A book that's as lively as the image on the cover – one that traces the role of drums and percussion in the music of New Orleans – following a legacy that runs from the 19th century all the way up to contemporary sounds as well! If you know the sounds of Nola, you know that the drum is the key – and that because of the city's placement as a crossroads of culture, New Orleans helped create all sorts of new grooves, from the early years of jazz up through more contemporary soul and hip hop as well. The book is square, almost like a record cover – and is filled with images of both instruments and players – as it traces a long legacy that begins in Congo Square, then runs through improvised percussion experiments, early jazz, then blues, funk, soul, and later styles as well. Book is hardcover, 227 pages, with images throughout. Book

A wonderfully down to earth book from the great Bobby Rush – southern bluesman by birth, and a key figure on the Chicago scene in the 60s and 70s – with a mighty long story that's told here in words that are very much his own! Co-author Herb Powell helps polish things up a bit, but never too much – and Bobby spends a heck of a lot of time laying out his youth, influences, and early years of struggle – which is great, as the history and setting are very illuminating – not just to Rush's own career, but to an understanding of the way that so many blues and soul artists of his generation had to find their own path forward. Hardcover edition is 306 pages, with a section of photographs in the middle. Book