bread," showing an American Indian eating a deli sandwich, and the caption read, "You Don't have to be Jewish to Like Levy's Rye Bread."

With regard to this book, this was never so true. Anyone who love the "Great American Song Book" spanning the first half of the last century cannot afford to miss this book.

Especially remarkable is that it IS a scholarly book, complete with footnotes and bibliography, but the tone is also so jocular.

The accompanying CD of musical examples alone is worth the cost of the book.

Do yourself a favor - Order this book, but pass on the Most book offered by Amazon.com in tandem. It is hardly as comprehensive and definitely pales by comparison.

Don't be mislead by the title of this book. It isn't glib or lightweight--in fact, it's a brilliant analysis of the subconscious effect synagogue music and Yiddish song have had on our most beloved popular music. When I picked it up (out of curiosity) I found myself mesmerized and couldn't stop reading.

The book is peppered with musical examples that continually evoke "I never realized that song was related to that"! Gottlieb must have spent decades researching this and it seems unbelievably thorough. He doesn't stop at musical analysis; he also includes a good examination of the history behind everything, particularly focusing on the heavy periods of emigration, when most of the (now) well-known Jewish composers came to America. The book made me look at some of the best known popular songs in a new light, yielding a deeper understanding of what went into their creation.

It may seem a little expensive, but you also get a CD packed with great rare recordings that have never been released before (try Bernstein performing Blitzstein's classic "Zipperfly" or Jolson singing "Khazn oyf Shabes" in Yiddish).

Gottlieb decides to pay limited attention to some of the living composers who focus on Jewish themes (for example, Jason Robert Brown and Osvaldo Golijov are only mentioned casually) but I suspect he could write another book on them. Let's hope he does--I would line up to get a copy.

Robert John is a friend of the band and the favorite photographer. these pictures span the whole time of the band and are beautiful. RJ has captured the spirit of GNR. the forward by Axl Rose also is unique and well-written.

This is the only GNR book I have. I have only started liking them 6 months ago and I'm surprised that book stores still have GNR material around. I'm positive that any fan would love this book. The book has GNR pictured from their early days in 1985 to almost the end in 1992. I love the fact that Robert John shows them from the beginning with their teased hair, and lipstick to a more mature look as they get older. The book has concert photos, backstage pics, GNR rehersing and even some more personel ones with Axl by himself. If you are looking for a biography of the band, then don't buy this one. On the bottom of the pictures Robert John tells you the place and year it was taken but otherwise it is strictly just a photo book, nothing else. I highly recomend it in any way.

I've being a GNR fan since I was 8 and I was given this book when I was 12(I'm 25 now!). I still have it and its pages are falling out from looking through it countless times. It gives a good chronological look at the band which is left to your own interpretation as there is no text, which I felt was better since GNR fans are fed so many stories about the band. You get the usual commercial view of them, but you also get personal photos which give a good insight into their lives. I thoroughly recommend this book to GNR fans young and old.

This book contains several rarely seen pictures of the band. Some are action shots, while others are stills.. All in all, this book captures the G'N'R' attitude very well!

As a huge fan of gnr, i was anxious to get some kind of book about them. I had all the records and even some rare bootlegs, but i could not find any literature about them. When i stumbled across this book at this site, it was an instant buy. i was very impressed at the quality and depth of Robert John's photographs. I have happened to see GN'R live and Robert John's photos certainly capture their flare and stage presence. A very good book. If you are looking for a biography go buy "The most Dangerous band in the world" or"The True story" If you want a good book of photos spanning GN'R wildest days, i suggest you buy this.

Harvest Of Illusion is an amzaing book. I have been a teacher of metaphsics and spiritualty for many years and I am always looking for great books to read particuarly good stories that can lift one up and educate and entertain at the same time. This book by George is all of this and more. If you liked the Celestine Prophecy or Conversations With God YOU MUST read this book. I recommend it with 10 stars.

Michele Blood Author of MusiVation products and producer of MPowerTV.com

"Harvest of Illusion" is not the kind of book I would usually read. However, a friend recommended it. I finally got around to reading it, and my only regret is that I waited so long. It's a terrific book --- imaginative, stimulating, fun to read, and with a GREAT message about the potential for goodness and fulfillment that resides in all of us. Especially because of the uplifting message, I hope it will be widely read.

Harvest Of Illusion: A Spiritual Adventure by George C. Wallach is a highly entertaining and enthusiastically recommended novel set late in the twenty-first century. The attention engaging story is about the power of spirituality to transcend the mundane routines that can blind one to infinite possibilities beyond one's immediate life and ordinary physical needs. An open-minded metaphysical story that embraces the concepts of reincarnation and life beyond our own solar system, Harvest Of Illusion is an engaging and absorbing narration which is especially recommended to the attention of those with an interest in New Age spirituality, metaphysics, reincarnation, and reincarnation. Harvest Of Illusion marks George C. Wallach as a deftly talented and original storyteller of considerable expertise.

An amazing adventure is available to everyone; an example of which is the point of this book. Harvest of Illusion may help you to understand your own adventure a little better, or it may simply entertain you.

On the surface you will read about a time in the not too distant future on earth where the security of our knowledge is questioned and proved incomplete. Beginning with Mari who is seemingly abducted by aliens, only to learn that she has agreed to participate in inter-being propagation in a previous life. Don't run off screaming. The author is attempting to open the eyes of the reader through a fantasy, in the most gentle, unobtrusive way possible...the imagination. It is well done.

Mari's husband, Murph, is a psychologist who helps people who believe they have been visited by other beings. When his own wife turns to him and tells him that she has had her own very close encounter he grapples with his beliefs and his desire to know for sure if these things happen. He is given absolute proof when Xanthas, Mari's before unknown half other-being, half sister, is presented to him in need of discovering the E-gene...the ability to feel emotions. It doesn't hurt that her physical form is the ultimate in attractive, and Murph falls in love with her.

It eventually is realized that Mari has "cheated" on Murph in her procreation attempts with Jenoor, another alien being, resulting in Murph's realization and understanding that he is enduring this pain as a lesson he needs to learn, carrying over from his own previous lives. He is tempted to reciprocate with Xanthas, but if he does he will need to repeat this lesson in his next life. Is it worth it?

These beings are not truly aliens, but another life form, of earth. They have lived beneath the surface, and have coexisted on the planet unbeknownst to humans. It is time to reveal themselves, as there is great need to warn the humans of an impending extraterrestrial invasion by the Harvesters: a body of beings who planted the humans here to begin with, along with the gray, subsurface beings. Will the citizens of earth accept these gray Mantid beings as allies? Will the Harvesters reap what they sowed and consume the occupants of Earth?

There is more to the story. It goes much deeper than the fantasy, science fiction that it seems. The souls of the characters are not strangers to each other. They have been reincarnated time and again, together. They are helping each other with lessons in the classroom of life, in order for their souls to grow and graduate to the next levels. The story of the aliens is not the important part of this book; it is after all, all an illusion.

The underlying lessons are what makes it a must read. You will be guided through realizations about your own soul, your own journey. You will come to understand the truly non-fictional concept of the nature of the spirit, the purpose of being. You might come to realize the power of positive thought, or the process of mentally healing the physical body. You may understand the nature of death, or the meaning of life. You may see past all of that and understand the illusion of it all. In the process, you'll read an entertaining, if not enlightening, work of fiction.

Mr. Wallach has written a clever,thought provoking,informative and totally creative book. His message reads true and speaks to we humans from the perspective of more highly evolved souls in other universes. The story is compelling and in his descriptive narrative, regarding space ships, space entities and how they move about in our universe, his information seemed to be coming from his higher self and in fact at times I felt he was receiving factual information from these entities he was creating. I came away from this adventure in reading feeling and thinking differently about my health, our planet's future and the limitaions we have come to accept in every day life. If you are a thinking, caring, spiritual person you will totally enjoy and reap a harvest of positive food for your soul. Anyone working in or with energy will profit from this wonderful book.

This book is incredibly written,and facinating!!!!!!!!!
BUT the incredible part is,that this extrodiary young woman was 15 years old when she wrote it.
What a gifted young lady.!!!!!

Philomena,
Trenton,NJ

This young woman has you on the ege of your seat!! At 15 she wrote this book, I can only imagine (and hope),for more ,from this extremly talented author.

This is a very artfully written, good book! Even thought I live in Delaware, it would be entertaining for someone who lived in another state too. I read it in one day and I enjoyed the whole thing. I hope Miss Woods writes a sequel.

This is a very artfully written, good book! Even thought I live in Delaware, this book would be entertaining even for someone who lives in another state. I read it in one day and I enjoyed the whole thing. I hope Ms. Woods writes a sequel.

If you're in the mood for a good shiver, read this one alone at night! The author, a 16-year-old prodigy, has a flair for dramatic imagery. Most adults would be proud to "set the stage" the way she does! She also has a wonderful way of taking historical facts and adding (in italics) her own imaginative details. In sum, Haunted Delaware is the most entertaining book of ghost stories that I have ever read. I hope Ms. Woods writes another book soon!

I'm not into heavy metal, but my son bought this as a Christmas present for a friend, so when it arrived, I took a look at it. What a great book! I loved it! It made me laugh out loud, and you have to think about some of the jokes. It is a perfect gift for the heavy metal fan in your life!

Bought this for my 21 yr old son for Christmas and he absolutely loved it.The pictures of his favorite bands were awesome. Only wish is that it had more pages.Good keepsake for the Heavy Metal lover in all of us.Also may consider buying one for my classroom.Had some great word finds,vocabulary etc.

I bought this book as a present for my husband this past Christmas. I thought that it would be good for a few laughs (and it was), but it's actually even funnier than I expected. I imagined it to be a coloring book with pictures of metal bands and pentagrams, but it's so much more than that! Imagine if Judas Priest created an issue of Highlights Magazine. There are word searches, connect the dots, mazes and even sudoku - all with a heavy metal theme. It's amazing! Bring it with you to your next dentist appointment to pass the time in the waiting room.

I bought this for my boyfriend for Christmas, he loved it!
It has all kinds of cute drawings to color and word scrambles and such. He's 39 and grew up in the 80's so it was perfact.
Great gift!

Anyone who is a fan of the metal scene will appreciate this book. While some of the activities may actually tax your knowledge of the music, most of them rely on the fact that metalheads have a sense of humor and enjoy poking fun at themselves and the genre. Just thumbing through the pages had me rolling on the floor with laughter! I bought 4 copies -- three to give as gifts and one for me, of course.

The swoon-inducing, jaw-dropping photo of young Johnny Cash at the Hollywood Bowl alone is worth the price of this book. But don't just look at the beautiful pictures (and there are many) - read the words. Well-written, insightful, and often funny, the stories from the mouths of the stars sparkle brighter than the rhinestones on the cover. Hillbilly Hollywood motivated me to search out and find the music of artists unfamiliar to me before, and I will forever be grateful to the author for introducing me to the wild brilliance of the almost-forgotten Maddox Bros. & Rose, and others like them. This is the perfect book for anyone who loves music, whether it be country-western, punk rock, or anything in between.

Debby Bulls book "Hillbilly Hollywood" gives us a great look at the almost-forgotten flashy country and western artists of radio and early western movies. We get a thorough insiders look at the glitz and the true 'ART' of rhinestone cowboy and cowgirl wear by the country artists of the '40's and 50's. There are wonderful color images and historical photos of my favorite country legends. The book itself would be at home on Elvis's coffee table. Yum! Yum! This book is a "Five Star" ten course feast for the eyes and soul for us wannabe cowboy and cowgirl types. A true collectors item.

I'm a very hard girl to buy for (and a music snob to boot)but my sweetheart did a very good thing when he purchased Hillbilly Hollywood for me as an early Valentine's Day gift!
It's just GORGEOUS,well-written,and chock-full of stunning color images of several historic pieces of country couture including rare photos of artists that I just adore like Johnny Cash,The Flying Burritto Bros.,and (gasp!) Rockabilly Goddess CHARLENE ARTHUR!!!
It's very difficult these days to find any information on the designers Nudie and Manuel but this book covers it ALL!!!
SO SATISFYING!!!
Always,
Grey DeLisle (wife of Murry Hammond:)

Who are into western wear.
I'm a cowgirl living in The Netherlands and books about westernwear are hard to find. 100 years of western wear by Tyler Beard was the one I found in Holland. Also a great book!!
Tyler send Hillbilly Hollywood to me, and I love every page of it! It's about stars and their love for the garb.

Debby Bull's HILLBILLY HOLLYWOOD is an astonishing book. Her writing is never tainted by nostalgia. It's fresh, original and cleverly surmised. The physical book is about as extravagant as Nudie's glorious Western regalia--complete with rhinestones on the cover. It's a tribute to a strange phenomenon--the gone, but not forgotten completely, country-western artists of the '40s who were (regrettably) bumped from the spotlight by rock 'n roll and leftist politics. It's great to see the spirit of this era so well communicated. As a native born hillbilly and the author of THE BEAUTIFUL AND ENDURING OZARKS and co-author with my wife Crystal of 3 books on Branson (often dubbed "the hillbilly Las Vegas") I feel credentialed to endorse this book. I'm going to order a six-pack later in the year for Christmas presents. I suspect there is a bunch of closet hillbillies out there that will get a real kick from this neat book.

Dewey's "How We Think" is the first book of his I have read. What a joy! I am in the "thick" of my doctoral dissertation, and am struggling to present and unfold my research work in a way that is clear to my audience (in this case, the members of my dissertation committee). Dewey's analysis of thought has helped me to consider important elements of thinking (and writing) such as: (1) the iterative "ebb and flow" between inductive and deductive thinking; (2) what is necessary to train my own mind to think "better"; etc.

Following my reading of "How We Think," I am now reading Dewey's "The Quest for Certainty" and "Knowing and the Known."

Reading "How We Think" is not difficult; however, it does require one to pay attention to what Dewey is saying to his reader audience. Now that I've read through it once, I will likely read through it again (fairly soon), as I work to tighten up my Ph.D. dissertation.

In conclusion, whether you are a student, teacher, or just plain interested in analyzing the world around you, then reading this book is very worthwhile.

As a professional educator, it's always great to review and reread works by the great theorists such as Dewey. Great information for business and educators alike!

It is very good to see this book appearing in new editions. This is a classic book about thinking. Dewey studies thought from the psychological and philosophical points of view and derives practical ideas for education.

Reading this book, I was surprised to see the applicability of its contents to my main activity field, which is business management. Today's main effort in business research is toward innovation and learning. Thus, thinking skill is probably the most important resource of any organization.

Dewey's view of thinking is surprisingly consistent and as fresh as any of the new management theories. Just to mention one aspect, he warns about the confusion of mental analysis (looking for the general aspects of an object) with physical analysis (dissection into parts), which leads to study living objects as if they were dead. This is the essence of systems thinking, which is so fashionable today!

The ideas Dewey presents about education are very useful for today's business environment. Business leaders, consultants and scholars should look carefully at his advices! His study of work and play is a great lesson of wisdom.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone seriosly aiming at world class business performance.

I had never heard of John Dewey until I took a philosophy class. When I first received the book, I read through it relatively fast. Much of the material went over my head. However, on the second reading it was as if the pages were illuminated. In this book, Mr. Dewey gives his opinion on how we humans learn. It takes every day simple actions, breakes them up into their smallest unit and discusses why we did it that way.

What have I gained from this book? Everytime I do something, I attempt to break it down into its simples being, and determining how this breakdown fosters greater intelligence within myself.

As a text book or a book one wants to learn something from, I give it five stars. For just general reading it will garner 1/2 of a star.

John Dewey book "How We Think" concludes that we can be taught to "think well". Ways to do just that are discussed. He starts with beliefs and then considers the consequences they bring about. He suggests that knowledge is relative to its interaction with the world. He seems to conclude that real freedom is intellectual and then defines that as the ability to just turn things over in ones mind which he calls the power of thought. Thinking is according to much of what he says more important than what is being thought about.

Thinking is about cause and the effects that follow. A process is implied and likewise a connection is made to influences that have a negative influence on the process. Thoughtful conclusions are less likely when influences from unbalanced appetites, caprice or the circumstances of the moment.

The book concentrates on the influences to thought. In addition to beliefs it looks at logic, language, and simple observation.

This book is a good foundation for digging deeper into literary cannon and its interpretation.

An easy book to read. Well worth it.

Take a prince, a clutz and a magic ring and you have the recipe for happily-ever-after. Christina Armstrong has always had everything that money can buy . . . and always longed for all the things it can't buy. She wants to live an ordinary life full of family and love. Ordinary will never be a word to describe Prince Richard de Thierry, but he does have one ordinary wish . . . that he be allowed to choose his own wife. But when a legendary ring ends up stuck on Christina's finger, Richard has to decide if he should follow the people's will, or follow his heart . . . or could it be that both will lead him the same place -- straight to Christina. IF THE RING FITS is the right read for anyone who loves fairytale stories of love that will leave you believing that happily-ever-afters do exist!

What a wonderful fairy tale set in modern day time! I thought I had seen it all when it came to romances but this is the fairy tales of all tales. Melissa McClone is a very talented, not to mention visionary author. Her words are woven just right to cast that magic spell. When the entire San Montico island insists that Christina Armstrong marry Prince de Thierry because of an enchanted ring she knows her accident prone ways has gotten her into the biggest mess yet. And because she can't take the darn ring off, she's heading right down the aisle, or shall we say stumbling? True love and Prince Charming? Only in this fiary tale! Bravo, Melissa. I can't wait for your next book!

Wow! What an amazing fairytale. A light-hearted story of two people certain they want marriage - but not to each other. Working together they have such fun on the road to romance, I felt as if I took the journey with them. Hurray for Melissa McClone! I can't wait for her next book.

When American heiress Christina Armstrong tries on an innocent-looking ring at the ball given for Prince Richard de Thierry's thirtieth birthday, she can't get it off. Which, given the lovely young lady's propensity for disaster, isn't at all surprising. But legend has it the ring's enchanted. . .and that the Prince must marry the woman attached to the finger on which the ring resides within a week, or forfeit the crown. Which wouldn't be such a bad thing, maybe -- after all, while they try everything under the sun to get the ring off, the couple does discover they enjoy each other's company -- except for a minor sticking point: neither wants to marry the other. After a life of suffocating plenty -- but a workaholic father who was never around -- all Christina wants is to find a nice, ordinary guy who'll provide her with a nice, ordinary family life out on a farm somewhere. And as far as Prince Richard is concerned, silly notions of enchanted rings have no place in his plan to drag the tiny kingdom of San Montico into the present. If only he didn't want to kiss her so much. . .

IF THE RING FITS is a real charmer, laced with wit and just the right amount of sizzle between the characters for a traditional romance. Enchanting, indeed!

Legend has it that the enchanted engagement ring, a treasured heirloom of the de Thierry family, will only fit on the finger of the Prince of San Montico's one true love. And, after the ring fits, the prince has one week in which to marry - or abdicate his throne.

But when clumsy American heiress, Christina Armstrong, got the ring stuck on her finger, Prince Richard knew he had to get that ring off her pretty finger before anyone found out it fit. Otherwise, wedding plans would be afoot. Christina simply wasn't princess material - and she darned sure wasn't going to be his princess. He wasn't going to let a foolish legend dictate who he would marry.

Christina was no more impressed with the prospect of marrying this demanding prince than he was with marrying her. But, try as they might, the ring simply refused to budge. True love, it was said, was the only thing that would release the ring. Richard and Christine made a good team - but could they somehow fall in love before the week was up? Before Richard lost his throne?

A clever twist on the Cinderella story, "If The Ring Fits..." is fast, fun, and pure delight. A keeper for sure!

You have to hand it to Rich Delgrosso- he's written a well thought out book on the history of the blues **as played on mandolin** and goes in-depth with historical blues mando players (who knew there were any?), the evolution of the genre, and the application of the blues basics to a more contemporary context. I've seen him on stage and met him at a mando workshop- great guy- and you can tell he strives to carry on the mando blues tradition as seriously as Eric Clapton does for guitar- paying full homage to all of those who came before him (Yank Rochelle is the mando equivalent to Robert Johnson). It's probably safe to say that guitar will always be the dominating instrument of choice for the blues-- and I think it may have an edge over mando because it just sounds better on guitar-- but if you want to expand your mando horizons and be a well rounded player who understands the mandolin in a blues context, you would be hard pressed to find a better book--

This is a really great piece of writing. It starts out teaching you how to play 12-bar blues in the keys of C and G (there are two nice duets in the key of G). Next comes sixteen beautiful blues songs written in traditional music and tablature.
Everything is played nicely in the accompanying CD.
The book also contains some interesting information about mandolins and about the composers of the songs used in the book -- and a list of blues mandolin recordings that are (hopefully) available.
I am VERY happy with this book.

Rich Delgrosso did a fantastic job with this book/CD. Great music and a subject matter that needs more attention. I had his earlier book, "Jug Band Music for Mandolin," and enjoyed it, but I believe this one is better. If you play mandolin and have the slightest interest in blues, this is one to have.

I love this book. Not only is it outstanding music instruction, it's also a great (and interesting) history lesson. The book is short on theory and technique, focusing instead on teaching by example, which suits me just fine. The transcribed tunes are stylistically comprehensive and run the spectrum from easy to fairly challenging (I would say this is an intermediate level book). I particularly liked the author's funky-blues composition at the end. Very cool.

The mandolin has its place in so many styles of music and it's a real pleasure to see an instruction book that focuses on something other than bluegrass or celtic music (not that there's anything wrong with bluegrass or celtic, but I think the market's a bit saturated!). If you like blues, this is a very fun book.

Mandolinist Rich DelGrosso is a self-professed "blues freak." After first hearing the strong, expressive blues mandolin of Johnny Young, he began a journey to research and revive that type of music. Nominated by The Blues Foundation for a 2006 Best Instrumentalist Award, DelGrosso has put together a charming overview of music, history, lessons and photos. "From Memphis to Maxwell Street" is the story of America's black mandolinists who nurtured the growth of blues music, complemented and energized jug and string bands of the South, and inspired such composers Scott Joplin and W.C. Handy. In the early 20th-Century, Memphis was where touring mandolin players like Vol Stevens, Will Weldon, Eddie Dimmitt and Charlie McCoy played. In nearby rural areas, W. Howard Armstrong and Carl Martin and their Tennessee Chocolate Drops played medicine shows, parties, picnics and fish fries. In the 1960s, they revived their string band sound in Martin, Bogan & Armstrongs. From rural Tennessee, Yank Rachell travelled with guitarist Sleepy John Estes and Hammie Nixon. In this book, "Yank Rachell's Blues" and "Early This Morning" show how his music was more modal than melodic.

After introductory info about the style itself, DelGrosso's clear perspective focuses on blue notes, harmonies based primarily on seventh chords, predictable 8- or 12-bar progressions, and rhythms driven by back beats. Three kinds of rhythmic dance music (rags, drags, stomps) are demonstrated. Using standard notation and tab, the author gives us some great melodic examples of these forms (Dallas Rag, Jackson Stomp, Knox County Stomp, State Street Rag, Vine Street Drag). Many of these tunes are derived from the music of Howard Armstrong, a man who befriended, inspired and mentored DelGrosso until Howard's passing in 2003. "Betty and Dupree" illustrates Armstrong's masterful melodic technique with double-stops. The book also explores the music of others in the Memphis collective of musicians. "Vol Steven's Blues" is a good study in phrasing and how to use flatted and natural notes. Also playing the Memphis and saloons of the 1920s and 30s were Will Weldon, Eddie Dimmitt and Charlie McCoy. Strong, hard-driving, passionate blues from each of these guys are offered. Phrasing, syncopation and the use of blues notes were their strengths.

As blacks migrated north, so did their music. Chicago's Maxwell Street became a center for blues folks. Carl Martin and Johnny Young were seen playing with guitarists and harmonica players from the windy city's South Side. Originally from Mississippi, Young moved north in search of work about 1940. "Johnny Young's Blues" and "Young's 8-Bar Blues" are taught. DelGrosso concludes the book with his own "DelGrosso's Blues (It's Funk)" and a selected discography for further exploration. Through the pages of Mandolin World News, I was familiar with blues mandolin and some players examined. However, this book pulls it all together into one place. It's a joy that may open up new doors for you and change your direction in music, just the way it did for its author. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)