Soul Books

Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta

Robert Palmer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A review on the book, not the DVD....... 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Robert Palmer's book "Deep Blues" is nothing short of an anthropological journey to find the genesis of the blues. He does an excellent job of highlighting the various early popular bluesmen, men such as Tommy Johnson, Charlie Patton, and Robert Johnson. He details life working on the plantations of the deep south, life on a Saturday night living it up in the various juke joints of the south, and the personal lives of early blues singers which led to the creation of the blues, and by extension, American music as we have come to know it.

The book begins by going back to the western coast of Africa, where the slave trading occurred, and Palmer details very well the oral music traditions of people from the various tribes and countries, presenting styles which could be found in the music of the eastern and southern United States from the late 19th and on into the early 20th Century. He highlights, in great detail, the sounds and how they were made in the mouth by particular tribes in Africa, and in what areas of the country and these sounds began showing up performed in field hollers done by workers on plantations throughout the south. I do not use the word anthropological lightly, as Robert Palmer does a magnificent job of highlighting the blues tradition from it's specific oral traditions in Africa, to it's nascent phase in the early 20th Century, to Muddy Waters' time in the Delta on up through his success in Chicago, to Sonny Boy Williamson's King Biscuit Time radio show and beyond.

Various interviews abound from people and relatives of the blues musicians and by articles from early periodicals detailing their lives, so by the end of the book one really feels as though we were on the freight car with Robert Johnson traveling and avoiding the hellhound on his trail.

A book for anyone who truly loves the blues. Being a book just shy of 300 pages however, only so much detail can be given, which is why this will probably not be the last book on the blues I own. 4 1/2 stars.

Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The Life and Music of Legendary Bassist James Jamerson

Allan Slutsky, James Jamerson

Amazon Price: $23.10 List Price: $35.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Hal Leonard Corporation Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $20.49

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Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Arts & Literature -> Composers & Musicians -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 35 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

GREAT BOOK & 2 CD SET! FOR BASSIST ..AND MUSIC FANS! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

James Jamerson is one of the top bassist of all time and this book will give bassist some insight to his genius. I never learned to read music, but I was born with an exception ear! I remember a long time ago, going for a job in a pit orchestra. The musical director was not all that impressed with my playing on the first day, because I didn't read music and I kind of fumbled through the rehearsal. I went home that night and learned the entire show from a tape. On the next rehearsal, when we started to play the opening number, the conductor stopped in the middle of the song, looked at me and said...."Turn up the bass!" ..this made me very happy, as I always felt a little inferior not being able to read :-)

The book covers Jamerson's story and shows many of his classic bass lines for those of you who do read. It's no walk in the park, but it's time well spent and will take your playing to another level.

The book comes with 2 CDs full of Jamerson's bass lines and many top bassist playing their favorite Jamerson tunes. It's all very interesting for musicians and non musicians alike and well worth the price! I never knew how much this guy influenced my playing until I really sat down and listened to him! What a great talent!

Editorial Review:

Bassist James Jamerson was the embodiment of the Motown spirit and groove - the invisible entity whose playing inspired thousands. His tumultuous life and musical brilliance are explored in depth through hundreds of interviews, 49 transcribed musical scores, two hours of recorded all-star performances, and more than 50 rarely seen photos in this stellar tribute to behind-the-scenes Motown. Features a 120-minute CD!Allan Slutsky's 2002 documentary of the same name is the winner of the New York Film Critics "Best Documentary of the Year" award!

Sounds Like Teen Spirit: Stolen Melodies, Ripped-Off Riffs, and the Secret History of Rock and Roll

Tim English

Amazon Price: $15.25 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: iUniverse Star Amazon Marketplace: 20 new & used starting at $7.38

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Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> Musical Genres -> Rock
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> Musical Genres -> Soul
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Music -> Theory, Composition & Performance -> Appreciation

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

“A fun read that’ll have you replaying the songs in your mind and on your stereo.”
—Chicago Tribune

Have you ever listened to a new song and felt as if you’d heard it before? It’s not your imagination. Melodies are “borrowed,” consciously or subconsciously, more than you might think. For instance, do you know:

• That U2’s “Beautiful Day” shares part of its tune with an a-ha hit from the eighties?
• Why Huey Lewis was so upset when he first heard Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters”?
• How John Lennon’s classic “Imagine” bears an uncanny resemblance to a novelty record cut by his dad?

Sounds Like Teen Spirit tells the fascinating true stories behind these and many other “sound-alike” songs. Showcasing well-known artists from the Beatles to Kraftwerk, the Staple Singers to U2, it’s a virtual catalog of pop music’s “secret history” for casual and hardcore rock-and-roll fans alike.

With this entertaining and informative guide, you’ll be surprised by the tremendously varied musical influences on your favorite songwriters and performers, and you’ll develop a genuine appreciation for what it takes to create a melody that is comfortable and pleasing and yet fresh and original. Best of all, you’re sure to discover some great artists and songs and hear familiar music in a fresh, new way!

Sight-Read Any Rhythm Instantly

Amazon Price: $9.95 List Price: $9.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Cherry Lane Music Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $5.33

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not getting it 3 out of 5 stars.
13 of 15 people found this review helpful.

I'm an intermediate level pianist, self-taught. I had very high hopes for this book. Rhythm is my weakness, particulary with sight reading. I require a combination of counting and listening to master complicated rhythms. At first, the approach of this book seemed great...counting beats instead of notes. The whole concept of "hit, don't hit" and rests being the same as carried notes was not intuitively a good fit for me, but then the author starts having you divide notes into beats by drawing boxes around them, without really explaining the "rules..." I really can't explain what he does here, it's a bit complex. Then, he uses the example of "twinkle, twinkle, little star" for mastery of 2 eighth notes in one beat and quarter notes. That worked...but he didn't follow up by using examples for all of the other rhythmic variations. By Chapter three he is telling you to memorize the sound of each rhythmic variation, but the only way to play it is by counting the notes, which he has told you not to do! It's quite maddening. If there were a CD to accompany it, or more illustrations of familiar songs, it would help. Still, it looks like this book works for other reviewers. It just did not work at all for me, and hopefully I can send it back and get a book with an accompanying CD. Perhaps if I already knew how to count all the rhythms, the book would work for changing the way I see notes, but as for teaching complex rhythms, it didn't work for me.

Editorial Review:

Learn how to sight-read any rhythm instantly! Wouldn't you like to look at a complicated rhythmic figure and instantly know how it sounds? If so, then this book is for you. You'll discover: how to memorize the sound of each commonly occurring, one-beat note combination * the difference between duple and triple time, simple and compound time, and 6/4 time and 3/2 time * the true meaning of "cut" time * how to instantly play odd groupings (triplets, quintuplets, etc.) * and much more.

The Lost Supreme: The Life of Dreamgirl Florence Ballard

Peter Benjaminson

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Lawrence Hill Books Amazon Marketplace: 38 new & used starting at $6.60

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Supremes were the most successful female vocal group in history. Of the three original members--Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard—two told their life stories in bestselling books. Only Florence Ballard, the spunky teenager who founded the group, remained silent. But, in the months before her 1976 death, Flo actually did tell her own side of the Supremes story—and the story of her entire life—to Peter Benjaminson, who recorded her words on tape.

In this book, for the first time, is Flo Ballard’s entire heartbreaking tale, revealing:

the suprising identity of the man who raped her before she entered the music business; the details of her love-hate relationship with Motown Records czar Berry Gordy—and an account of their first and only date; her serious drinking problem and ignored pleas for treatment; her never-ending desire to sing lead and how she was prevented from doing so; her attempts to get her life back on track after being brutally expelled from the Supremes; and much more.

Flo Ballard traveled around the world in luxury, chatting with royalty and heads of state, applauded by millions. But when she died at the age of 32, she was a lonely mother of three just barely recovered from years of poverty and despair. Though we may mourn the extended silence of such a profound talent, at least now we can begin to understand how and why it happened.

The Story of the Supremes

Daryl Easlea

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Victoria & Albert Museum Amazon Marketplace: 35 new & used starting at $12.69

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A dazzling celebration of one of the most successful musical groups of the sixties, The Story of the Supremes presents the incredible wardrobe that created the group’s unmistakable style and the billboards, posters, and photographs that made it timeless.

From their beginnings as The Primettes to the height of their glamour and fame in the seventies, The Supremes’ career has been nothing short of remarkable. Here, acclaimed music journalist Daryl Easlea traces the history of a group that was second only to the Beatles in number-one hits and whose success story helped change racial perceptions during the civil rights movement. A joyful tribute to the queens of Motown, The Story of The Supremes is a magnificent collection of dresses worn by Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard, and of course, Diana Ross, in concert, on television, and on the iconic album covers that defined an era of music.

Dusty!: Queen of the Postmods

Annie J. Randall

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Oxford University Press, USA Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $11.95

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 38 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Dubbed the "White Queen of Soul," singer Dusty Springfield became the first British soloist to break into the U.S. Top Ten music charts with her 1964 hit "I Only Want To Be With You"--a pop classic followed by many others, including "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" and "Son of a Preacher Man." Today she is usually placed within the history of the Beatles-led "British Invasion" or seen as a devoted acolyte of Motown. In this penetrating look at her music and career, Annie J. Randall shows how Springfield's contributions transcend the narrow limits of those descriptions and how this middle-class former convent girl became perhaps the unlikeliest of artists to achieve soul credibility on both sides of the Atlantic.
Randall reevaluates Springfield's place in sixties popular music through close investigation of her performances as well as interviews with her friends, peers, professional associates, and longtime fans. As the author notes, the singer's unique look--blonde beehive wigs and heavy black mascara--became iconic of the mid-sixties postmodern moment in which identity scrambling and camp pastiche were the norms in swinging London's pop culture. Randall places Springfield within this rich cultural context, focusing on the years from 1964 to 1968, when she recorded her biggest international hits and was a constant presence on British television. The book pays special attention to Springfield's close collaboration and friendship with American gospel singer Madeline Bell, the distinctive way Springfield combined US soul and European melodrama to achieve her own musical style and stage presence, and how her camp sensibility figured as a key element of her artistry.

Motown Bass Classics

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Great Book 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Comes with a CD of some classic Motown songs. The CD has half time versions of some of the more difficult songs. Has great interviews with major bass players and Tabbed licks to go with the CD.

I highly recommend this if you want to learn Jamerson's style.

mtorch 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book covers some of the old Motown classic songs that will never "get old". The book is not for beginners but is good for players who can read music at an intermediate level and who have had some professional music lessons. Recommended for true Motown fans.

Editorial Review:

Exact transcriptions with tab for 21 bass-heavy Motown faves: Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing, Ain't Too Proud To Beg, Baby Love, Dancing In The Street, For Once In My Life, Get Ready, I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch), I Heard It Through The Grapevine, I Just Want To Celebrate, I Second That Emotion, It's The Same Old Song, My Girl, My Guy, Reach Out I'll Be There, Shot Gun, Stop! In The Name Of Love, What's Going On, Where Did Our Love Go, You Can't Hurry Love, You Keep Me Hangin' On.

The Funkmasters-the Great James Brown Rhythm Sections

Allan Slutsky, Chuck Silverman

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Alfred Amazon Marketplace: 32 new & used starting at $18.76

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great workbook - intersting historical information 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Go no further, it's all broken down for you here: the history, the songs, individual tracks. This is a great learning tool and obviously a labor of love.

Killer book for learning funk 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

As a guitarist, this book rules for expanding your chord base and learning new rhythms. The CD tracks are great to play along with on repeat until you nail 'em, and the historical text is a nice bonus. Quit dorking and buy this book, whether you are just beginning or an expert guitarist. It is a NO BRAINER!

How a Rhythm Section Works 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Really a great book. Has a bit of interesting history about James Brown.

Really breaks down the interplay between drums, guitars, and bass on JB's band. Also provides some insight into the different bassists during JB's career. Finally, really provides a good description of the rhythmic interaction between the drummer and bassist.

If you want the FUNK - start here.

Editorial Review:

In this unique rhythm section workbook, 23 James Brown classics have been transcribed, broken down into individual lessons, and meticulously recreated on two one-hour CDs.

Rhythm Guitar: The Complete Guide

Amazon Price: $16.15 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Musicians Institute Press Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $9.96

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Finally ! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a great book. I've been looking for a book on strumming patterns for a very long time. This book taught me how to interpret 32nd, 16th, 8th and quarter notes into strumming patters. Step by step it increased my bar chord skills. I am only up the chapter 5, but, after 2 years of playing, I have a re-newed excitment about practicing.

not only for rhythm guitar player 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 4 people found this review helpful.

For intermediate players: a good method to know guitar keyboard, voicings, all types of chords and their construction. There are a lot of common progressions and basic theory rules that let you "colour" your songs

ótimo livro pra quem sabe ler. faltou um cd... 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Se vc tem noções de leitura esse livro vale a pena. Assim como o outro leitor que comentou, lá pelo capítulo 8 minhas fraquezas começaram a aparecer e tenho me divertindo insistindo nelas e verificando de maneira sistemática aonde estão minhas forças e deficiências.
Nesse mundo de métodos para guitarra vc encontra muita coisa para te transformar num "soleiro" chato de galochas. Ótimo ter um método organizado de guitarra base, que é o que nós guitarristas fazemos e 95% do tempo em que tocamos, portanto, é a coisa mais importante a aprender.
Não é perfeito porque faltou um CD, que tornaria o livro mais acessível a quem não sabe ler música. Se é o seu caso, só compre se vc tem um professor particular que pode ler por vc. Caso contrário vai simplesmente desperdiçar o seu dinheiro.

Editorial Review:

A comprehensive source for learning rhythm guitar in a variety of musical styles. It covers: open chords, barre chords, and other movable shapes; strumming, fingerstyle, flatpicking and arpeggiation; common progressions and basic chord theory; triads, sixth, seventh, ninth, and many other chords; and much more.