Book / Magazine News

Advance Praise for African Rhythms...

Source: The Independent Ear by Willard Jenkins
July 17, 2010

COMING IN OCTOBER on Duke University Press:

An as-told-to autobiography Composed by Randy Weston; Arranged by Willard Jenkins

“Randy Weston is a magical, spiritual, ebullient, and generous soul who just happens to be one of the most original composers and pianists of the last sixty years. African Rhythms is his fascinating story in his own voice--a story that starts in Brooklyn and moves through the Berkshires, Africa, and Europe before returning to Brooklyn. A wonderful read."

--Michael Cuscuna, jazz producer ...

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Tony Dipasquale Authors Book on Jazz Improv Techniques

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
July 14, 2010

Belleville keyboardist Tony DiPasquale, who leads the band Groove Merchants and plays with saxophonist David Fatek and others, has published The Jazz Lictionary, a new instruction book on jazz improvisation techniques.DiPasquale earned a bachelor's degree in music education from Millikin University and a master's in jazz piano performance from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. He has worked for 13 years as director of bands for Belleville District #118 and has also served as an adjunct faculty member for the jazz ...

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#1 Amazon Bestseller…"Free to Be Creative at the Piano" now Available as FREE Download!

Source: Edward Weiss
July 11, 2010

Who says you have to be a gifted genius to create your own unique piano compositions? Not Edward Weiss, educator, author and composer who's just completed his first full length book on doing just that--turning anyone into a “virtual virtuoso" in as little as 30 days--even if they've never touched a musical keyboard in their life. Edward's approach is unusual, in that he tosses the so-called rule book out the window. Gone are the endless “do ray me" drills that ...

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Massachusetts Stays Cool with Summer Jazz Guide

Source: MassJazz
July 9, 2010

Boston, MA--Massachusetts has released its second annual MassJazz Travel Guide, a round-up of jazz festivals, concerts and musical events taking place across the Bay State from July through October 2010. The 32-page magazine is available free to visitors and residents at tourism kiosks, in hotels and nightclubs, and on college campuses. Some of the biggest names in jazz and blues are performing in Massachusetts this summer, including Herbie Hancock, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Ahmad Jamal, B.B. King, Esperanza Spalding, Paula ...

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Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne

Source: The Independent Ear by Willard Jenkins
July 6, 2010

Though still in progress with James Gavin's thick new volume on the life & times of the recently departed ancestor Lena Horne, several in-progress observations give high marks to the writer's thorough, detailed efforts. Gavin, who penned the equally-rewarding Chet Baker bio The Long Night of Chet Baker, details La Horne's vivid and often troubling life, a life full of seemingly equal measures of heartache & triumph from the moment of her life's inception in Brooklyn, pulls no punches in ...

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Cognitive Surplus, Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age

Source: Michael Ricci
July 2, 2010

The Shallows, What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains. How is the Internet affecting us, socially and individually? And is it helping? Two authors survey the situation.

When I was looking for a job after college, I bought the Sunday New York Times and scanned the classifieds, circling promising descriptions with a red pen. I mailed in my resume and waited for a call on my landline. That was 11 years ago the last time I looked for a ...

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Marla Miller Unfurls the Myth of Betsy Ross and the First Flag

Source: All About Jazz
July 1, 2010

George Washington didn't chop down a cherry tree. And just maybe Betsy Ross didn't sew the first flag. Happy Fourth!

In her myth-busting biography Betsy Ross and the Making of America, historian Marla Miller sets the record straight on the history surrounding one of the most famous women of the Colonial era. Along the way, Miller drums up a stirring and fascinating portrait of politics and everyday life in 18th-century America.

Ross, born Elizabeth Griscom in 1752, was ...

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Miles Davis Among Jazz Legends Featured in Paul Slaughter's New Book of Jazz Photographs

Source: Miles Davis Online
June 28, 2010

Im a big admirer of photographer Paul Slaughter. His shots of Miles Davis are must-see. So believe me when I say that anyone who loves jazz, or loves photography or just so happens to love 'jazz photography will be delighted by the just-released Paul Slaughter / Jazz Photographs 1969-2010, a wonderful collection of jazz photographs by acclaimed photographer Paul Slaughter.

The hardcover book features the great Sonny Rollins on its cover with a Foreword by jazz musician Charles Lloyd. Inside, ...

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