Books — All Formats  

A heavy-duty, lavishly-illustrated ode to the art of Louis Armstrong! It's not a biography – but a beautiful, 250+ page collection of photographs, movie stills, Satchmo's own hand-written letters, collage art and more! It's been put together by Steven Brower, with a forward by Hilton Als – and it's a wonderful tribute to Armstrong – and a very unique, personal look at his life and career. It's been compiled from tape-box collages, scrapbooks, photographs, manuscripts, and other archived materials from the Louis Armstrong House Museum, at Queens College – and what a treasure trove this is!

Just in case you thought all the backstage and tour bus action in the 70s was exaggerated, Pamela Des Barres comes along to show you that things were even wilder than you thought! The book is maybe a bit more freewheeling than some of her other volumes – as Pamela brings together stories from other groupies of her generation – told in their own words, but reworked a bit to really give them punch – in this volume filled with dirty details from the likes of Cherry Vanilla, Gail Zappa, Cynthia Plaster Caster, Dee Dee Keel, Cassandra Peterson, and other legendary names from the backroom! Maybe the most gossipy book the Chicago Review Press has ever released – and almost 400 pages in length.

A very cool book – not just a biography on Quincy Jones, but one that's filled with photos, letters, and other things from his personal collection – plus some very cool "artifacts" as well! The volume's put together like a mini-museum of Q's life – and features pull-out treasures from different periods of his life – little surprises that are hidden in envelopes and jackets, to be discovered as you turn the page – making the reading of the book almost like an archeological dig into Jones' rich career! The artifacts are reproduced wonderfully – record covers, letters, and lots more – all in full color, in this oversized book that's every bit as visually enjoyable as an old Quincy Jones record! 140 pages, hardcover – but with lots more inside to expand the page count too.

A beautiful book that documents the overlooked legacy of Brion Gysin – contemporary and collaborator of William S Burroughs and other important beat figures – but also an artist with a vision that goes way beyond that initial moment! The book brings together a wealth of images of Gysin's creations – his paintings, photos, printed work, and even instructions for building your own version of his legendary dream machine – alongside historical details on Brion and key moments of his life, plus reflections on his importance by John Giorno, Genesis P Orridge, and others. A hefty museum book – 196 pages, full color, and hardcover!

A totally great book for 7" collectors – especially if you dig unusual picture sleeves! The book was put together by DJ Muro – an artist we've come to love for his work on mixes and compilations, but who's also well-known for his massive record collection, too – one that's certainly informed his music, but which stands well enough on its own – as you'll see in the book! For the volume, Muro brought together rare 7" picture sleeve images – all in a full-color, 7" package that's just the size of a vintage 45 – so that flipping the pages is almost like sifting through a stack of singles. Most of the images are from rare Japanese and Asian pressings – which means that you'll see unusual covers for funk, soul, soundtrack, and other groovy music styles of the 70s and 80s. Some of the images are odd variations on the American LP covers, and others are completely unique – and together, they provide a fascinating visual document that's sure to please any collector of rare singles. Almost 250 pages, full color!