Music Books

excellent book/cd combo that is perfect for the beginner at bass guitar who is interested in learning jump bass.


The book shipped promptly and it was like new.

Thanks,

This book just arrived and I just popped in the CD to give it a quick listen. What a pleasant surprise! The blues playing is top-notch all around, from the bassist (which you might hope for, from a bass book :-) to the guitar, drums, piano, harmonica, and even organ. If they lengthened the tracks this CD would almost stand on its own as a blues audio CD, it's that good. I've heard other "how to" books where the playing is only so-so (maybe intentionally, in a misguided attempt to not intimidate the beginner?), but on this CD everyone's really cookin', which I find really inspiring. It'll motivate me to work at getting as good.

Another good idea is that most of the band plays on the right track, and the bass playing is featured on the left channel, so it's easy to hear what he's doing and learn from it. I could see eventually muting the bass, recording my own left bass track and comparing to see how well I'm learning.

A quick scan through the book also makes me think I've made a good purchase - some good playing tips and lots of work to keep me busy this winter :-)

The CD and the examples in this blues bass instuction book are particularly perfect for those seeking the most common blues bass lines. The examples run from slow Willie Dixon blues, medium speed Chicago and New Orleans styles, into a few "swing" blues styles. Each example on the CD plays through the song in its entirety, and with cool variations. There are twenty-two examples in all, and each is representative of a very popular blues groove. What makes this bass book/cd standout from others is that it defines particular styles and artists and associates that sound for players to groove on. A HIGH SIERRA BASS PLAYER MUST HAVE!

What a great bass blues book, with an unfortunate title. Keith covers some of the blues "greats" - "Duck Dunn", Tommy Shannon, etc. by using blues tunes to showcase the individual styles. Presented in notes and tabs with an accompanying CD. The CD allows you to "dump" the bass and play along with the band. Also, good commentaries on what makes a good blues bass player. The "Jump n" part of the title made me think the book only covered "old" blues styles, but it is a great overview of many styles.

I am a rank beginner on the bass, and have found that playing blues is one of the easier ways to feel like you are learning/playing a song without a lot of intense effort. I don't say this to say blues is easy, but more that the repetition in it is far easier to follow than many rock bass lines that move off into solos. This book sets out several (there are not LOTS of them) different styles and songs to practice, and it is done in a clear fashion with comments about the type of player(s) that made these styles famous.

If you're a well experienced player, you may be disappointed. But if you are not that experienced, this can give you that feeling that you really are making progress.

Thank you thank you thank you... I listen to this each morning at work.. its a wonderful way to start my day!

These "songs" are great! A new way got get your spiritual teachings - with a beat, with a groove, with a swirl. Enjoy Abraham with a new fun twist!

At first I wasn't sure if I liked the music, but after I listened to it a couple of times. I decided I really do love it.

I have got to say- there is no cd in my collection that I listen to as often as I listen to this one. What Scott Raposa was able to do with Esther and Abraham is amazing. He takes those little bits of Abraham that you wish you could hear over and over so you'd have a chance to really absorb them, and mixes them into the most beautiful, trance-inducing music.

Let me just tell you- I listen to this cd on my way to work and back, so instead of cursing NYC traffic, I'm focused on segment intentions for an amazing day. I work out to the cd first thing in the morning and literally lose myself in the music, which has lead to this weird thing of actually ENJOYING a workout. I play it on my ipod at work and when my boss is showing me some serious contrast ;), I just let go and breath through it.

I know I'm gushing at this point, but I just have to say that ANYONE who even has a SLIGHT interest in the teachings of Abraham NEEDS this cd. It's just that great. And I am waiting with bated breath for the second disc.

This is quite possibly the coolest album I've ever owned. It takes some of the most powerful quotes from Abraham and entwines them in cutting edge electronica. "Leading Edge Music - Leading Edge Thought"

When I first found this album I scoffed at the idea, because so often when inspirational verse is set to music, it tends to sound like an infomercial soundtrack. But once I listened to the samples on the Abraham-Hicks website, I was sold. This music is bold, futuristic, energizing, and at the same time soothing and hypnotic. It's the perfect envelope for Abraham's uplifting voice, and well suited for many different activities. I have a copy in my home, my car, and my iPod. I listen to it while driving, exercising, working, cleaning, relaxing... just about anything.

I have studied the Teachings of Abraham for many years and while I love it, I have admittedly strayed from it a few times. It's just so easy to become distracted with "what-is" and fall back into patterns of resistance. But this album has given me a powerful way to stay focused, a daily dose of Abraham in a fun and inspiring format. It keeps me on track when I might otherwise drift away and lose sight of Source.

I highly recommend this album. It's a small investment that will pay huge dividends in your vibration, well-being, and point of attraction.

along with bob dylan's "chronicles volume one," this is one of the two best music books i have ever read. mr lankford writes about his experiences on the road as a white drummer in an otherwise black blues band with great skill and wonderful narrative sense. this is a completely enjoyable book that i would recommend you best read soon.

I can only echo the sentiments of other reviewers when I beg Mike Lankford to write some more.

Even if you have no interest in the subject matter, Lankford's fluid style will thrill you to the end. We start with his love affair with rock music & drumming, the numerous bands he was in as a youth and conclude with a series of anecdotes regarding his time in a small touring every-band with a couple of ageing yet highly-talented black guys who needed a drummer. Brilliant!

I've loaned this book to several of my fellow musicians (most of whom have seen a little time on the road) and most of them have since bought copies for themselves. I've also recommended the book to my son, who has visions of a life in a rock band (and whom I feel hypocritical in trying to dissuade since it was my young adult dream, too). Mike's book speaks directly and honestly about the life of the journeyman musician and the danger and boredom that it entails. But at the same time, he conveys the wonder of a young teenager discovering the magic of the music. This book makes great reading for those who've been there and for those who could have been contenders.

Mike Lankford creates such a vivid picture of life on the road that I actually feel myself being tossed about in the back of that van he writes about. My only confusion: Why haven't we gotten another book from this guy?!

This is a musician's biography that soars above its genre. The writing is so good that truth loses importance. Life meets art. If another book is not forthcoming from Mike Lankford soon, he should be incarcerated for squandering a national treasure.

Buy this book. When it is delivered to you, savour each small chapter with curiosity, patience, diligence and a beginner's mind. When you're ready, take it to the piano with you. Sit with Dr. Overtone by your side, or right before you on the sheet music stand, and let him open door after door and guide you to the mysteries of sound and silence. Suddenly, you'll realise the piano is not merely what you have been expecting it to be. Within a few moments, you'll realise music is not what you thought it was. And eventually, you'll learn more about yourself, your community and the meaning of life than you thought your ears could teach you. Music, and music practice, then, will become a spiritual experience.

The way the book was written is lighthearted and really gentle, but the author very accurately tackles core concepts in a very hands-on approach. Expect to spend much more time making sounds than reading, to change a handful of concepts no matter how advanced you think you are in music, and to even perhaps change the way you teach your pupils. One of these gifts to Humankind a genious offers once in a very good while, this book is the philosopher's stone for everybody invested in making sound gold, from the pitch-challenged, wannabe singer to the super-concertist disheartened with their career. Even for those covered-ears souls who think they have not the gift for music. In essence, pretty much the next small step for a global cultural revolution. Do not just buy it, advertise it.

I gave this book to my son after reading it. It teaches basic skills to those who need some encouragement that, yes, they too are a musician. But it's also very entertaining and he tells some great stories.

This is a delightful collection of essays on how to sensitize yourself to and appreciate all the sounds around you, from frogs and birds to dinnerware clinks to foreign languages being spoken.

I read the book in Chinese, since that was all our library had. I only give the translation a B, but the meaning mostly came through, and I don't think I missed too much from the original English.

My favorite section was the one on musical composition. It contains several practical suggestions that I haven't seen in other books on how to compose your own tunes. I had discovered the notion of AMAPFALAP ("As much as possible from as little as possible") independently before, but Mathieu's approach provides a concrete and excellent starting point to developing your own musical ideas and stretching and firming up your musical muscles.

Mathieu ends with some thoughts on why his students would always say "thank you" for all they learned in his music workshops, but just "that was interesting" in reaction to his concerts of improvised music. He seems a bit miffed, but ultimately comes up with a rationalization he can live with.

Music is more than just Beethoven and playing the notes on the score; in this book, Mathieu helps you find out just how much more it is.

This books is amazing. It's very fun to read and really opens up your ear. My only issue is that sometimes he uses words that I can't find in the dictionary, so for that one sentence, I don't know what he's trying to say. But they don't affect what he's telling you. I think he puts stuff in there for himself. haha

anyway, get the book

W.A. Mathieu is utterly in love with vibrating air molecules, and this thoughtful, warm, and fun collection of short essays is bound to impart some of that to you. This is not a book about composition, about developing your own personal style or anything of that sort. It is a way of focusing on and developing your relationship with your ears, with sound, with what sounds good to you in music and in nature and in all of the world, both inside and outside of your head. In playful exercises for musicians and non-musicians alike, we examine the nature of a single note played on an instrument, or sung alound, or even just a series of spoken or drawn-out syllables. There are ways to bring music into a group of people; there are ways to draw it out of inanimate objects; there are ways to find it in silence. He's not trying to convince anybody that traffic, barking dogs, and 3 AM garbage trucks are as beautiful as a Bach piece; some things will sound better to you than others. But practice makes perfect: if you practice hearing, you will hear more, and you will hear better, and you will find more things that sound good, and you will get a richer enjoyment of them. This is "Discovering Your Own Music."

Schechter has done for Judy and Liza what Koeschel has done for Wolfgang. It's all here: the mood, the method, the magnificence, in two encyclopedic texts that detail the lives and good works of two of the most fascinating and talented women of our time and all the ages--the Fantastic Garland and her equally incredible Daughter Liza Minnelli. Schechter has not only written two great books, he has done the world a terrific service in collecting some of their TV appearances on DVDs that have given a permanent showcase to material that otherwise might have been gone and forgotten forever, to the great loss of all of us. Colorful, informative, and fascinating, these two books on Judy and Liza, as well as the DVDs that constitute exhibits A-Z, should provide fans and would be admirers alike with endless pleasure and information, as they make an incalculably important and significant archival contribution to our heritage. Not to be missed. Martin Kantor, MD. Author of My Guy: A Gay Man's Guide to a Lasting Relationship and Together Forever: The Gay Man's Guide to Lifelong Love

and I would call that thing "a burning, selfless love." No, not the love you'd find between a man and a woman or a confused grad student... but the love and respect you might find between two bitter rivals who look at each other with a knowing nod and hint of a smile.

Liza's never been hotter than she is now and this scrapbook is just the thing you'll want to read to get you caught up on her deepest desires and secrets.

I know Liza is trying to put that awful David G. (I refuse to write the name "Gest") episode behind her and possible find love with someone who's less into getting bad plastic surgery and looking creepy.

I once met David Gest at a Rest Stop on the Jersey Turnpike. He was hitting the vending machine because his Fiery Habanero Doritos corn chips were stuck between the glass and that little spinny thing.

I was nice enough to help him out. I bought another bag of the corn chips and his dropped down. Unfortunately, my bag became lodged the same way his had. He didn't even say thank you. He just grabbed his chips and walked out. And I was the one the security guard yelled at! Can you believe it?

If you are a fan of one of the greatest performers we have had, this book is for you. It includes many rare photos and a chronicle of her professional life over the last 40 (!) years. Schector, a long-time fan, has finally done the professional tribute to this star that needed to be done. You won't find what's in this book anywhere else!

The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook is the most loving and complete biography available today. Mr. Schechter succeeds in revealing the TRUE Liza, an incredibly talented, charismatic legend in her own right.

Thanks to the Liza fans for all the kindness and support of the book.

Here are some of the professional reviews the book has gotten to date :



From Booksoup.com :

Liza Minnelli has mesmerized her audiences with her remarkable talent and pure joy of entertaining for decades. Her appeal is universal and timeless. For those us who have had the pleasure of closely following her career, no other performing artist can compare. "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" is a comprehensive pictorial history. Schechter has done an amazing job of chronicling Liza's career accompanying his research with pictures both familiar and new to the avid Liza fan. For longtime Liza fans like myself, the book is treasure of Liza remembrances and certainly the ultimate Liza "reference" book.

****

From NYTheatre.com

http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/bookshop.htm


The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook
by Scott Schechter

Perfect for any fan, The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook is just that - a scrapbook of an almost five-decade career. With a fond foreword by Billy Stricth, this book chronicles Liza's life by decade. There are brief overviews of each ten-year span, and then details and at least a brief synopsis on every movie, television show, Broadway show, and recording Liza has ever done. Furthermore, as if that was not enough, there are billions of pictures - pictures with other celebrity friends, cameos from various television and movie stints, covers of playbills and recordings, etc. The book is so indubitably complete in its coverage of Liza's career that there is even a picture of Liza with Kermit the Frog from her episode on "The Muppet Show!" This is an incredible, cohesive, and all-inclusive record of Ms. Minnelli and is a must have for any fan because of its comprehensive coverage and plethora of pictures.
- Seth Bisen-Hersh

http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/bookshop.htm

****
From GENRE magazine, January-February 2005 issue, "The Feed" Column : "audio / film / PAGES," Editor (and reviews by) Michael Liebermann :

"The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" Scott Schechter, Kensington, Biography, 242 pages, $22

"If you're looking for objective criticism of Liza Minnelli's storied career in music, film and theater, or an expose of her latest missteps in love, then keep on browsing. But if you fancy a stroll down gay memory lane -- from growing up Garland through 'Cabaret'to the oft-forgotten 1980 TV spectacular 'Goldie and Liza : Together' -- you can't do much better than this true fan's scrapbook."

****

From OUT magazine, January 2004 issue; "OutFront" Reviews : "What's New and Hot" : "ETC" (Page 27) :

"A must-have for Liza fans, Scott Schechter brings us 'The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook' (Citadel, $21.95), a vibrant volume about her career, with over 200 rare and never-before-seen photographs."

****


Featured on November CNN "American Morning" Show

****

GREAT write-up on the InSightOUT Book Club's webpage :

CLUB REVIEW

From Cabaret to her recent stint on "Arrested Development," Liza Minnelli has never let the scandal that seems to run in her family's blood taint her dazzling career. And her life in showbiz, which spans five decades, is celebrated with this scrapbook of photos, facts, and diva pride!

"The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" takes you back to the beginning of the dynamic performer's life as the daughter of Judy Garland-and her first public appearance at age 2 1/2! From there, she launched a career that garnered her Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards, and it's all covered here! Along with page after page of fantastic photos, the scrapbook looks at Liza's illustrious career: New York, New York, Flora the Red Menace, Liza at the Wintergarden, and The Act. There are essays about every major performance she's ever given, including her sold out appearance in Victor/Victoria. Plus, you get all the trivia and facts you could desire-and need! Everything Liza, including discography, videography, lists of awards and much more. Photos throughout. 242 pages, 8 1/2" x 11", softcover.


THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER -- Tuesday, November 16th, 2004

Reuters via Yahoo! News, Mon, 15 Nov 2004 4:13 PM PST

'SCRAPBOOK' DELIVERS THE GOODS (Headline)

By Robert Osborne NEW YORK

Liza Minnelli has certainly had her share of publicized woes of late, but something's on the horizon that should cheer her considerably.

Scott Schechter has compiled a magnificent book on the one aspect of L. M. that always seems to get short shrift or is altogether ignored these days, i. e.,her years of delivering the goods in front of cameras and on stages throughout the world. That work has won her, to date, an Oscar (1972), three Tonys (1965, '74, '78), an Emmy (1973), a Grammy (1989), two Golden Globes (1973, '86) and an ever-loyal fan base, something Schechter covers in monumental detail in "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook," in bookstores this month via Citadel Press, with a foreword by Billy Stritch.

No stone is left unturned in looking at the career of Minnelli and, for a refreshing change, no stone is hurled at her, either; here, it's strictly Liza's professional life and accomplishments that the author is emphasizing. And nothing goes unrecorded, be it a TV "Match Game" appearance on NBC in 1967, a 1987 concert in Stockholm, Sweden, or, this year, singing "Oscar" and "God Bless the Child" at a private party at the Ars Nova Theatre in New York. Besides being a dandy reference guide for anyone hunting for a Minnelli fact,"Scrapbook" also includes plenty of interesting info on
Minnelli projects that came close to happening but didn't. She was announced, for instance, in 1975, and again in '77 and '79, to star in the film version of "Chicago," playing Velma to Goldie Hawn s Roxie Hart (with, at one point, Allan Carr producing, Frank Sinatra playing the lawyer, Nancy
Walker as the prison matron and Carol Channing and Ann Miller as competing newspaper reporters); later, in 1992, it was rescheduled but with a
difference: Lewis Gilbert was to direct, with Liza switched to the role of Roxie and Goldie as Velma.

We all know how that turned out. In 1982, Liza tested for what was to be an "Evita" directed by Ken Russell; she sang "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina," causing Russell to publicly comment, "We had found our Evita"; the entire venture, however, was KO'd until it was finally made 14 years later with a different leading lady. Schechter also lists dozens of other projects that
almost happened ("Sunset Boulevard," "The Carmen Miranda Story") and, carrying out the "scrapbook" motif, there are miscellaneous color photographs, candids and reproductions of Playbill and album covers and Liza-related ads. One thing comes through loud and clear: The lady may like
to play, but she has also worked.

****

The NY POST -- "PAGE SIX" -- Sunday, November 14th, 2004 :

HITS THE SPOT :

IT'S not all bad news about Liza Minnelli, who was just hit with a lawsuit by her former chauffeur. At the book party for Scott Schechter's "Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" tribute tome, the author announced Minnelli's first theatrical movie since "Stepping Out" in 1991. Liza will play an offbeat self-help seminar leader who helps Parker Posey on her quest to find her G-spot, in "The Oh in Ohio." It co-stars Danny DeVito and Mischa Barton.

****

The SECOND Review of "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" this one by Phill Hall of Boston's EDGE and also to appear in the NY RESIDENT paper in a few weeks :

"The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" by Scott Schechter
Grade: A+
by Phil Hall
EDGE Literature Critic
Monday Nov 1, 2004

Just from the title alone, "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" seems predestined to find a place on the coffee table of many gay homes. But forget the stereotypical gay worship of this show biz icon and zoom in on the rich contents. Scott Schechter's extraordinary tribute to Liza with a "Z" is brilliantly researched, lavishly illustrated and endlessly entertaining. It is impossible to come away from this book without possessing a deeper love and respect for Minnelli.

Schechter breaks down Minnelli's career in a neat manner: a decade-by-decade career-based mini-biography (all scandals are removed from print), followed by a chronological appreciation of Minnelli's theater, film, television, recording and concert careers. Schechter uncovers a wealth of long-forgotten facts and photographs which will delight Minnelli's fans: Minnelli dancing on stage with then-unknown Elliott Gould in a touring company of "The Fantasticks," her simultaneous Time and Newsweek covers for "Cabaret" (and you thought Bruce Springsteen was the only entertainer to accomplish that?)

The book is also rich with Minnelli trivia, including unlikely appearances such as a concert for the inmates of a Chicago jail (two months after she won the "Cabaret" Oscar). There is also an unexpectedly large amount of little-known data on projects which Minnelli either turned down (including the role of Daisy in "The Great Gatsby" opposite Robert Redford) or which fell apart before production began (including the film version of "Evita" under Ken Russell's direction).

Schechter is uncommonly generous to Minnelli, to the point of presenting the most glamorous and flattering photographs available; later-life tabloid photographs which show Minnelli's problems with weight control are conspicuously absent. Yes, "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" is a love letter to the great star. And honestly, what's wrong with a love letter to someone who truly earned the love of her fans?

Citadel Press, $21.95, 228 pages

****

The FIRST REVIEW for "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook"

LIZ SMITH : NY Post -- Friday, November 5th, 2004

"DEDICATED TO Liza Minnelli's artistry." That's what it says on page one of Scott Schechter's "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook" (Citadel Press). This is a glossy valentine to the great star, concentrating on her long, award-laden stage, screen and recording career. The sensation of her "private" life is not emphasized. Tons of previously unseen photos and plenty of Minnelli minutiae. (Her first reviews, even as an awkward teen, are a thrill to read; she had style from the start!) Flip through this and be reminded that Liza is an artist, one whose commitment to her audience never wavers.

****

The Return of the King sheet music book is pretty amazing. If your an avid fan of Lord of the Rings (or even if you just like the music), this is the sheet music for you. It has a nice selection of different pieces from the movie. The pieces range in skill level which is also nice. All in all a great buy.

This sheet music has everything except the Rohan theme.I love the diversity.It's so much fun to play-from the regal Gondor theme to the homey Shire theme.I love the 10 straight minutes of The Return of the King track.And the beautiful music for Arwen is captured in Twilight and Shadow.Overall,a very satisfiying book.A perfect gift for any lotr fan who knows piano.

This book has been very hard to put down ever since I first got it a few weeks ago. I just can't stop playing "Into The West" and "The Return of the King". This book really, really shows the genius masterpiece in its right form, that Howard Shore composed for the Lord of the Rings. Most of the songs are fairly easy to play and great just for your own enjoyment/entertainment but also perfect for solo recitals, or group performances. Buy this together with 'The Fellowship of the Ring' and 'The Two Towers' for your ultimate enjoyment!

The battle for Middle-Earth rages on, and the forces of good have one final stand against the face of evil. Also, Frodo and Sam go through their hard times together, yet with love being their success. And there is a very shocking surprise for the people of Dunedain. I would call it the most emotionally satisfying book I have ever read.

I love this! It is much better than the Two Towers or Felloship books. Why? Because I'm a pianist, and these solos are actually fun to play. The other two books are covered in my handwritten changes to the extent of looking like a Beethoven autograph. While I still make changes in ROTK, these are much better arranged for the pianist who enjoys playing.

One doesn't normally read an "encyclopedia" from cover to cover like others kinds of books, but you will find it hard to put Lucy A to Z down once you start. The brief but informative discussions of everything from Lucy characters and guest stars to details about her personal life are written in a fun and witty style. It makes you wish there was a book like this about every major television sitcom. Need trivia material? There's no better source of Lucy stumpers than Lucy A to Z.

I enjoyed this book and was very informed by it. I doubt you can find more detailed background data about Lucille Ball's work (from the beginning of her career to the end, from stage to the big and small screens) and her (lesser known) co-stars and co-workers anywhere else. The problem is, I'm a new fan to Lucy and I wanted to read about her life in a more conventional way (where she was born, raised, her influences, her marriage, children, etc). Those types of books got such mixed reviews from fans that I thought I'd start with this one, which had only positive reviews. There is some basic bio in this book, but it assumes you know that type of information about Lucy. So I would just say: make sure you don't start with this book if you're a new fan. It's like getting to know her backwards (everyone around her instead of the star herself). This is definitely a book for seasoned fans who want to know "more."

Great format, easy to read. Every coffee table must have one!!

A thoroughly enjoyable read on Lucy. Learned some things I never knew - and loved that way you could navigate from one section to another.

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I couldn't put it down. I loved the format, the authors perspective and views were interesting and unique and you could tell he was a real Lucy fan (who isn't). Add this book to your cart and you won't be disappointed. You can read it again and again because of the unique way it is written. A must for Lucy fans. Enjoy!

This is Cindy de la Hoz's first book, and judging from this and her next two books (_Platinum Fox_ on Marilyn Monroe and _Lana_ on Lana Turner, written with Turner's daughter Cheryl Crane), de la Hoz is going to be a major writer on classic films in the years to come. I've got all three of her books and expect to keep buying them as long as she keeps on putting out work as good as this.

As with her next two books, _Lucy at the Movies_ is a substantial, high-quality hardback, with the accent on outstanding pictures in both color and B&W, many of them not previously published. De la Hoz begins with a good, concise biographical section and then goes on to the meat of the book, a film-by-film discussion of Lucy's movie career (again, accompanied by numerous first-rate photographs). De la Hoz carefully researched this book, with extensive endnotes and a long bibiliography.

I only own one book on Lucille Ball so far, but I'm glad it's this one!

This book is truly amazing. I am 47 and have been a huge fan of Lucille Ball since I was young. HERE'S LUCY was on prime time then, both other shows were in constant reruns and MAME was released - a huge treat. I have always loved the whole package that is Lucille Ball - not just Lucy - and this book glorifies exactly that.

Lucille Ball became a legend and a never equalled comedienne when she became Lucy on the infamous I LOVE LUCY. Of course this is her tour de force from herr entire career but many don't know that Lucy was around for decades before I LOVE LUCY with an expansive film career. She was considered the QUEEN OF THE B MOVIES. There was some true quality work here like LURED and the truly exceptional THE BIG STREET. She also made many films after becoming Lucy.

This book is not only a beautiful coffee table book which it indeed is. There are hundreds of amazing pictures both in black and white and color - candids plus pictures from the films. But this book is also a true encyclopedia of the film history of Lucille Ball. Every film she made from the beginning to MAME and even her final television movie STONE PILLOW are thoroughly researched. There is an in depth synopsis of each film, wonderful pictures and multiple critics reviews of each piece. It is priceless.

There is also a full biography and a detail of all the film shorts she did before she was in her first film ROMAN SCANDALS. So to sum it up - this book is the rare exception. It is a true beautiful coffee table book filled with beautiful pictures but it also provides the fully researched in depth film history of Lucille Ball which has never been tackled like this before.

For all you Lucy fans this book is a must and you will learn how much more there was to this multi-faceted artist. You will run out to get and watch all these films to discover the true Lucille Ball. But this book is not only for Lucy fans for Lucille Ball is one of the greatest artists ever and this book is her true film history. It is a must for any entertainment library as well.

But for all you true Lucy fans - rejoice!! You will devour the beautiful pictures and all the info on the film career of the glorious Lucille ball. Enjoy!

I gave my granddaughter who is an avid "Lucy fan" this book for Christmas and she loved it because it focused on Lucy's movie career.

This book is very well written and has wonderful pictures. The write up about Lucy gives even the biggest fans new insight into her life. It is a great way to find all the movies she was in.

To start off this is a great book and not being much of a reader myself I really love this one. It has great large pictures, hard to find pictures and the words are fairly large in this one also. Not being overly large like a kids reader but being the perfect size! But not only this, it has a lot of informative info aobut all of Lucy's movies that she has appeared in and also a despription of each movie. This is great because if you have never seen any of Lucille Ball's films you will get a thrill out of reading about all of the movies as well as jotting them down and looking online to buy them on DVD. This book has so much more also as well as the biography of Lucille Ball and a whole lot more! This is not a boring book but a nice fun book to read and to also make you want to read as well as some great info about the bright and talented star. The book itself is very large and very well made, as well as being thick. It looks like it costs about $50 it is so big and thick but I bought this through a book store in my local town for $29.99 which on the back of the book is the retail value so Amazon has a GREAT price!

Excellent product for anyone just starting to learn the guitar. It is everything it said it was and more. We are loving the book. Detail oriented.

I have all my students buy this book. Pictures and explanations are top notch.

I had a few lessons from a friend to get started many years ago. But I hadn't picked up the guitar much since. I was given a Les Paul electric guitar recently and picked up a copy of this book. Excellent resource for a visual learner. Tight integration of hundreds of photos and 'to the point', simple instruction. Maran recruited a top flight instructor (veteran college instructor and session musician) to put the content together. I'm going through it COVER TO COVER.

I have several guitar books as I have been learning to play for the past 2 years. I have alot of instructional books and learned bits and pieces. This book is an excellent resource and covers almost every topic in great detail. Everything from chords, picking, blues, rock and country guitar, guitar effects, amps, etc. Also includes instruction and pictures on repairing and maintaining your guitar, adjusting the action, changing strings, etc. A valuable resource and worth owning yourself.

Want to learn guitar from a book? There are plenty of slimmer guides on the market - but none with the depth and detail of Moran Illustrated Guitar, which packs in color illustrations of techniques. From playing different kinds of chords to power rock, single notes, slides, string muting and much more, Moran Illustrated Guitar packs in the step-by-step close-up color photos so it's hard to go wrong. An outstanding instructional which stands apart from similar-sounding guitar 'how-to' guides.

I had been told by a slack key instructor to get this book and I'm so glad that I did. It's for the beginner to slack key, so it wasn't so hard that I got discouraged, but instead with some practice have been playing some beautiful exercise pieces and building towards improvising my own songs.

Ozzie Katani has been the most instrumental and established slack key guitar teacher in Hawaii. This book and cd is by far the best available material for the beginner player. He uses tabliture, gives pointers, and the cd allows you to hear how it is supposed to sound. I would highly recommend getting this book to anyone interested in learning traditional Hawaiian Slack Key guitar. It could not be made anymore simple and straight forward and you can not beat the price.

This book, written by Ozzie Kotani, is the perfect starting place for those interested in Hawai'ian Slack Key Guitar (or "Ki ho'alu"). The materials are laid out in logical, step-wise, intuitive fashion with clear concise explanations. The accompanying CD is the perfect complement to the book. More than merely a tab book, this important learning tool also places the material in historical context, complete with some rare and beautiful historical photos. While I am a student of the author, I didn't fully appreciate the value of these materials until I began teaching others from them.

Though I'm not a beginning guitar player, I hadn't used tablature much. I bought another slack key book before this and realized it was written at a level more difficult than what I had expected. With this book, I was able to play the first song all the way through. The key thing about this book is the guidelines on which finger to place on which string. To me, this is an important part of the foundation of learning this style of playing. Now that I have worked through most of the songs, I am able to go back to that difficult book I bought before and apply what I have learned.

The CD is extremely helpful. The one drawback to this book is the lack of musical notation. Unless you listen to the CD, you won't know the timing or rhythm of the songs.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in a solid introduction to slack key playing, even if you don't understand musical notation or never picked up a guitar. It's that easy!

Ozzie Kotani is an unbelievable guitar player, and he makes the beautiful sound of Hawaiian slack key guitar attainable to the rest of us. Not only does he provide tablature, but each piece is followed by detailed test explantations of just how to play the piece.

Of course, the CD with Ozzie playing the "exercises" is superb.