|
Books > Biography > Film, television, music, theatre
An unconventional biography that explores Mostel's life from the
Orthodox Jewish homes of his immigrant parents to the underground
night-clubs where he began his career doing stand-up comedy and on
to theatre, film, and television.
Prince's early albums Dirty Mind, 1999, and Purple Rain,
established him as a major force in American pop music. His
combination of rock and funk was unique, and drew both critical
praise and commercial attention. The 1990s found Prince forming a
new group, moving back in the direction of R&B, and eventually
adopting an unpronounceable symbol as his moniker. By the end of
the millennium, he was again exploring an eclectic collection of
musical styles and enjoying a resurgence of interest in his
well-known song "1999." Prince is one of the few artists of the
entire rock era who successfully bridged the gap between
traditional R&B and rock audiences with his musical
eclecticism. He now stands among the best-selling pop musicians of
the rock era. In this revealing study, author James Perone
highlights the complexities and ambiguities of Prince's life work,
while at the same time clarifying why it is that Prince remains
such a widely popular figure in American music. After a brief
introductory biographical treatment, Perone goes on to analyze all
of Prince's musical output-both as specific pieces, and as part of
a larger body of work. Perone doesn't allow any of the elements of
Prince's entertainment career (including his early contractual
problems, his series of proteges, his name change, and his views on
gender and race) to pass without reflection. As a result The Words
and Music of Prince operates as a sort of creative biography for
both the man and the artist. The work also includes six
illustrations, a bibliography, a discography, and an index.
This is the largest life-and-works of Musorgsky ever to have appeared outside Russia. Musorgsky created stunning masterpieces in such creations as his opera Boris Godunov and piano suite Pictures at an Exhibition - yet his life was tragic. It is this pathetic tale, interlaced with critical discussion of music, that is this book's concern.
"SETTLING SCORES: A Life in the Margins of American Music" details
one life lived in the margins of America's musical consciousness.
From a working-class background in gritty North Philadelphia to the
sanctity of European concert stages, from imagined dangers lurking
along the waterfronts in mysterious Asian cities to the real
dangers lurking in the narrow minds of those who uphold the status
quo in American music, this book reveals the life of one who
embraced change, and, in the process, gained political leverage and
intellectual freedom. It is the story of Joseph Franklin and a
legion of collaborators, and it is a snapshot view of a slice of
America's musical landscape in the final quarter of the 20th
century, including a history of Relache and The Relache Ensemble.
Born in Philadelphia, Joseph Franklin is a graduate of the
Philadelphia Musical Academy and Temple University's Graduate
School of Music. He has composed works for mixed instrumental/vocal
ensembles, film, video, theater and dance. In 1977 he co-founded
The Relache Ensemble, which evolved into Relache, Inc. a presenting
and producing organization in support of the Relache Ensemble. He
served as founding executive and artistic director of Relache until
1998. Independently, and as Director of Relache, he has been a
producer of concerts, festivals, recordings, radio programs,
residency programs, international tours and other related music
events, including the NEW MUSIC AMERICA 1987 Festival, NEW MUSIC AT
ANNENBERG at The University of Pennsylvania and MUSIC IN MOTION, a
nationwide audience development project. He formerly served as
Artistic Director for Helena Presents--The Myrna Loy Center, a
performing arts and film center located in Helena, Montana. He has
published criticism and book reviews in the Philadelphia Inquirer
and Philadelphia City Paper. While living in Louisiana he developed
and taught courses in arts administration and an overview of 20th
century music at the University of New Orleans while serving as an
independent consultant to arts organizations. He currently serves
as executive director for Chamber Music Albuquerque, a presenting
organization dedicated to presenting world-class chamber music
ensembles in concert.
'WHICH IS THE BEST BAND I'VE BEEN IN? THE SMALL FACES WERE THE MOST
CREATIVE, THE FACES WERE THE MOST FUN,THE WHO WERE THE MOST
EXCITING. THESE WERE ELECTRIFYING DAYS IN MUSIC. WE WERE ALL
UNTRIED, UNTESTED. WHAT WAS STOPPING US? NOTHING.' As drummer with
the Small Faces, Faces and later The Who, Kenney Jones' unique
sense of rhythm was the heartbeat that powered three of the most
influential rock bands of all time. Beginning in London's post-war
East End, Kenney's story takes us through the birth of the Mod
revolution, the mind-bending days of the late-1960s and the raucous
excesses of the '70s and '80s. In a career spanning six decades,
Kenney was at the epicentre of many of the most exciting moments in
music history and has experienced everything the industry has to
offer. He jointly created some of the world's most-loved records,
hung out with the Stones, Beatles, David Bowie, Keith Moon and Rod
Stewart, and suffered the loss of close friends to rock 'n' roll
excess and success. The legacy created by Kenney and his band mates
has influenced acts as diverse as Led Zeppelin, the Sex Pistols and
Oasis. Now, for the very first time, Kenney tells the full story of
how a young Cockney Herbert played his part in the biggest social
transformation in living memory - the people, the parties, the
friendships, the fall-outs, the laughter, the sadness, the sex,
drugs, and a lot of rock 'n' roll, while also opening up about his
own deeply personal battles and passions, too. This is a vivid and
breath-taking immersion into the most exciting era of music history
and beyond.
In 1964 Roger Miller hit the pop charts with "Dang Me"-the same
year the Beatles hit America and began the British Invasion. Roger
received five Grammys for that year-and six more in 1965 when he
had "King of the Road." Roger Miller was not an overnight
success-he was a successful country songwriter since 1958, penning
hits for Ray Price ("Invitation to the Blues), Jim Reeves ("Billy
Bayou" and "Home") and Ernest Tubb ("Half a Mind"). Later, he wrote
the score to the Tony Award winning Broadway musical Big River. In
this biography, Don Cusic traces the personal life and career of
Roger Miller, from Erick, Oklahoma to the Country Music Hall of
Fame and shows why Roger Miller was an American Genius. Don Cusic
is one of the premier historians of country music. He has written
twenty-five books, including two novels. He is currently Professor
of Music Business at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Join Helen in her family's exploits as they travel to a new life
in America as Immigrants leaving their old way of life behind. You
will share their family's passion for freedom as they fulfill their
aspirations and dreams to enjoy a better life in their new country
America.
She continues her true story for almost a century sharing their
achievements as well as the hard ships that followed. Read on and
share her adventures and points of interest as she travels along
visiting places such as London, England, Istanbul, Turkey,
Barcelona, Spain, and the Mediterranean, and ride along the Orient
Express. This is a true story that will make you cry at times and
feel the difficulties, and at other times you will find yourself
laughing. It's a book that's hard to put down as you feel the
challenges they faced each day. It is written so that others could
believe in themselves, and they, too, could accomplish their goals
and enjoy all that life has to offer.
Audrey Hepburn: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon is a
stunning illustrated biography of style and screen legend Audrey
Hepburn, from internationally renowned fashion illustrator Megan
Hess. From Sabrina to Breakfast at Tiffany's, Audrey Hepburn is
renowned for her unforgettable film roles and fashion looks, but
less well known is her fascinating life, including her childhood in
Nazi-occupied Holland and her tireless dedication to helping those
less fortunate than herself. In this book, Megan's beautiful
illustrations follow Hepburn through three distinct chapters: her
early life in World War II Europe, dreaming of becoming a
ballerina; her ingenue years as the rising star of Hollywood and
her incredible fashion partnership with Hubert de Givenchy; and her
private life beyond the silver screen, building a legacy through
her humanitarian work. Elegantly enclosed by a hardback cover and
ribbon, Audrey Hepburn: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon is
a beautiful celebration of a woman whose life was as remarkable as
the clothes she wore and the movies she starred in, with every
surprising detail and iconic outfit brought to life on the page by
the expert hand of Megan Hess.
Sometimes Broadway dreams do come true.
Fresh from the obscurity of living in the small farming
community of Grove, Oklahoma, Ronald Young, at 22, is catapulted
onto New York City's "Great White Way..". BROADWAY.
After arriving in Manhattan on a Friday, he auditions for his
first Broadway show on Monday. Bingo After three call back
auditions he snags his first dancing role in the soon to be mega
hit "HELLO, DOLLY " directed and choreographed by Gower Champion
and starring Carol Channing.
Armed with three music degrees and lots of enthusiasm he embarks
on his career on Broadway. His resume includes working with some of
the legends of the theater: Ethel Merman, Shirley Booth, Angela
Lansbury, Tommy Tune, Bernadette Peters, Joel Gray, Chita Rivera,
Sandy Duncan, Georgia Engel and many others. He appeared in a host
of shows: "MAME," "GEORGE M " "THE BOY FRIEND," "MY ONE AND ONLY,"
"A CHORUS LINE" and the films "HAIR" and "ANNIE."
"THE ONLY BOY WHO DANCED" is a series of compelling, riveting
stories about Ronald Young's personal quest to make it on Broadway.
If you or a friend have hidden aspirations to make it on the New
York theatrical scene, you will enjoy his tips and suggestions on
how to break through this tough barrier.
(Amadeus). President of The Juilliard School and then of Lincoln
Center for the Performing Arts during the years 1945-1968, Schuman
(1910-1992) was an "artistic catalyst" who was instrumental in
shaping how America perceived and supported music, dance and drama
in the second half of the twentieth century. His influence as an
arts administrator, educator and composer caused him to be
considered at one time as "probably the most powerful figure in the
world of art music." Complex, driven, and filled with a confident
optimism that characterized America at the time, Schuman thought of
himself as "a part of many different worlds." Those worlds included
his life as a composer of more than one hundred works in
orchestral, choral, chamber, and operatic settings. His music has
been characterized as "full of American directness in its vibrant
rhythms and brilliant orchestrations." This first-ever complete
biography of Schuman brings the many threads of his life together
within the context of the personalities and events that shaped how
we experience the arts in America in the twenty-first century.
In January 2015 Dick and Angel Strawbridge embarked on the journey
of a lifetime when they swapped their cosy two-bedroom flat in East
London for a derelict chateau with 12 acres of land in the Loire
valley. Where Sunday Times bestseller A Year At The Chateau told
the entertaining and heartwarming beginning of the family's French
adventure, as they found their forever home and began to restore
and renovate the dilapidated castle, Living The Chateau Dream is
about the years of hard graft that followed. Dick and Angel leapt
into action transforming Chateau-de-la-Motte Husson into both a
thriving family home and a sustainable business, and began making
their dream of rural life in a fairytale castle a reality. From
throwing open the shutters to new suites to exploring the walled
garden, launching their wedding business and hosting guests for
food lover weekends, no stone was left unturned. From the
day-to-day tasks like installing a lift to the beginnings of
lifelong traditions and memories such as investigating the seasonal
delights of the surroundings and having a family sleepover on the
moat, this much-anticipated follow-up includes many firsts for the
Strawbridge family. As Dick and Angel recount stories of the
renovations that took place over the next four years at the
chateau, we start to understand the true extent of the work and
skill that it has taken to make this incredible house into a
much-loved home. With stories of remarkable discoveries and
unexpected challenges, amazing transformations and
once-in-a-lifetime celebrations, this book is sure to delight,
entertain and inspire fans in equal measure.
|
|