Dance Books

I became hooked on this author's books with the first one I bought (about the Munchkins), so it's no surprise that I love this one too! Once again, it's full of rare photographs, little known trivia and fascinating tid-bits. Even if you only had a passing interest in The Beverly Hillbillies, you're going to love this book. And if you're a fan of the show......you're going to be in Seventh Heaven with this one! You'll love this as much as Elly May Clampett loved her critters!!

This is a great book on the long running TV series"The Beverly Hillbillies" but where's the Max Baer(Jethro) Autobiography?It's been long overdue!!We're all anxiuosly waiting!!

Another winner for Steve Cox! His relaxed writing style makes for a fantastic read, and the photos compiled for it really make this collection stand out. A must-have for any fan of the BH, or heck - TV for that matter.

The critics hated and audiences loved it. CBS only put it on the air because they had no other good sitcoms in the fall of 1962. What happened was a revolution in sitcoms. "The Beverly Hillbillies" went on to become one of the biggest hits in the history of television. It climbed to the top of the ratings faster than any sitcom in history. It is no wonder that forty years later audiences still love this show. With the exception of "I Love Lucy", not other sitcom has been so durable and successful in syndication. Thanks to Mr. Stephen Cox for writing a book about a sitcom that truly deserves such recognition. "The Beverly Hillbillies" was a runaway hit and a phenomenon. But, for me, it is simply a funny show that I don't mind watching over and over again.

For anyone who is a fan of "The Beverly Hillbillies" (or is interested in TV history) this is the book for you! Steve Cox has a way of writing that makes you feel as if he is in your own living room telling you the remarkable story of the Clampetts. The book contains: fantastic black & white and color photos, behind the scenes stories, great interviews with the cast, an episode guide and a detailed history of America's favorite hillbilly family. So set a spell with Steve Cox as your guide and relive all the fun and laughter of The Beverly Hillbillies. Y'all read up now y'hear.

This has been one of the best books I have read. The character of Scott was captivating. The author's writing kept me wanting more. I actually couldn't put the book down. Mr. Kish's insight and expressions throughout the book are nothing short of amazing. So much spirit came through this book. I felt as though I knew Scott personally. His
intelligence, his humor. The descriptions of each of the other patients, their struggles, their characters...the staff..all of it just brought me into their world for a short period of time through Scott's eyes; the author's words. I have learned much from this book, it made me think of things I never thought of or never knew regarding institutional living and how things can be perceived. And the feelings...so easily expressed through Mr. Kish's words. The ending was very sad, but inevitable. The author's words, everything, every part of this book allowed the story to flow.

I would say a look at the new counter-cultural text since Ken Kesey's, "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest." A gem in itself if carefully scrutinized. Consistent through-out. The writing style was punctuated by prolific poetic prose. Well thought-out and patiently constructed. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

I've heard the term being used in discusing Blue Institution's merit around a brightly lit coffee table filled with cocktales of all sorts, "Haunting...the story of a young man afflicted with Huntington's chorea while living in an institution for the developmentally delayed, (see, you've got us doing it now Ernie Kish, 'developmentally delayed') gives a voice to the voiceless." Yea. I heard about it and didn't think too much about it until somebody said it was Huntington's chorea that Woody Guthrie had. Not everybody knows about that. So I look into the local book store and order me up a copy and Bang...! Right away I'm struck in the face...captured...only able to stop reading...got up to page 3 where you're already immersed in drama...only to have to stop to get into my car and drive away. So much drama, three people involved in a confusing situation only to be compounded by another who takes total charge just to preserve the dignities of a schedule and manhandling a client whether it be for his good or not only because the schedule could not be broken. That's how intense this author is.

This is a very sensitively written work. There's too much detail written into the book for it not to be based on a true story. The author really does a good job at bringing out all those wonderful words and uses them with craft to stir your emotions. I mean he really gets you going at times. My husband also liked it and I overheard him talking about it at a dinner party we went to the other evening. My husband is a big Tom Clancy fan and I a big Nicholas Sparks fan. It's funny that my husband and I both enjoyed reading Blue Institution. It's the kind of book I think Oprah Winfrey would recommend to her audience, and perhaps she will if she hasn't already. It's a story about a young man who stuggles with a terrible disease in an at times horrible setting. Yet, he tries to maintain his sense of humor and even feels sympathy for the rest of his "friends" that live in this state institution. I don't want to spoil your reading of Blue Institution so I won't give away any more details. I hope you enjoy it as much as I.

I laughed for about 20 minutes after reading the last chapter, then remembered something in the middle of the book and found myself trying to find it. After I found what I was looking for I mentally congradulated the author for what he did and/or how he did it. It's not your typical story. I feel you too will enjoy reading this book. You may find some surprises also. It was also a learning experience for me as I'm studying teaching in a special environment. I only wish some of my college textbooks read this well.

This was a gift to my son who is a musician. He calls it the absolute best gift I could have given him.

This has transcriptions of Mingus's best and most popular songs. The transcriptions seem to be accurate, though the nature of Mingus' music means that sometimes the transcription is the average of two or three versions. Some of the songs have a paragraph of two written about them. Also interspersed throughout the book are various writings and blurbs from Mr. Mingus himself. All in all an excellent book for a musical Mingus fan, or someone intent on playing his music.

While the book is supposedly a fake book for musicians, it includes trio and quartet recordings by key members of the Mingus big band including Seamus Blake, the outstanding Thelonius Monk Award-winning saxophonist who doesn't yet have his own CD out. The two CDs is an excellent introduction to the music of Monk and holds up well on its own. Listen and enjoy and don't worry if you are NOT a musician.

As an avid fan of Charles Mingus, naturally this book is a must have. The compositions featured are very accurate and precise, it is always a treat to not only be able to see the music, but to know its origins. Even those who are not fortunate enough to be a musician can pick up this book and enjoy the commentarys and the other fun tidbits(i.e the Mingus Cat-alog and the comic stip). I highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Mr.Charles Mingus. Anybody (musician or not) can enjoy this product.

I'm a big fan of Mingus and this book have a nice collection of transcriptions of his songs. But for we the bassplayers there's a lack of info about his bassplaying and his way of play each song...

This book is the most incredible collection of circus images i've ever seen!
love it!

A great Circus lovers book! I was unaware of its size and scope when I ordered it, but was more than pleased with it upon arrival. Although a bit expensive, the book is definitely well worth it. Even if you don't read the text (a big mistake), the photogaphs and circus posters in this book portray a much needed human side to the American circus and its performers. I will enjoy this book for years to come. Now, if I could only find a shelf big enough to hold it.....

This is a huge book. This coffee table book is too big for the coffee table. Buy two and you have a coffee table. It's a heavy book - you can't red it bed. You can't read it waiting at the airport, on the train or the bus. They don't build bookcases in this size. It's freak book. But it's also a beautiful book. Most circus books can be put in one of two categories - books about particular circuses /circus dynasties or books about the life in circus. This book is in a category of it's own - it describes the circus as an important factor in the development of the American popular culture. The picture material is beautiful but the text, in three languages, is even better. It's easy to make this oversized publication to a laugh matter. But it's also a really good buy if you are interested in circus and popular culture. You get a lot of book for your money - $ 6.90/pound or $ 2.3/square yard. Buy it.

Whilst by size this may be considered a novelty item and of particular interest to students of American Circus this has much more value than that. The oversize format and use of fold out pages presents an opportunity to display visual reproductions which otherwise would not be possible on this scale. Of particular interest to me was the presentation of items from very early circus history. This must have been a mamouth publishing enterprise with some commercial risk considering the total scope of the circus book reading customer base but the contributors and publishers must be complemented upon the finished product.

Not one to read in bed but a valuable addition to the collections of those interested in circus and visual presentation.

AC.

I own many circus books and i was advised about this one is a must.
For a $200 circus book it better be great one and the waters better part.
When it arrived I was amazed at the size and the weight of it. Then i open it up and it was like the land of Oz going from black and white to TECHNICOLOR.
In all my life I have never seen a book printed like this with all those beautiful color photos of the circus. Where ever they got those photos they are the best I have even seen in any book.
The WOW factor and it is just amazing book.
It is a must for the circus collector.
I am so glad I got a copy and it is worth every penny of the price.
Harry Kingston

Absolutely beautiful color photos taken all over the world and used as cover art for the popular CTI jazz label in the 70's. Landscapes, nature, travel shots, creative concoctions and the occasional portrait, all manipulated with color, create a stunning photo album and art book.

I'm a professional jazz pianist, and a former pro photographer, and this book is just terrific. If you are a jazz fan, you already own some of these covers, and if you're interested in photography, you've probably been influenced by Turner's incredible color sense. This big collection, with his notes on the pictures and beautiful printing, is just a "must buy." I'm going to a dinner next week with a bunch of musicians, and I'm taking this book along to share. It will probably be more popular than the food.....

It's fascinating to me how the energy and freedom of jazz is reflected in Turner's approach to photography. Intensity, unusual color, surprising juxtapositions.....an inspiring blend. And he photographed the top players, the masters of jazz (with some pop in the mix, too).

This is great: all of the best Pete Turner jazz record covers in one place. Many of these covers I saw for the first time as new releases in record stores by some of the best jazz musicians around; Milt Jackson, Paul Desmond, Freddy Hubbard, Wes Montgomery and so many others. To have a compendium of them in one beautifully designed and superbly printed book is an event worth celebrating.

The covers, by the confirmed master of color photography, Pete Turner, were always certain to grab my eye - and not let go. I don't know what I enjoyed more: looking at the covers or listening to the records. Fortunately it wasn't a mutually exclusive choice.

It is these photographs that inspired me to choose a career as a photographer, the best career in existence. I have Pete Turner to thank for that.

In the sixties and seventies I bought some of the LPs featured in these pages and I can remember being mightily impressed with Pete Turner's stunning color work. I had seen some of this, during the sixties, in the Twen, the German magazine that specialized in powerful photography and graphics to illustrate features.

Turner reveals in the book that A&M's Art Director Bob Ciano decided to treat the LP cover like a magazine spread and run the graphics across the front and back and I think this is why some of Turner's photos have such impact: stunning, very graphic color images frequently presented twenty-four inches wide. Shown in this kind of format no wonder his work is difficult to forget.

I've looked through this book a lot and the work still impresses but I would query the connection to jazz. So many of these photos are surely interchangeable with many of the covers. On pages twenty-two and three there is the famous red giraffe as used on a Antonio Carlos Jobim LP, great photo which, when it was reissued four years later, ended up as a green giraffe because of a printers gaffe. Red or green it really doesn't matter and it could just have easily been on a cover for Wes Montgomery or Milt Jackson. I think Bill Claxton for Pacific and Contemporary records and especially Francis Wolff for Blue Note produced much stronger jazz cover photos.

Pete Turner will probably be remembered best for his almost abstract photos that appeared on lots of LP covers. The book is well printed in 175 screen with a very clean and elegant layout and it's a suitable celebration for a photographer with a unique color style.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

This is a great book. A big book with clear pictures. I love the way Pete reviews his photos. He's a great artist!

For me just one minor point. Some pictures are printed over two pages. This brakes the picture in two and is a little distraction because the book doesn't fold open all the way.

But certainly value for the money, a recommendation!

I can only add to the nostalgia shared with the rest, I remember my friend and I in our living rooms, propping this great book open and trying to bring our dream of belly dancing into fruition. For those of us from the dark ages, we begin here, one of the best books around then, until instructors were more accessible. I proudly keep this book, weathered and dog-eared, in my favorite book shelf, which I borrowed from my friend several decades ago. I cannot part with it.
We felt connected to our dream, through this book, and it has come to fruition.
The instruction is precise, the photography is well done in black and white. It is a great reference tool, with much that is not done in video.
I am fortunate to have this book.

A copy of this book was passed on to me by a dear friend after retiring her zills. I consider it an invaluable resource for dancers of all levels.

As a dancer of 20-something years, I still find new references and ideas for keeping my performances fresh and inspirational.

Very detailed descriptions with emphasis on proper alignment, plus plenty of photographs and diagrams to complement each lesson and exercise.

For me, this is the one that started it all! While house-sitting for my aunt, I found this book on her shelf. She had told me that I was welcome to use any of her books and music. Once I found this book, I worked with it for the rest of the summer. When she returned and saw what I had learned, she gave me the book. I had fallen in love with bellydance! Great book!

I feel very fortunate to have an original copy of this classic bellydance book in my bellydance library. The book contains captivating black and white photographs that express the mystique and sensousness of bellydance. The book has a vintage charm and is a must have for all bellydancers. I don't use this book as a learning tool, but rather as an inspiration and an expression of the love of bellydance.

This book, written in 1973, was one of the first available when the 70's bellydance craze began. It was my first introduction to the Art, as I could not afford an instructor. I now own many books, and as a bellydancing Grandma still consider this the best. This book gives insite into the character of the Dance that is missing in so many other sources, but still celebrates the sensuality that makes the Dance.

Such a shame this comedy troupe broke up. Humour with surgical precision. Roots of Python found here. You'll listen over and over again.

After Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers came the Beyond the Fringe crowd. This is one of the foundation stones of transatlantic comedy. Cook and Moore preceded Pythons Cleese and Chapman at Cambridge. (They in turn preceded Frye and Laurie.) Ripeness is all, and they had it...

The team of Jonathan Miller, Alan Bennett, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore was originally conceived as a potentially successful show for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1960 - hence the name. None of them had ever worked together before, or not at any rate in this configuration, and each of them went into the project with some doubts. They ended up producing one of the most savagely funny comedy shows ever, a piece of work that was to play a large part in the transformation of the British cultural landscape during the 1960s.

It's all very well (and true) to say that this stuff is still funny after forty years. It's more useful to put yourself back into the mindset of a 1961 audience, utterly unprepared for such a comic assault on the sacred cows of post-war British culture: dodgily reverential productions of Shakespeare; dreary and self-aggrandising prime-ministerial broadcasts by then PM Harold Macmillan; a devastating swipe at the cheery platitudes of governmental advice on what to do during a nuclear attack (basically, hide inside a brown paper bag); a brutal demolition of piously cliched movies about the sacrifices of world war 2 - these lads dished it out in spades. The laughter you hear on the soundtrack is not the cosy laughter of an audience hearing what it likes to hear, it's the guilty and almost hysterical laughter of an audience having its worst fears and suspicions confirmed and provoked.

Fair enough, Dudley Moore (RIP) went on to make some dodgy movies. Jonathan Miller did some fine work in the theatre and in opera, but nothing quite as cutting-edge as here. Alan Bennett became an English (not British) institution. Peter Cook ended up with a reputation as the Guy Who Never Fulfilled His Promise - but none of these assessments are accurate. Between the talents of the four of them, they produced a comedy that has seldom been lived up to. They truly were the Bill Hickses of 60s England. As Michael Frayn points out in his excellent introductory essay, it's because they made the audience laugh at their own prejudices. Few have done so much, and they never slacked. (One of the sketches from the 1964 Broadway production, included here, confirms this, in a sardonic assessment of American culture and how-the-show-is-likely-to-go-down-there, still true today.)

This is great comedy. We shouldn't imitate its content - we should strive to reach for the level of insight and the accuracy of target that they met. Mind you, it's still damn funny. My personal faves are the civil defence sketch and Bennett's stunningly vacuous sermon "Take A Pew", chunks of which I know off by heart. Good comedy is never cosy, and while this may seem like we've heard it before, bear in mind that nobody had ever quite done anything like this at the time - or, anyway, not so successfully. Genius.

The legendary performance by 4 true geniuses. Oh, if we could only have this on vid....

I have spent a great deal of time playing this to people who finally get it. The launching pad for Monty Python, Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, et al, is right here. These 3 CDs contain the cream of the 60's satire crop by 4 very affable chaps not afraid to take convention and a sledgehammer and juxtapose the two. The material is first-rate and the performances practically flawless. One or two bits do require more visual, but the gist is just as good--gets the mind working.

Even the material that is dated (Harold Macmillan et al) holds up well because, in all honesty, have politicians really changed all that much in 40 years? I think not--it's just more public now.

Get this set by any means. You will truly treasure this gem for years to come.

Terrific. I've just spent the entire weekend listening to certain tracks over and over. The writing is fantastic and the talents of these 4 are really amazing. The characterizations are crystal clear and masterfully layered ("Words...and Things," "TVPM," "Take a Pew" among others) so that for any performer, writer or director, "Beyond the Fringe" is an education. Two of the three CDs were recorded in London and it is interesting to compare them with the third CD, recorded in the U.S. Although I questioned my hormone balances when I paid for the thing, I'm very happy to have it as a part of my collection. For any piano players, Dudley Moore does a wonderful job with humor and music. While some of the sketches aren't nearly as topical as they were in 1961, the time gap serves to clarify the choices of the actors. Even with that, the sketches have aged well.

This book is much more informative and essential to the working actor than the countless others you can find on a bookshelf. Instead of giving the same advice (which usually isn't good to use in an audition situation), it expounds on the idea that you already have some idea about what you need and gives you real, nose-to-the-grindstone advice on how to tighten things up and give a real whammy of an audition.
As well as advice on choosing the appropriate 16 bars or monologue, it gives advice about representation, Actors Equity, resumés, headshots, you name it.
Here's a hint: This book is soo worth it, we used it as a textbook in a collegiate course about auditioning.

I don't know how I auditioned before this book. For any high school or college student going through program or emphasis auditions, this book is essential. And even better, for professional auditions, this book is a handbook on how to do everything you will need to know.
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to be enlightened.

As a student of Music Theatre, this book is a fantastic guide to the well rounded audition. This book even landed me the audition! This book is well worth a read for ANYONE who is autioning in Acting, Singing and Musical Theatre.

My son plans a career in musical theatre and this is the fourth book that I have read on the topic. The others included the book by Shurtleff and the one by Silver. They were all good but I liked this one best because it covered all of the practical aspects of performing songs and monologues for auditions. It guides one through all of the details. Since this is the most current of all the books the frames of reference are more appropriate.

Actors, whether seasoned or new, who regularly audition for musicals and plays should not omit taking at least a peek at the advice in The Complete Professional Audition: A Commonsense Guide To Auditioning For Musicals And Plays: it's a 'must' for would-be pros and provides an edge over the competition in both musical theater and regular play auditions, from locating the right music or monologue to demonstrating unique talents in a mere 2 minutes. An added bonus: chapters which discuss the realities of a working actor's life beyond the audition, from union regulations and the roles of agents to further reference tips, including web sites. Simply invaluable.

If you only read one book on Talk Radio this is the one to read. It's extremely practical. Valarie covers every little thing you will ever face in creating radio programming. Its like having radio's finest consultant for the price of the book. What a deal!

This book is a must have for anybody working in the broadcasting industry. I keep mine by my bedside and read snippets of it everyday and as a result my work is sooooooooo much better and my figures are up cos Valerie gives you all the tricks and tools of the trade you will ever need. If you are new to the industry or even if you have been in the industry for a while, this book is a must have cos it will show you ways of finding new ideas, staying on top of the game and it will stop you from going stale. it's a powerful radio bible that all educational & broadcasting institutions should encourage students & staff to read.

Eno Eruotor
Broadcast Journalist
BBC Radio Manchester

Creating Powerful Radio is a must-read/must-live-by for anyone who wants to succeed in art of talk radio. I live and breathe the spirit and direction of Valerie Geller's dead-on insight every day with my own show, and in programming each of the stations and networks I have directed. When I interview job candidates, I *always* ask if they have read Creating Powerful Radio, AND the companion producer's workbook. If the answer is 'no,' I will kindly ask them to come back and have a chat when they have. What Valerie shares between the covers of these books is a critical road map to understanding how to build a relationship with listeners and avoid the pitfalls that so many talk show hosts suffer from. Do you want to be a WINNER in talk radio? You're taking an important step in that direction when you not only read Creating Powerful Radio, but when you live, eat, drink, sleep and personify the concepts Ms. Geller has so generously shared for creative, entertaining people to be at the top of their game!

John McMullen
Chief Programming Officer
GAYBC Radio Network

Valerie Geller has a gift for breaking down the basics of broadcasting. While being on the radio seems like it is an easy task, Valerie Geller explains very important techniques for helping the beginner all the way up to the most seasoned pro. It is a way to think about radio as a larger medium, how to use the airways as a canvas, as an art. I highly recommend this and all of Valerie's books to anyone interested in radio broadcasting. These books should be in all broadcast schools and radio stations, no matter how large the radio station is. We all need reminding of how to create powerful radio.

"Creating Powerful Radio" is the most comprehensive work I have read on how to win in radio, and a potent weapon in any radio broadcaster's arsenal. It is well written and brimming with practical, real-world ideas that are easy to understand and implement. Its wisdom spans the nut-and-bolts to profound critical thinking rarely encountered in business today. For anyone who works, or aspires to work, in today's competitive radio landscape, Geller's essential intellingence should be required reading; if I had known in the late-1960s what I know now from reading "Creating Powerful Radio," KFRC in San Francisco would probably still be a top 40 station with a 30-share.

Hi,
I'm happy with the book, fast shipping to my home.

First, 2 pages about how to hold your pick in your hands. Than: work on scale exercises!

It's well written, but it's still up to you: lots of practice!
Some things are less explained, but it's for the advanced player, you have to know already some basics about what scales are, how they are formed. In fact you don't need it, but it's nice to know it beforehand.
But maybe there are things explained in Creative Guitar 1 (wich i don't have), but you can follow without that book if you already can play.

I'm still at the first chapter and playing slowly, but I'm looking forward to work it out. Finally good exercises for stretching fingers and playing scales. I'm looking forward for the sweep picking and tapping exercises.

Extensive picking exercises really get your fingers doing the stuff that's tough to do. Lot's of insight from the master. Really a large number of variations on each topic so there is bound to be something that will highlight a weakness of yours. Then it's up to you to spend the time practicing them. The CD is great for improving over as well. A steal when you consider what lessons covering this material would cost.

This guitar book is great for people who kind of know a good amount about the guitar. It has many helpful tips and it contains a lot of good examples to practice.

I have been a great fan of Guthrie Govan (the author of this book) since I read his articles in the pages of Guitar Techniques magazine (also a great resource):)
I really liked the way the author summarized and verbalized the techniques that are involved in playing. For me, it was a great way to explain how each technique should look like and feel like which for this part, I believe is the sign of a good teaching technique.
This book is great for people who have played for a while and think are pretty familiar with the majority of concepts the instrument has to offer and Guthrie here throws a monkey wrench into the system. As guitarists we realize that the comibations and scale patterns are virtually endless but he offers combinations and ideas that sound melodious and musical.
I particularly liked the sections on picking (a great simple explanation of a big topic), the immitation of other instruments on the guitar (now I don't need that mandolin) and the two handed techniques deserve hours and hours of expirementation.
If you have been playing for several years and if you feel like you in a bit of a rut this one is for you.

Tear their faces off with blazing virtuousity is what you'll do when you master the techniques in this book! I have quite a few other technique books by Troy Stetina, Satriani, and Musicians Institute I believe. They are alright and have some decent and some useful information in them but have not made the impact on my guitar playing I was hoping.

Particularly useful in this book is that exercises and ideas are written in both standard notation and tablature. Sometimes its easier to see patterns in standard notation than it is in tab form; notation also helps a lot in learning the fretboard. I was worried this book would skimp on the technical side of playing and be geared more to standard scale exercises like other books I own. This is not the case. Two handed tapping, eight finger tapping even, legato picking, strange sequences similiar to those found on Vai's Passion and Warfare album, odd rhythm grouping patterns, double stops, and even how to make your guitar sound like a Hammond organ and other intruments are included.

This is a fantastic book geared to highly technical guitar playing. References to other great guitar albums are also sprinkled throughout to expand your listening library. I would highly recommend this book to anyone serious about mastering the guitar and wish I had it years ago myself. I've been playing for almost 15 years now.