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Cafe Society by Terry Trilling-Josephson	Café Society and The Cookery: The Right Place for the Right People When did you last read a life story of a “Saloon Impresario” whose nightclub attracted the hoi-polloi with the slogan “The wrong place for the Right people?” Right capitalized for effect. Barney Josephson, a shoe salesman from Trenton (NJ) and a jazz fan, narrates the occurrences and happenings... (Biography)
Book Review by Dan Kassell

Ultra Smooth Jazz Grooves for Piano/Keyboards by Frank Villafranca and Andrew D. Gordon	Saxophonist Frank Villafranca and keyboardist/guitarist Andrew D. Gordon are the writers of Ultra Smooth Jazz Grooves for Piano/Keyboards. Published and distributed by A.D.G. Productions, the Ultra Smooth Jazz Grooves Series is part of the company's catalog which contains over 150 instructional books. Inside Ultra Smooth Jazz Grooves for Piano/Keyboards are several pages of chord patterns accompanied by a CD that demonstrates specific melodic ideas... (Musical Instruction)
Book Review by Susan Frances

All Hopped Up And Ready To Go: Music From The Streets of New York 1927 - 1977 by Tony Fletcher	Tony Fletcher has a winner with his fine nonfiction analysis of the music of New York, and he does an excellent job of catching the sounds of this great city from 1927 - 1977 as seen and heard through the many composers and musicians. His details are intimate, accurate, and full of new information. Much of the information will... (Non-Fiction)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

Conversations with Great Jazz and Studio Guitarists by Jim Carlton	Bill's Music Shelf.com and Mel Bay.com have an intriguing book with the publication of Jim Carlton's fine collection of conversations with jazz and studio guitarists. The information is both interesting and educational, and most certainly, entertaining. The guitarists are all top-notch, and the reader will find many new and old faces in this collection. Among the numerous fine guitarists in... (Non-Fiction)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

Dancing in the Dark: A Cultural History of the Great Depression by Morris Dickstein	Morris Dickstein has written a memorable cultural history of the United States during the era of the Great Depression. For those interested in what was happening in the world of jazz music among other fascinating topics will find this well-written book a reading delight as well as an invaluable topnotch reference. The photos accompanying the text are revealing and self-explanatory. The... (Non-Fiction)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

The Ghosts of Harlem: Sessions With Jazz Legends by Hank O’Neal	This is a photographed packed easy to read Jazz inspired coffee table book. Each session is a personally told biographical interview of 42 seasoned Traditional, New Orleans, Chicago, Mainstream, Swing improvising instrumental music makers based in Harlem. In the first 75 pages the author tells of “Searching for the Ghosts,” while “Discovering Lost Locations” contains his view of Harlem’s... (Biography)
Book Review by Dan Kassell

Jazz Harmony & Improvisation by Herbert Silverstein, MD and Richard Drexler	In the endless quest to gain the tools to inspire and educate one to fluently speak the jazz language, Herbert Silverstein, MD and Richard Drexler have teamed up to add a real gem to the canon of Jazz “how to” books. Jazz Harmony & Improvisation is the title of the one hundred and twenty five paged book and an... (Musical Instruction)
Book Review by H. Allen Williams

Duke Ellington: His Life in Jazz by Stephanie Stein Crease	Duke Ellington: His Life in Jazz is an enjoyable book, and entertaining. The author, Stephanie Stein Crease, has written a combination non-fiction and biographical look at this great composer and band leader. In addition, there are twenty-one creative, imaginative, musical activities in the book. Some activities include composing a ragtime rhythm, hosting a jam session, and learing to dance the... (Biography)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

The Birth of the Cool of Miles Davis and His Associates by Frank Tirro	The Birth of the Cool of Miles Davis and His Associates by Frank Tirro is one of the finest nonfiction books about the transition of jazz following World War 2. Technically, the sound of big band swing peaked and started its downslide in popularilty after the war. There were many African-Americans who pioneered and pushed for the acceptance of a... (Non-Fiction)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

Kurt Rosenwinkel Compositions by Kurt Rosenwinkel	Transcribed by Chuck Stevens, this collection of compositions by Kurt Rosenwinkel will give hours of enjoyable playing. It is a great way to get an introduction to Kurt Rosenwinkel's jazz creativity and style. Rosenwinkel was born in 1970 and his early apprentice work with different jazz groups, included Gary Burton and Paul Motian's Electric Bebop Band in the 1990s. Highly... (Other)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

Payin' Your Dues With The Blues: The Ultimate Source For The Blues And Jazz Guit by Jay Umble	Jay Umble has put together a remarkable and entertaining approach for those interested in blues and jazz guitar. Part of the Mel Bay Guitar University series, this instruction book is detailed and comes with a nice CD for a hands-on touch! This book is a genuinely innovative teaching method for learning the jazz and blues guitar style, and the... (Musical Instruction)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

One Long Tune: The Life and Music of Lenny Breau by Ron Forbes-Roberts	As a biography, this is excellent reading. As a jazz biography of guitarist Lenny Breau (1941 - 1984), it is an outstanding and memorable look at one of America's finest jazz musicians. Lenny Breau started playing the guitar when he was seven years old. As another guitar legend said of him: Lenny Breau is the greatest guitarist who ever... (Biography)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

Delta Blues by Ted Gioia	Ted Gioia had created a memorable reading experience with his well-written and enjoyable analysis of the blues. To this reviewer, this book is a contemporary classic in its field, and approach. Delta Blues also contains illustrations. Those who have read Ted Gioia's previous work such as The History of Jazz, Work Songs, West Coast Jazz, among others, will find this... (Non-Fiction)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

Lennie Tristano: His Life In Music by Eunmi Shim	For those who have an interest in the life and music of Lennie Tristano, this well-written biography will be a reading experience which is entertaining, educational, and an enlightening look at one of the most important jazz figures and until publication of this book, also one of the least known. Tristano holds a permanent, enduring position as one of... (Biography)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

Lee Konitz: Conversations on the Improviser's Art by Andy Hamilton	As an oral biography, this book ranks among the top ones written about jazz musicians. The well-written book gives an in depth look at one of the world's great jazz saxophonists, Lee Konitz. With a foreword by jazz saxophonist Joe Lovano, this book offers everything known about the great skills and talents of Lee Konitz.The reader is given an understanding of... (Biography)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

Mel Bay's Improvising Blues Harmonica by David Barrett & John Garcia	From the Mel Bay School of the Blues Lesson Series, comes this new and enjoyable Improvising Blues Harmonica. The instruction is available in a nice, solid paperback format with accompanying instruction CD. The authors, David Barrett and John Garcia, are both well-known in the jazz world and their writings are highly respected. Those who have not come into contact with the... (Musical Instruction)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

Music Minus Me by Paquito D'Rivera	Every student of jazz is familiar with play-along instruction books, mainly through the Jamie Aebersold series which has grown into a virtual cottage industry, running to 120 volumes. Aebersold has virtually captured the entire jazz cannon in play-along form and has become an essential part of jazz education. Recently some new offerings have appeared, particularly in the area of... (Musical Instruction)
Book Review by Peter Westbrook

Haunted Heart: A Biography of Susannah McCorkle by Linda Dahl	This is the first major, detailed biography of the late jazz singer, Susannah McCorkle. A memorable reading experience, this fine book will linger in the reader's mind for a very long time. It is full of insights into this remarkable jazz singer. The details of her death are revealed. In addition to singing, McCorkle was an accomplished writer and linguist. Following... (Biography)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

Monk's Music: Thelonious Monk and Jazz History in the Making by Gabriel Solis	This 2008 book publication is a dandy! It is filled with insights and commentary on the legendary jazz pianist, Thelonious Monk (1917 - 1982). Written by Gabriel Solis, it is well-researched and makes for enjoyable reading. Thelonious Monk is considered one of jazz's greatest figures. He performed many roles, including that of composer, pianist, and bandleader. At the center of... (Non-Fiction)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

Voices In Jazz Guitar by Joe Barth	Joe Barth is a well-known and respected jazz writer. He is also a contributor to Just Jazz Magazine. Many know him as a guitar playing pastor. This book is a topnotch, successful reference work from a writer who knows and loves jazz. Jazz writer Bill Milkowski gives an insightful foreword to the book. What is remarkable about this entertaining and well-written... (Non-Fiction)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

Come Together: The Official John Lennon Educational Tour Bus Guide by Mark Garvey	In Mark Garvey’s book Come Together: The Official John Lennon Educational Tour Bus Guide Music And Video, the award winning author goes behind the scenes of the Lennon Bus (www.Lennonbus.org) putting into perspective how the bus works to educate students from elementary school to college level about writing songs, the equipment they can use to record their songs, the... (Non-Fiction)
Book Review by Susan Frances

Spanish Harlem's Musical Legacy 1930 - 1980 by Silvio Alava	Following the old photographers' axiom "shoot what you know", Latin Beat co-founder Silvio Alava merged two of his passions, photography and Latin music, to document five decades of Spanish Harlem's vibrant musical history. Spanish Harlem's Musical Legacy 1930 - 1980 is a collection of two hundred photographs of singers and musicians such as Celia Cruz, Beny More', Tito Puente,... (Non-Fiction)
Book Review by Kevin Cox

Making the Scene: Contemporary New York City Big Band Jazz by Alex Stewart	Alex Stewart is a former freelance jazz musician who is currently Associate Professor of Music at the University of Vermont. Writing with a smooth style and in a concise, entertaining manner, Alex Stewart successfully gives the reader an in-depth look at big band jazz as it is in contemporary New York City. Whether you are a jazz fan, or just love... (Non-Fiction)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop by Frankie Manning and Cynthia R. Millman	A Swing Dancer enthusiast Cynthia R. Millman, who was inspired by the Lindy Hop’s unrecorded history, has provoked an apparently ageless Frankie Manning into revealing his first hand knowledge of an African American dance phenomenon that was first popularized in 1920's Harlem dance halls. Ms. Millman sums up Frankie Manning’s accomplishments as: “His audience pleasing inventions helped catapult the... (Autobiography)
Book Review by Dan Kassell

Apprentice Magician: Contemporary Painting, 2000 - 2006 by Luiz Gerald Dolino Nascimento	This reviewer was recently introduced to the remarkable surreal abstract art of Dolino by jazz guitarist-singer, Paulinho Garcia. Dolino is a great admirer of jazz and some of his fantastic, creative paintings reflect jazz themes. This book features such jazz-oriented acrylic on canvas themes as "Swing" (2002), "Alice in Wonderland" (2005), "Bebop" (2005), among others. Dolino signs his colorful art... (Non-Fiction)
Book Review by Lee Prosser

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