Books -- Recently Added  

The first 5 issues of the legendary Wax Poetics -- the one-and-only genius publication dedicated to the art of crate-digging, aka funky soul & hip hop vinyl archeology -- collected in this massive hardcover tome! Anthology Vol 1 tackles the essential chore of bringing those earliest Wax ...

One of the hippest books of album covers you could ever hope to find -- a great antidote to the snoozier mainstream takes on the genre they try to pass off at big stores every Christmas! This one features super-rare album covers hand-picked by an array of staff and writers for Wax Poetics -- some ...

A great book about one of our favorite subjects -- the indie record store! The beautifully-packaged volume is the result of an extended research project by the author -- one that looked at indie stores both in the US and UK, as well as the personal collections of some of the biggest crate diggers ...

Nobody tells the story of James Brown better than James himself -- which is why this book is such a treat! There's definitely a slant to Brown's story here -- but since the slant is a personal one, filled with key stories from his rich rich life in music, we can certainly forgive James any ...

Man, the early days of radio were a crazy crazy time -- far more than you might expect if you only know the medium in recent years! Keep in mind that the medium marked the very first instance of broadcasting as we know it -- and even that concept, of "broad-casting", was one that was ...

A very unique take on the musical memoir concept -- one that presents the story of bandoneon legend Astor Piazzolla's life and music in collaboration with journalist Natalio Gorin -- sometimes in straight recollections by Astor, sometimes in conversation with Gorin -- shifting back and forth in ...

One of the few English language looks we've ever seen at the music of Serge Gainsbourg -- a well-penned biography that covers all of his classic years in a fair bit of detail! Author Alan Clayson does a good job of paying as much attention to the music as he does to Serge's celebrity -- defining ...

One of the most compelling accounts of the Chicago jazz scene we've ever read -- not a comprehensive listing, or fully detailed history -- but a series of well-penned "snapshots" by an author who spent plenty of time on the scene in the 60s and 70s! Gerald Majer's version of Chicago is ...

Let's face it, the term "Latin music" is often widely overused these days -- and it refers to so many different styles, it's often hard to tell what someone means when they say it. Thankfully, author Ed Morales has come up with this great little book for us -- a guide to all different ...

Way more than just a book of classic photos -- and instead, a very detailed look at the legendary Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago in the 40s! Bronzeville was to Chicago what Harlem was to New York -- and the book captures the area in the early 40s, a time when the community was at its heights - ...

A great look at the life and music of one of the most influential saxophonists of the past 50 years -- the mighty Wayne Shorter, profiled here in quite a bit of depth! The book looks past Shorter's famous records into the life that allowed them to exist -- chronicling Wayne's roots and family, ...

A nice tribute to many of the great American jazz sidemen and soloists put together by author Peter Vacher -- with some names bigger or more familiar than others, but all incredible 20th Century musicians worthy of the book treatment! Includes pieces on Sonny Cohn, Harry Edison, Art Farmer, ...

One of the harder-hitting books we've ever seen on James Brown -- an account of his famous Boston performance on April 5, 1968 -- the night after Martin Luther King was assassinated -- but one that also looks at Brown's lasting impact on race in America as well! We appreciate author James Sullivan' ...

The definitive biography of the legendary Big Star by Rob Jovanovic -- progenitors of power pop and influential as they are gratifying in their own right! The group was only in official existence for a few years, but their impact was huge -- and the book is drawn from interviews with band members, ...

Maestro is right -- as Burt's one of the finest composers, arrangers, and leaders of the past 100 years! The man's been one of our greatest musical inspirations -- and has contributed more to American music than most other folks we can think of -- but although we know his recordings well, we know ...

Essential music, hand-picked by folks who can really support their choice! The book follows the old "desert island discs" concept, but takes it one better -- by having a variety of music critics and writers pick their one album to get marooned with -- and allowing them to really expound ...

The classic Phil Spector biography by Mark Ribowsky -- one of pop music's most gifted and influential producers, and also one of its most eccentric figures! From trailblazing engineer of the girl group sound and the fabled "Wall Of Sound", to holding the Ramones at gunpoint, this is an ...

A very thorough look at the life and music of Celia Cruz -- way more than just a quickie pop bio, and instead a well-researched book that covers the full span of her many years on this planet! The book starts with lots of details from Celia's early life in Cuba, then moves through her fame on the ...

An overstuffed collection of essays that traces a wide spectrum of themes and issues in film soundtracks -- put together with a care to balance both Hollywood and global cinema, and covering a range of styles within 20th century film! Topics include "The Radio Crooner In Hollywood", ...

A biography of Nina Simone -- one of the greatest women of jazz, and a cultural beacon -- written by life long Nina fan and friend Sylvia Hampton, a writer for Blues & Soul Magazine, and her brother, producer/historian David Nathan. Hampton and Nathan bring an uncommon ability to weave the ...

One of the deepest explorations of the disco era we've come across from author Peter Shapiro -- not at all a nostalgic look back, really more of a cultural study that looks into the music and the world around it. Shapiro does a great job of putting it all into perspective, from the social factors ...

An incredible guide to sound library music around the world -- one that features artwork from countless different labels, brief notes on their history and output, and even a bonus CD of incredibly groovy music! The package is quite unique -- not really a discography, not really an art book -- but ...

A pretty hefty price guide -- one that features listings for 45s of all types -- from rock to pop to vintage soul -- with increased coverage of rare soul material for this 5th edition! There's pricing for each listing in a few different grades -- although we're always a bit reticent to endorse ...

An incredible book -- filled with amazing photos from the New York underground of the late 70s -- and a wealth of interviews conducted by Thurston Moore and Byron Coley! The book's expensive, but it's well worth the price -- a museum-like volume that features a special cover, beautiful black and ...

A tremendous look at an under-documented genre -- the huge wave of Chicano soul that sprung up from LA, Texas, and other southern spots in the 50s and 60s -- then went onto have a huge impact on wider culture in the mainstream! Although issued on an indie press, this book is top-shelf all the way ...

Whether you live in the barrio, or way uptown, this book's an essential look at Chicano soul music -- a virtual dictionary on the genre that's often under-sold as low-rider music! Author Ruben Molina provides a fairly comprehensive look at the music here -- and features not only acts that grew out ...

A cool take on the record album art book genre -- one that focus more on the vinyl than it does on the covers! The volume is a really amazing one -- put together by European groove maestros Giorgio Moroder and Alessandro Benedetti, with a focus on weirdly-pressed vinyl releases from the past few ...

A wonderful memoir from the glory days of the Italian soundtrack scene -- penned by Franco De Gemini (aka "The Man With The Harmonica"), and filled with loads of color photos and images of albums! Franco's memoirs are often quite personal -- at a level that sheds tremendous new light ...

Classic hip hop photography from Janette Beckman -- who shot many an old school and golden age master -- collected in this beautiful 144 page book! Brit Beckman actually got her start in the UK punk scene, and had the prescience to shoot as much of the nascent hip hop, b-boy and b-girl scene as ...

A biography of Gil Evans -- one of the pivotal composers and players in jazz! A forward looking arranger in in his greatest years, Evans made myriad wonderful recordings, and evolved incredibly, coming to be pivotal figure in combining diverse instrumentation, electric and acoustic elements, and ...

An essential guide to the hippest in jazz from the 60s, 70s, and 80s -- a wonderful book that specializes in underground spiritual jazz recordings! The volume is similar to other Japanese discographies we've carried -- with images of record covers, session dates, titles, and player information -- ...

A heck of a discographical resource -- especially for rare 78s and obscure blues albums! The book really takes its rhythm & blues range pretty widely -- and runs from late 40s singles up to 12" releases from House Of Pain -- but for our money, the best bits here are the more classic ...

One of the earliest ranges for any record price guide we've ever seen -- a book that starts at the beginning of the 20th Century, then stops right in the middle of the 60s! Most of the material here was issued only on 78rpm records -- although the book has some 45s and LPs too -- and the resource ...

The remarkable story behind one greatest and most successful soul albums of all time -- Aretha Franklin's I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You -- the deepest account on the making of the album we've ever come across! Author Matt Doblin tells the story with loads of fresh interviews, including ...

A profile of some of the great American songwriters and their greatest songs -- from the 1920s to the late 20th Century! Zinsser profiles many of the greats of their time, from George and Ira Gershwin, to Rodgers & Hart, Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer, Duke ...

A deep look at the music of Peggy Lee -- and the fragile persona of Norma Deloris Egstrom, the name with which she first came into the world! Author Peter Richmond clearly has a deep respect for the musical contributions made by Peggy in the latter half of the 20th Century -- and he's also got a ...

Odd cartoons from artist/musician/improviser Hal Rammel -- a selection of cartoons drawn over the past 30 years, put together in a limited edition art book! Rammel's images here are pretty wild -- comics that definitely owe something to Krazy Kat, but which also have a trippier feel too -- thanks ...

If you liked the first volume of this essential book, you'll love this revised edition -- because it's almost 3 times bigger, and stuffed with great new features! The book's a lifetime labor of love for Freddy Fresh -- an extensive discography that's got to be the most definitive book on early hip ...

An amazing little book -- at a new low price -- and an essential guide to all things funky and groovy! For nearly a decade, Peter Wermelinger's been compiling information about rare 60s and 70s records on his well-trafficked website -- cover art, session details, catalog numbers, and all the key ...

A soul stirring set of photographs, essays, notes on songs and sermons put together by the deep field recordings and all around rural America cultural archivists at Dust To Digital! Take Me To The Water gets to the heart and soul with the photographs, showing immersion baptisms from the early 20th ...

A totally cool book that's essential stuff for any collector of Brazilian music! This Japanese book is similar to some of the other Japanese jazz discographies we've been stocking -- in that it's filled with photos of rare original albums, plus some information (dates & labels) on the releases ...

A key guide to all things hip and jazzy for the dancefloor -- the kind of a book that will unlock a huge amount of new music for you -- and which has even our eyes popping at the rare delights contained within! The format is similar to some of the recent Japanese discographies we've been stocking - ...

A thick, beautiful book of early hip hop era photography from Jamel Shabazz -- a follow-up to his equally great Back In The Days! Much like Back In The Days, the book is filled with photos from 1979-1985, lots of group and single portraits of the black communities of NYC. Also like its ...

A wonderful Japanese book on the music of Lee Scratch Perry -- one that features plenty of full-color covers and discographical notes in English! The format's similar to some of the Japanese jazz discogs -- most text in Japanese, but plenty of images and English details throughout -- so that while ...

The story of Folkway Records, and Moses Asch, the visionary who ran it -- a label that was perhaps the most important vessel in getting some of the deepest and best American folk music of the 20th Century into the hands, ears, and souls of the public! Moe Asch is one of the very rare icons of ...

A worthwhile chronicle on the evolution of American folk and protest music from noted folk expert Ronald Lankford -- who has penned pieces for Sing Out!, The All Music Guide and much more -- from the rootsy Dust Bowl balladry of Woody Guthrie, to the folk pop of the 50s & 60s, the middlebrow ...

A unique account of the oft-told history of Chess Records by author Rich Cohen -- focusing on the business acumen the the Chess Brothers, and the brazen approach that brought the music of juke joints to the mainstream. Cohen doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the exploitational side of the ...

A biography of one of the titans of American Jazz -- the great Charlie Parker! Rough Guide To Jazz author Brian Priestly puts together a pretty quick read into Parker's life, and a vital discography -- from his KC childhood to his last days in NYC -- plus insight into his indispensable recordings ...

Another one of those nice little Japanese discography books, this time taking a swing at Jamaican Ska records. As with other titles, it's all in Japanese, but features lots of great color reproductions of covers, as well as some label and catalog number information. The text is pretty inclusive, ...

A well-done look at the famous album that almost wasn't -- The Beach Boys' legendary Smile album, never properly issued in the 60s -- and only recently released in its true form by Brian Wilson! Author Dominic Priore is a great person to tell the tale of the record -- as he's written countless ...