Hardcover. NY, Stewart Tabori & Chang, 1st, 1996, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover, 113 pages. Anton Corbijn initiated a new era in portrait photography for the rock and pop music scene with his atmospheric, often melancholy images. Here is a photographer who travels the world, tirelessly seeking to capture its idols in quiet moments and catch a trace of their essential being behind all the fame and glamour. Taken primarily in black and white with a hand-held camera and without auxiliary lighting, most of Corbijn's photographs are shot in those quiet moments between performances. Beyond the reach of the glaring spotlights, on the dark side of the star cult - literally and metaphorically - Corbijn finds what interests him more than gesture, image or glamour: the unusual degree of privacy and closeness that turns his portraits into genuine character studies.Corbijn has now moved beyond the boundaries of music photography and Star Trak reads like a visual encyclopedia of the icons of our culture, gathering together outstanding personalities from the worlds of film, literature, rock music and fashion. He visits film directors Wim Wenders, David Lynch, and Martin Scorsese, actors Johnny Depp, Gerard Depardieu and Jodie Foster, and alongside the older rebels - like Mick Jagger and Leonard Cohen - he includes the enfants terribles of the Eighties and Nineties - Kurt Cobain, Billy Idol, and Slash. Corbijn couples the excesses of William S. Burroughs with the beauty of supermodels Naomi and Christy, and brings Salman Rushdie and Bono together in front of the camera.
Hardcover. NY, Parents' Magazine Press, 1st, 1976, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Hardcover, pictorial boards, oblong format, color illustrations by Steven Kellogg. Energetic full-page pictures depict the old standard, written by Edward Bangs, who was a Minuteman at Lexington during his sophomore year at Harvard the year (1775) he adapted the song. Mild musty odor. No dust jacket.
Hardcover. London, Canongate, 1st UK, 2017, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. 547 pages, b&w illustrations. The story of Jann Wenner, Rolling Stone's founder, editor, and publisher, and the pioneering era he helped curate, is told here for the first time in glittering, glorious detail. Joe Hagan provides readers with a backstage pass to storied concert venues and rock-star hotel rooms; he tells never before heard stories about the lives of rock stars and their handlers; he details the daring journalism (Tom Wolfe, Hunter S. Thompson, P.J. O'Rourke) and internecine office politics that accompanied the start-up; he animates the drug and sexual appetites of the era; and he reports on the politics of the last fifty years that were often chronicled in the pages of Rolling Stone magazine.
Softcover. NY, Vintage Books, reprint, 1982, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, pictorial wrappers, 264 pages, b&w illustrations. In this classic work of American music writing, renowned critic Albert Murray argues beautifully and authoritatively that the blues as such are synonymous with low spirits. Not only is its express purpose to make people feel good, which is to say in high spirits, but in the process of doing so it is actually expected to generate a disposition that is both elegantly playful and heroic in its nonchalance. In Stomping the Blues Murray explores its history, influences, development, and meaning as only he can. More than two hundred vintage photographs capture the ambiance Murray evokes in lyrical prose. Only the sounds are missing from this lyrical, sensual tribute to the blues. Originally published in 1976. Name on front fly leaf, otherwise clean with mild shelf wear.
Hardcover. Washington, Prestel, 1st, 2016, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, 288 pages. Softcover. Very clean, like new in publishers shrink-wrap. This book pays tribute to the mature work of Stuart Davis, a distinctly American artist who adapted European modernism to reflect the sights, sounds, and rhythms of popular culture. Beginning in 1921, a series of creative breakthroughs led Davis away from figurative painting and toward a more abstract expression of the world he inhabited. Drawing upon his admiration for Cezanne, Leger, Picasso, and Seurat, Davis developed a style that would evolve over the next four decades to become a dominant force in postwar art. His visionary responses to modern life and culture both high and low remain relevant more than 50 years after his death. Focusing on the images and motifs that became hallmarks of his career, this book features approximately 100 works-from his paintings of tobacco packages of the early 1920s, the abstract Egg Beater series, and the WPA murals of the 1930s, to the majestic works of his last two decades. The authors take a critical approach to the development of Davis's art and theory, paying special attention to the impact his earlier work had upon his later masterpieces. They also discuss Davis's unique ability to assimilate the lessons of Cubism as well as the imagery of popular culture, the aesthetics of advertising, and the sounds and rhythms of jazz-his great musical passion. Informed by previously unpublished primary documents, the detailed chronology is, in effect, the first Davis biography. Together, these elements create a vital portrait of an artist whose works hum with intelligence and energy.
Hardcover. NY, WW Norton, 1st, 2004, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. A collection of articles, poems, essays, speeches, literary criticisms, and interviews about the 1960s musician and lyricist examines his legacy and role in the traditions of folk, rock, and blues, in a volume that includes contributions by such figures as Sam Shepard, Bruce Springsteen, and Johnny Cash.
Hardcover. NY, W. W. Norton, 1st, 1993, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. A biography of the jazz clarinetist. Illustrated with photos, 522 pages including index. Clean copy.
Hardcover. Somerville MA, Candlewick, 1st, 2015, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright dust jacket, 456 pages, SIGNED BY AUTHOR on the title page. In September 1941, Adolf Hitlers Wehrmacht surrounded Leningrad in what was to become one of the longest and most destructive sieges in Western history-almost three years of bombardment and starvation. Trapped between the Nazi invading force and the Soviet government itself was composer Dmitri Shostakovich, writing a symphony to rouse, rally, eulogize, and commemorate his fellow citizens: the Leningrad Symphony. This is the true story of a city under siege, the triumph of bravery and defiance in the face of terrifying odds. It is also a look at the power-and layered meaning-of music in beleaguered lives. Symphony for the City of the Dead is a masterwork thrillingly told and impeccably researched by National Book Award-winning author M. T. Anderson. Signed copy sticker on front cover, otherwise like new.
Hardcover. NY, Schirmer Books, 1st, 1995, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. Talking Music is comprised of substantial original conversations with seventeen American experimental composers and musicians--including Milton Babbitt, Pauline Oliveros, Steve Reich, Meredith Monk, and John Zorn--many of whom rarely grant interviews.The author skillfully elicits candid dialogues that encompass technical explorations; questions of method, style, and influence; their personal lives and struggles to create; and their aesthetic goals and artistic declarations. Herein, John Cage recalls the turning point in his career; Ben Johnston criticizes the operas of his teacher Harry Partch; La Monte Young attributes his creative discipline to a Morman childhood; and much more. The results are revelatory conversations with some of America's most radical musical innovators. 489 pages, clean copy.
Hardcover. Germany, PPVMedien, 1st, 2003, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, lightly worn dust jacket, 220 pages profusely illustrated in color. The story of Taylor Guitars from small San Diego company to a company producing over 70000 quality guitars a year. Showcases many rare guitars, including instruments made by Bob Taylor before the company's founding, standard production models and custom built instruments. Clean copy.
Hardcover. Utah, Gibbs Smith Publisher, 1st, 1990, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, 150 pages. Hardcover. SIGNED BY AUTHOR. Gilt title on spine and front cover board. Clean inside. From the dust jacket front flap: "In his latest book,..., Cheuse once again presents a vividly rendered gallery of characters traversing a shifting moral landscape, this time the 'new' South and West of the eighties."
Softcover. NY, Routledge, 1st pbk, 2003, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, 366 pages. The African Diaspora presents musical case studies from various regions of the African diaspora, including Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe, that engage with broader interdisciplinary discussions about race, gender, politics, nationalism, and music. Clean copy.
Hardcover. NY, Goodman, 1st, 2014, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover, 256 pages. For 40 years Rob Roth has collected rare examples of rock tour posters, advertising posters, rock memorabilia, and original artwork. His vast spectacular collection has never been displayed publicly; only visitors to his spacious New York loft--visitors like Elton John and Alice Cooper--have glimpsed his amazing treasures. This lavishly produced volume presents some of the most vivid and exciting images from the rock world featuring classic artists like the Rolling Stones, Queen, Pink Floyd, the Who, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Alice Cooper, and David Bowie.
Hardcover. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1st, 2016, Hardcover in a bright dust jacket, still in publisher's shrinkwrap. This stunning book charts the rich history of the blues, through the dazzling array of posters, album covers, and advertisements that have shaped its identity over the past hundred years. The blues have been one of the most ubiquitous but diverse elements of American popular music at large, and the visual art associated with this unique sound has been just as varied and dynamic. There is no better guide to this fascinating graphical world than Bill Dahl--a longtime music journalist and historian who has written liner notes for countless reissues of classic blues, soul, R&B, and rock albums. With his deep knowledge and incisive commentary--complementing more than three hundred and fifty lavishly reproduced images--the history of the blues comes musically and visually to life.
Softcover. Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University , Revised Ed., 2002, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, 105 pages. Interviews with the jazz drummer, known for his wild style of drumming, who recounts his life and adventures playing with some of the best known jazz musicians and bands of his time. Includes additional reading and selected recordings. 6 leaves of b&w photo plates. Bright and clean, but with the light odor of a smoker-owned book.
Hardcover. NY, The Viking Press, reprint, 1956, Book: Very Good, Hardcover, tan cloth covers with brown lettering, 187/189 pages. Lyrics with music and a preface of the songs. Two volumes in one. No dust jacket. Inscription on front fly leaf, otherwise clean.
Hardcover. Boston, New York Graphic Society, 1st, 1973, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, price-clipped dust jacket. 187 pages. Written with Busby Berkeley. Foreward by Ruby Keeler. With more than 250 photographs. "The life and works of the Wizard of Oz of the Thirties and Forties with a complete filmography of his meticulously ordered fantasy world."
Hardcover. Greenwich CT, New York Graphic Society, 1st, 1973, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover, 187 pages. Written with Busby Berkeley. Foreward by Ruby Keeler. With more than 250 photographs. "The life and works of the Wizard of Oz of the Thirties and Forties with a complete filmography of his meticulously ordered fantasy world." Clean copy.
Softcover. Chicago, Chicago Review Press , 1st, 2002, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, 320 pages, b&w illustrations. The popularity of cartoon music, from Carl Stalling's work for Warner Bros. to Disney sound tracks and The Simpsons' song parodies, has never been greater. This lively and fascinating look at cartoon music's past and present collects contributions from well-known music critics and cartoonists, and interviews with the principal cartoon composers. Here Mark Mothersbaugh talks about his music for Rugrats, Alf Clausen about composing for The Simpsons, Carl Stalling about his work for Walt Disney and Warner Bros., Irwin Chusid about Raymond Scott's work, Will Friedwald about Casper the Friendly Ghost, Richard Stone about his music for Animaniacs, Joseph Lanza about Ren and Stimpy, and much, much more. Clean copy.
Hardcover. NY, Random House, 1st, 1967, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Hardcover, color illustrations by Seuss throughout. 19 songs for Beginning Singers. Piano score and Guitar chords by Eugene Poddany. 1st printing, with 1st group listed books ending with I Had Trouble & list for Beginning Readers ending with Fox in Socks on back cover, decorated cloth cover. Mild soil to rear cover, otherwise clean.
Softcover. Seattle, Fantagraphics, reprint, 2013, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, 160 pages. At the age of 21, Gene Deitch discovered The Record Changer, a jazz fan magazine. Every jazz swinger in the '40s was called a "cat," so Gene Deitch created a cartoon feature titled "The Cat," which quickly became a fixture of the magazine. He also started drawing the covers, which graced almost every issue from 1945 to 1951. Deitch's stylistically virtuoso images exquisitely embodied the essence of the 1950s hipster, and was a visual paean to the joy of collecting records and appreciating jazz. The Cat on a Hot Thin Groove collects all of Deitch's Record Changer work in one gorgeous, coffee-table art book, with commentary and reminiscences by Deitch himself.