Vocal Books

This Anthology is a due tribute to the great songwriter, German-born Kurt Weill. His compositions include hits like Mack the Knife, September Song and Alabama Song - all of them obviously included in the anthology (but you have to buy both volumes!). The two parts of the anthology have each and every song by Weill ever published separately (ie. not as a part of a full musical score). What's more, the sheet music is an exact reprint of the original, which ensures that no alterations have been done - they are faithful to the smallest degree. Most are piano+voice scores, but some also include guitar chords. Some songs are in German, some in French and some in English. "Mack the Knife" both in the original Dreigroschen Opera German version and in the English one.
The books are quite thick (might fall down from a sheet music stand), but well-bound and not very likely to break or fall apart. Some biographical/background info is also included in both volumes, as well as a few black-and-white photographs.
All in all, the anthology is a small treasure and you'd be hard-pressed to find all the individual songs in any bookshop or any other edition. So if you love Kurt Weill's music (and can read scores), you'll certainly love this collection.

This libretto contains the entire opera in both English and Italian (each on opposite pages). It was a very quick read but helped my understanding of the actual opera quite a bit. After reading it I think I enjoyed the music a lot more since I didn't have to think about what was going on.

A typical Hal Leonard publication, this contains Patrick Holland's (?) arrangements of all of the most important songs of the Broadway musical La Cage Aux Folles (not the Robin Williams film or the French original). From the songs on the original Broadway cast recording, only "Cocktail Counterpoint" is missing. Composer/lyricist Jerry Herman is perhaps more well-known, at least to older audiences, as the composer of Mame; these songs are rather in that same vein.

The keys of the pieces here are not always identical to those of the musical--the opening number "We Are What We Are", for example, begins in B major in the musical but is given in C major here. Surely the transposition is for ease of performance, but anyone looking to this to learn the show should be forewarned. The arrangements are not overly simplified and are a good representation for piano of the orchestral score. Chord symbols and guitar tablature are also included.

Songs included are "We Are What We Are", "A Little More Mascara", "With You On My Arm", "Song On The Sand", "La Cage Aux Folles", "I Am What I Am", "Masculinity", "Look Over There", and "The Best of Times".

About the songs themselves; the showstopper "I Am What I Am" has become a gay anthem of affirmation and is a gorgeous song with an important message regardless of one's sexual orientation. "La Cage Aux Folles", "Masculinity", and "We Are What We Are" are quite witty. "A Little More Mascara" is by turns poignant and funny. "Look Over There" and "Song on the Sand" are unconventional love songs, sentimental in a unique way. "The Best of Times" calls us to live and love for today, in a way reminiscent of Candide. Only "With You On My Arm" is a disappointment, and that only because it is rather average, with no particular appeal or sparkle, not because it is actively bad.

Along with the songs one gets a reproduction of the musical's poster on the cover and 13 full or half page black and white photographs of good quality, but not well labeled. Like the original cast CD's photos, if you don't already know which one is George Hearn and which one is Gene Barry, you won't find out here! The most remarkable of the photos is a rehearsal picture showing one of the male dancers in dress and heels (no wig) doing a 180 degree split kick in the standing position--one leg on the floor and the other fully extended over his head. How such a thing is possible without major structural damage I'm not sure, but I'm certainly in awe.

Labor's Troubadour is an exceptionally well written and presented autobiography of a man who has spend more than fifty years using the power of music to fight for union representations in mills, mines, factories, and offices all over the country. Glazer tells of sharing platforms with significant political figures including Harry Truman, Eleanor Roosevelt, Hubert Humphrey, Adlai Stevenson, George McGovern, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon and Ladybird Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and bill Clinton. He describes his often comedic meetings with Jacqueline Kennedy, Rudolf Serkin, and other celebrities. Here also is the story of his encounters with labor icons Walter Reuther, George Meany, Cesar Chavez and others. Labor's Troubadour reveals the power of song to promote ideas and ideals and is a strongly recommended autobiography for students of the American labor movement in general, and one of its most talented balladeers in particular.

These cuts are all classics of the CC genre, and some are hard to find now. Especially "Dragonslayer" which has always been one of my favorites for its linking of the gospel with hard rocking and fantasy literature. "El Shaddai" is one of the greatest songs of all time, and this is the best interpretation by its human author (I am persuaded that the Holy Ghost inspired it). MC adeptly covers a wide range of music genres on this CD, from rock to ballads to gospel, and he does so in an original, non-imitative style that is fresh, theologically rich, and all his own, with no apologies to the pop CC market.

If you know a kid who's digging on the Jonas Brothers or Hannah Montana and wants to know more about what came before the acts that are on the radio this week -- or you just think he or she ought to know -- this is an excellent book. The writing also has enough humor and cynicism (mostly implied, rarely overt) so that it makes for good adult reading as well.

The author obviously knows his stuff, making the most of the limited space he has to give the nuts and bolts of 100 artists ranging from The Jam to Britney Spears. Along with brief biographies, you get nice pics and interesting facts and nuggets. Did you know that Ronald Reagan's daughter Patti cowrote an Eagles song? Me neither!

My only complaint is that the book isn't long enough -- each chapter left me wanting to know more. But this book wasn't designed to be an in-depth biography of these artists. As a taster that will hopefully influence you to delve further into some of these artists, it's perfect.

Most biographors who have written about Mr. Lennon ether tell you very little or they tell you too much about his private life. This book did not do that it told you about his acheivements and it also told you about his faults. When Mr. Coleman wrote this book he showed his love for the person and not the name. There have been writters who have written in envy or hate. There is not one part in this book that is written under thoes pretences. This book helps you see his human side and how giving, caring, and how loving this man was. It told you about his life from childhood right up to his death. I would not recomend this book for any one who can not stand to read a verv long time but if you really are interested in John Lennon, out of all the books I've read this would be the one I would recomend

I you love Lenya, as I do you cannot live without this memoire. I read it so frequently I am almost ashamed. I live in Vienna. Lenya was Vienna

The late, great Anthony Newley and his writing partner Leslie Bricusse gave us some superb standards from their shows over the years. All the greats such as "What Kind of Fool Am I" and "Once In A Lifetime" from "Stop the World" are included as well as songs from the TV "Peter Pan" that they wrote in the seventies and "Candy Man" from the film "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory". Along with photographs on stage and off, as well as personal memories from Bricusse, this is a great way to remember Tony Newley. This kind of music will never die! Paul Goodhead/President of the Anthony Newley Appreciation Society.

This amazing book (for piano, vocal, chords) contains the most beautiful songs of Céline Dions CD "Let's Talk About Love". It contains 15 titles: The Reason * Immortality * Treat her like a lady * Why oh why * Love is on the way * Tell him * Where is the love * When I need you * Miles to go (Before I sleep) * Us * Just a little bit of love * My heart will go on * I hate you then I love you * To love you more * Let's talk about love. It also contains some beautiful and official pictures of Céline...