BB King is a blues musician with a much richer story than most – one that's captured here in very vivid detail by the author, as he mixes together a wealth of historical research with quotations from interviews and other materials too – all of which really makes the long journey of BB King come alive, as he shifts from roots in the south to the Memphis scene, then California, then superstardom that made him one of the biggest blues figures of the 20th Century! There's a great flow to the book – down to earth details that really make you feel like you're following King on his rise to fame – yet the big section at notes also indicates that the author wasn't just throwing stories out there without any support, and did plenty to weave the whole thing together with an eye for the facts. Softcover edition is 481 pages, with some black and white images. Book

A beautiful book on the dancehall scene in Jamaica – one that's done in a different style than some of the other Soul Jazz books – which are often focused more on album cover art! This book's got a very different approach – and is more an art book with photos of the dancehall scene in Jamaica, as well as lots of detailed information – including a history of Jamaican dance culture, bios of artists, and more information. Beth Lesser has already given us other great writings on reggae, and she really knows her stuff – and her care here is apparent, and a great complement to the hundreds of photos included within! And don't worry, there's still some pictures of records – but the book also offers up a lot lot more. Over 200 pages, oversize, and full color throughout – and this new edition also includes a fresh introduction from Duro Olowu, and more material than the original volume! Book

A really cool look at a label that was maybe one of the hippest things the Beatles ever did – the short-lived Zapple imprint – which was part of their main Apple label, but dedicated to more experimental work from a variety of musicians and writers! The imprint is perhaps best remembered as the home of more avant recordings by John & Yoko, and by George Harrison – but it also presented material by Allen Ginsberg, Charles Bukowski, Charles Olson, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and other key underground figures – a legacy that would have been enormous, had it continued. The book is put together by Zapple label manager Barry Miles – and includes loads of photos and images too – studio shots, ads, and a lot more elements that help bring this lost label to life once again! 272 pages, hardcover, with some black and white images. Book

A well-written account of one of the most important record labels in the early years of 78rpm singles – the legendary Paramount Records, home to important work from blues legends like Son House, Skip James, and Blind Lemon Jefferson – and key jazz musicians such as King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, and Fletcher Henderson! The label was up in Wisconsin, an unlikely spot to showcase sounds that came from the south – but as the title indicates, Paramount was an important cultural partner to the great northward migration after WWI – a relationship that's brought out here in vivid detail, but with a narrative sensibility that would also make for one hell of a movie! Scott Blackwood provides details on the artists and their scenes alongside the label's history and production process – and as fans of Paramount know, the whole thing culminates in a very famous story at the label's end. Book is hardcover, 199 pages, with a fair bit of black and white images. Book

A book that's a piece of art in an of itself – as it's the only way these different strands of creative activity from artist Jim Dine could have come together! The approach is unusual – the book is something of a poem, but created from words that Dine wrote on various surfaces in various places over the years, which are then photographed, and assembled into a large book without any other text at all! At an initial level, the book feels like someone selecting images of scrawlings on walls, but together the images rise up as a creation of their own – both verbal and visual – in a really lovely clothbound book that comes in a heavy slipcover that's a perfect package for the contents. Book

One of the best books we've ever read on any sort of creative scene and cultural moment – a superbly-penned account of the rise of underground comix in the 60s, and the growth and changes of the movement in the decades that followed! Author Brian Doherty makes the scene come alive in ways that are even more powerful than most music books that try to do the same – tracing the disparate roots of key figures like Robert Crumb, Gilbert Shelton, Trina Robbins, and others – as they end up converging in San Francisco in the late 60s, finding a way to express themselves through new styles and new means of production and distribution – then spread out as the 70s move in, and underground comix provide the building blocks for the graphic novel generation to come. The book is insanely well-researched, but also written with a lively style that really gets at both the creative talents and individual personalities of each of the folks involved – all at a level that makes for a hell of a read that goes way past the usual book on comics, music, or any other sort of cultural creative scene! Hardcover edition is 439 pages. Book

An insanely deep look at the rise of the "new romantics" on the British music scene at the end of the 70s – a book that's bigger than most we've seen on more "classic" rock figures and moments – and which really takes its project seriously! The book starts way before the early 80s pop hits that pushed the music on a global scene – and starts instead in the years before punk, when embers of glam and art rock were cooling down, and allowing some new ideas to rise up on the scene – artists and musicians who were carefully threading their way through the bigger waves of the late 70s, before finally getting their due in a huge moment at the start of the 80s. All the big names are covered here – Depeche Mode, Ultravox, Wham, Soft Cell, and many others – but Dylan Jones also really stretches the net wide, and does a great job of situating the music, and showing its influence at a level that's way different than any might have predicted at the time! The book is almost 700 pages, hardcover, with a big section of photos in the middle. Book

A nicely global look at the history of comics over the past 50 years – one that assumes from the start that the graphic medium is a worldwide one, which allows the authors to quickly move past overdone coverage of American giants from the time! The book begins in 1968 – a time when underground comix were already on the rise, and bigger US publishers were shaking it up – and things quickly jump overseas – to look at the amazing explosion of talent on the French and Italian scenes at the end of the 60s, the huge wave of British creativity in the 70s, and the ongoing changes in manga that took place over many decades. The writing is great – and very thoughtful – and the book is illustrated with examples throughout, both in color and black and white – with a very good balance between word and image. 317 pages, softcover. Book

We're not normally ones to stock urban fire books here at Dusty Groove – but as you probably know, our hometown is Chicago, a city with a pretty incredible history – part of which is a fantastic fire that burned the whole place to the ground back in the 19th century! This huge book dives into great detail about the fire – its origins, its too-long burnout, initial failed efforts to stop it, and the surprisingly quick rise from the ashes that Chicago experienced as a result – as the city turned the tragedy into a way of rethinking and modernizing itself, which made it very well-poised to become a global powerhouse in years to come! Carl Smith tells the tale with a nicely narrative voice, while also showcasing the long research that went into the project – and this hardcover edition is 374 pages, with some black and white images. Book

The rise of punk is usually tied to the scene of the Sex Pistols and others up in London – but right from the start, there was plenty happening up in Leeds – a scene that gave the world Gang Of Four, The Mekons, Soft Cell, Scritti Politti, and other key acts from the end of the 70s! Leeds was a university town, and very different than London and other working class scenes in the UK – as the acts in the city often approached their craft with a fair bit of intellectual background – something that shows not just in the lyrics, but the experimental constructions of their instrumentation too. Author Gavin Butt really dives deep into the Leeds scene of the period – mixing history with a stunning amount of information from interviews – with band members and other people on the scene – all in a book that's a much more lively read than you might expect from an academic press. The book is illustrated with black and white images throughout, features a suggested discography at the back, and this softcover edition is 290 pages in length. Book

A well-known book around these parts – and a very important piece of Chicago history! The playful title is no mistake – as Dempsey Travis tells the story of black Chicago through his own history – his youth on the south side, rise as an important African-American businessman, and his continued years of service to and interaction with the community. Travis is one of those names that may not ring that strongly outside the Windy City, but here in Chicago he left an undeniable impact – where his story of hope and hard work have gone onto inspire many over the years. But more than tale of success, the book's just a great read – and a really fascinating portrait of the changes in mid-century Chicago through one man's eyes. 216 pages, softcover. Book

Things really heat up in this second volume of Robert Darden's look at the rise of gospel in America – as he traces the music's journey from the pulpit to the public, from praise to protest – and really illuminates the power that gospel and its inspiration brought to black identity from the 60s onward! This volume is even bigger than the first, and really overflows with research and information – a hugely documented project that features pages of notes at the end, and black and white images throughout the larger first section – as Darden does a fantastic job of mixing music, politics, and cultural progression. Hardcover edition is 334 pages. Book

Fantastic photographs of the Queen Of Soul – images that start from her early years in Detroit, then move to her rise to fame on Atlantic Records in the 60s – and continue with images that follow Aretha well into her later years too! The book mixes together color and black and white, famous and obscure – and often includes images that are a great sidebar to some better-known photos of Franklin – all supported by text from author Meredith Ochs. This is hardly a comprehensive look at Aretha Franklin, but the photos are more than enough – great shots of Aretha on stage, in the studio, on the TV screen, and just kicking back on her own – 138 pages, hardcover, with images throughout. Book

Writer Nelson Algren is one of our hometown heroes, and spent most of his key years right around the corner of Dusty Groove – so we're always a bit biased when it comes to his work – but you can trust us when we say that this well-done biography is almost as fantastic as some of Algren's classic books! Algren knew the streets of Chicago like the back of his hand – and his interaction with the city and its characters provided Algren with a life's worth of pain and pleasure – a richness of experience that really comes through in the biography. Nelson had a quick rise to fame with the success of The Man With The Golden Arm and a few other key books – but was also the subject of a long FBI investigation, and a number of other political pitfalls too – all documented here in great detail, along with his famous love affair with Simone DeBeauvoir. There's as much sadness and struggle to Algren's life as you'll find in one of his books – and the well-researched volume looks at a stunning array of material to give a full picture of his time and writing. 543 pages, hardcover, with some black and white images. Book

A richly-detailed look at England's Ambassador magazine of the postwar years – a publication devoted to promoting the rise of the British cloth industry, but which had an approach that made it much more like a fashion magazine overall! The book is lovely – heavy, oversize, and overflowing with photographs, images from the publication, and other ephemera – all brought together as part of an exhibition at London's V&A museum. Obviously, the publication was not one that we saw on our shores – but the book brings forth this crucial addition to magazine culture in all its glory – in a heavy hardcover book that's 240 pages in length, with images throughout. Book

A special issue that looks at the rise of cool jazz on the US scene in the postwar years – complete with a visual discography and timeline as well! The first half of the issue features dozens of important records in this mode, mostly from the 50s – with images of the cover, details in English, and more review text in Japanese – laying out both classic albums and some other records that have been crucially overlooked! The rest of the issue follows with more jazz-based articles and features – text in Japanese, but plenty of images in black and white – more than enough to entice you to dive into the world of jazz from a Japanese perspective. Book

Italy was hit hard in the postwar years – as you've no doubt seen in the urban landscapes of neo-realist directors from the time – but the city of Rome was one of the first places to really bounce back, and was ablaze with new cultural activity during the 50s! The story of that scene and its rise is told in great detail here by writer Shawn Levy – who looks at directors, movie stars, designers, journalists, and other key cultural figures who helped shape the city at the time – a place that already sounds amazing enough for the nightclubs in the background of the story – much less the story itself! The book is 447 pages, hardcover, with some photos – and is a narrative that's every bit as interesting as the Fellini film for which it's named! Book

A well-done book that looks at the huge impact made by the great Muhammad Ali – not just as a sports figure, but as an important cultural icon of pride during the 60s! Ali was often as political as he was polemical in the ring – and his rise to become a key figure in popular culture was also tied to the message he brought to his fans and followers – one of righteous energy that was key to the spirit of the time! Author Mike Marqusee opens the door to a wide variety of topics in the well-researched volume – situating Ali's rise in the public eye amidst some larger political changes, both domestic and global – at a level that makes him an undeniably powerful force in the later years of Civil Rights. Softcover edition is 326, and penned with the sort of deep prose you'd expect from a press like Verso. Book

A really cool project, and one that's even cooler than you might guess from the title – as the graphic novel is a very well-done exploration of key strands of electronic music – starting with the early years, moving through disco, Chicago House, Detroit Techno, and beyond – all with individual chapters that really do a great job of telling the story! At some level, the book is a bit like the hip hop history of Ed Piskor, but there's a different approach to storytelling too – as the scenes are interwoven with more personal, reflective elements – almost a Harvey Pekar quality at times, which really makes the narrative come alive. The artwork is great – mostly black and white, but with some color as things move to the 21st Century – and we're really pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable the book is, and especially proud of the way it handles Chicago. Harcover edition is 239 pages, with images throughout – and a smaller text section at the end. Book

The secret history of Chicago house music – a side of the scene that's even more obscure than its many rare records or long-departed clubs! The book is a fantastic follow up to the first volume – and like that one, features rare flyers, posters, and ads for some of the underground Chicago house music events and venues – some of them legitimate entertainment venues, but others more obscure hole-in-the-wall places – including some churches that were surprising hosts to house music events back in the day! The book has no text, but features full color reproductions of dozens of flyers and posters – most of them very detailed and vibrant, with loads of information on obscure artists, DJs, and other forces helping to make house music happen – often emblazoned with addresses that will come as a real surprise if you only know the Chicago of the 21st Century! A beautiful book – and one that makes us proud to call Chicago our home. Book

A great contrast to some of the more straight-ahead James Brown biographies on the market – as writer James McBride takes a circuitous path to look at the genius of The Godfather – not the shining stars of the bigger highlights in his career, but the lost corners and more distant pathways that shaped not just the man and his music, but Brown's role in our culture as well. The book is beautifully written – no surprise, given McBride's literary talents – and amidst all the hype and overblown myths about James Brown, the author really seems to unlock something new, and very personal as well. 232 pages, softcover. Book

An incredible package – one that brings together four rare publications by Sun Ra – printed words that are every bit as groundbreaking as his music – and which together represent the farther-flung corners of his vast cultural enterprise! The set represents each of the texts in the manner in which it was originally presented – save for the yellowing paper of the originals – so that two are small pamphlets, one is a slightly larger booklet, and the last is a huge stapled publication – each with a size, feel, and presentation that's like their originals! First up are the pamphlets that came with two early Ra records – Jazz By Sun Ra and Jazz In Silhouette – the first a booklet of liner notes with some poems, the second much more poetic, and originally done as a mimeograph that quickly deteriorated. Next is the famous Immeasurable Equation – a book of poetry from the mid 60s, which also features some writings by Ra on both his career and politics. Last is the huge Immeasurable Equation Vol 2 – a much larger book of poetry from 1972, presented on full sheets of paper stapled together with a textured cover of artwork. All four are impossibly hard to find – and in the format here, it's as if you had the originals in your hands, but in mint condition! Book

A mighty hefty book – but that's maybe no surprise, as it contains the collected lyrics of the great Lou Reed – from his early years with The Velvet Underground, through his decades of standout solo material! Reed picked up some unique diction during his solo career, but the book is especially helpful in unpacking some of those early VU lyrics that were sometimes hard to understand amidst all the freak and fuzz – and over the hundreds of pages, it's amazing to see how Lou Reed changes and develops as an artist – building up bravado during some eras, then letting his heart open up in others. This new edition features everything penned by Reed up through his final albums - and also features introductions by Laurie Anderson and Martin Scorcese too. Hardcover edition is 651 pages in all. Book

A really great look at the later years of Louis Armstrong's life – that time when he'd moved from being an underground jazz musician to a surprising star of both radio and screen – using his undeniable charisma in ways that really cemented his legend! And sure, there's some folks out there who might deem these Armstrong's "pop" years as a bit of a critique – but the author really gets at the subtle power of Louis during these years, and the way this period of his life was actually something of an artistic triumph, rather than a sellout – maybe no surprise, given that some of the music from these years has been Armstrong's most enduring. Softcover edition is 369 pages, with some black and white images. Book