Books — Recently Added

A beautiful book on the Chicago jazz scene, and the things that make it really special – not the Windy City world of years back – when Ramsey Lewis and other big names were dominating things – but Chicago in more recent years, when the city has been a non-stop hotbed of continuous ... Book

A really amazing look at the secret art and language of gang culture in Chicago – the most detailed book we've ever seen to examine the words on the street during the 60s, 70s, and 80s! Chicago had a very special sort of language to communicate gang activity and culture during the heyday of ... Book

A beautiful expansion of a famous moment in creative journalism – the famous 1968 issue of Esquire magazine that featured William S Burroughs, Terry Southern, Allen Ginsberg, Jean Genet, and Abbie Hoffman at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago! The results of that tumultuous event have ... Book

Maybe the best book we've ever seen on the secret world of sound library music – those non-commercial recordings that are made away from the public, then lent out for later use in radio, film, and TV! Over the years, crate-diggers have brought a new sort of appreciation to sound library ... Book

An Almighty & Insane book that goes a little further back to the old school street gang era – presenting vintage business cards from Chicago gang members from as far back as the 60s and through the 70s – a means of street communication from the days before modern technology we've ... Book

One of the coolest discographies you'll ever see in your life – a special book devoted to ultra-rare records created by artists as well as musicians – first published in 1989, and filled with a wealth of obscure records from the 50s through the 80s! Musical styles run from avant jazz ... Book

The story of Mark Murphy – one of our favorite jazz singers of all time – written by Peter Jones, also a jazz singer himself! Jones is London-based, and as such, does a really great job of capturing the ongoing enthusiasm and excitement about Murphy's career that was always a big part ... Book

A beautiful book on the decades of recorded output from one of our favorite composers ever – the legendary Michel Legrand – an artist known to most folks for his famous soundtracks of the 60s and 70s – but also a jazz musician, singer, and even a very groovy instrumental arranger! ... Book

A beautiful book on the recorded legacy of Lee Scratch Perry – one that builds on a previous discography by the author, but which is much more vivid overall! The hardcover book is in full color throughout – and offers up dozens of images of Lee Perry recordings – rare albums, ... Book

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 ... Book

A visual love letter to the Memphis music scene – served up in a hefty, oversized book that's overflowing with beautiful photographs, and a bit of commentary from the musicians themselves! The largest part of the book is contemporary portraits of musical greats from the 50s onward – ... Book

A beautiful tribute to one of the greatest composers of the 20th Century – Duke Ellington's longtime musical partner, the mighty Billy Strayhorn! The book presents Billy's life and music in a really great format – using songs as sidebars amidst the larger text – which is then ... Book

Ralph J Gleason might just be one of the coolest cats to ever write about music – a key part of the San Francisco scene during the postwar years – where his talents helped illuminate both the worlds of art and music during the beat generation – then really helped shine a spotlight ... Book

A fascinating look at the world of Mexican music in the 20th Century – put together in collaboration with Arhoolie Records, the label that's done plenty to reissue the music over the years! The book begins with the huge archive of recordings by the label's founder, Chris Strachwitz – ... Book

A stunningly vivid portrait of New York in the postwar years – a time when the city's already-strong hold on American culture was taken to its apex – as the city became home to some of the most important artists, actors, writers, and creative forces of the generation! The book is ... Book

One of the greatest writers on singers presents his essential collection of albums from the 20th century – all served up with the kind of loving detail that's always made the prose of Will Friedwald so great! Will's written the book on Frank Sinatra – literally – and on Tony ... Book

A beautiful little DIY black & white photography book by Ramon Norwood, aka Radius Etc, the multi-talented Chicago abstract hip hop producer, beatmaker and artist! We don't fancy ourselves art critics here at Dusty Groove, but we know Radius's sound, and for us it's pretty nice to see how his ... Book

A great book that details the story of modern dance music – as told by the DJs who've spun it into such expansive cultural significance – the DJ Revolutionaries! Authors Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton have years on the beat – having edited and/or written for Mixmag, Wax ... Book

Michael Caine in the 60s – probably his greatest decade on film (although to us, they're all pretty great) – a period that gave us classic Caine moments in movies that include Alfie, Ipcress File, The Italian Job, and Billion Dollar Brain! Those films, and others, are each laid out ... Book

A beautiful look at a near-lost legacy from the Cold War years – the cultural embassy named Amerika Haus – first built in Berlin during the immediate post-war years, then an even more important outpost once the wall went up! The space itself was a work of art – strongly in the ... Book