The vivid history of Beale Streetmdash;a lost world of swaggering musicians; glamorous madams; and ruthless politiciansmdash;and the battle for the soul of Memphis.Following the Civil War; Beale Street in Memphis; Tennessee; thrived as a cauldron of sex and song; violence and passion. But out of this turmoil emerged a center of black progress; optimism; and cultural ferment. Preston Lauterbach tells this vivid; fascinating story through the multigenerational saga of a family whose ambition; race pride; and moral complexity indelibly shaped the city that would loom so large in American life.Robert Church; who would become ldquo;the Southrsquo;s first black millionaire;rdquo; was a mulatto slave owned by his white father. Having survived a deadly race riot in 1866; Church constructed an empire of vice in the booming river town. He made a fortune with saloons; gambling; andmdash;shockinglymdash;white prostitution. But he also nurtured the militant journalism of Ida B. Wells and helped revolutionize American music through the work of composer W.C. Handy; the man who claimed to have invented the blues.In the face of Jim Crow; the Church fortune helped fashion the most powerful black political organization of the early twentieth century. Robert and his son; Bob Jr.; bought and sold property; founded a bank; and created a park and auditorium for their people finer than the places whites had forbidden them to attend.However; the Church family operated through a tense arrangement with the Democrat machine run by the notorious E. H. ldquo;Bossrdquo; Crump; who stole elections and controlled city hall. The battle between this black dynasty and the white political machine would define the future of Memphis.Brilliantly researched and swiftly plotted; Beale Street Dynasty offers a captivating account of one of Americarsquo;s iconic citiesmdash;by one of our most talented narrative historians.
#1023107 in eBooks 2014-09-12 2014-09-12File Name: B00L1EW9H6
Review
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Great drummer; great guy; great bookBy CustomerI just started reading the new book by drummer Kenny Aronoff; "Sex; Drums; Rock n Roll: The Hardest Hitting Man in Show Business;" which Kenny definitely is. Hes a tremendous drummer; has played with just about everybody; and hails from my old stomping grounds of Indiana University. (In fact; he used to play with some pals of mine in a jazz-fusion group called Streamwinner; which gets a few shout outs in the book.)My favorite story from Kennys new book concerns his first recording with John Cougar Mellencamp; the "Nothing Matters and What If It Did" album. Kenny had only recently joined the band; and was used to playing very busy jazz rock fusion on a big kit. (Thats how I initially heard him back in Bloomington -- he was a monster!) Anyway; the band flies out to LA to record with legendary producer Steve Cropper (of Stax Records fame); and it was Kennys first time in a big-time LA recording studio. Unfortunately; Cropper only had a limited time to record the album; and Kenny just wasnt cutting it. So they "fired" Kenny from the recordings and brought in session drummers Ed Greene and Rick Shlosser to cut the rhythm tracks.Instead of getting all pissed off like anyone else would have; Kenny took this as a humbling and a learning experience. He begged Mellencamp to let him stay in LA (they were going to fly him home) and attend the recording sessions as a fly on the wall; which he did. Kenny learned a ton from the session pros and applied it to his own style going forward; turning a negative experience into a positive one.I dont know too many other musicians who would have sucked it up and taken it the way Kenny did in that situation. This solidifies my opinion of Kenny has not just a great drummer but a true stand up guy and role model. (FWIW; I interviewed Kenny for my Complete Idiots Guide to Playing Drums book; and he was a joy and an inspiration to talk to. As busy as he is; Im glad he found the time to talk to me!)In any case; if you want an inside look at the music business from a legendary drummers point of view; check out Kennys book. Its a good read!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. While reading I was fascinated by how he believed a band should be formed like a teamBy Karen J. TannenbaumAs a musician and a lover of drums; Mr. Aronoff has given this reader a rare window on how much discipline and motivation it takes to literally master this incredible instrument. This is a true musical history which starts in the womb where Kenny heard his twin brother Jonathans heartbeat. It left an imprint. His relationship with his family is a loving one. They provided him with a platform and encouraged him to play. In truth; they could not get him to stop. He learned by sheer determination. It was when he first saw Ringo Starr that he knew the sounds of rhythm would be his calling. While reading I was fascinated by how he believed a band should be formed like a team. Like his family. Good drummers are very hard to find. When he first auditioned for John Cougar Mellencamp. However; Mellencamp did not think he was the right drummer for the band. He soon found out otherwise. He played on Johns best recordings while he and bassist Toby Myers played amazingly together. A brilliant team.When he left the Mellencamp band he soon got calls from everyone. In my opinion; the more simplistic (Mellencamp) a tune is; the harder it is to play. Especially; to keep the sound and beat in the pocket. Kenny; I could say is the Mozart of drum playing. He can play anything. As a student at UMass he played classical percussion and of course tympanis. While playing with an orchestra it is valuable to count out the rhythm with precision. Kennys big mistake was that he came in at the wrong time which left him humbled and embarrassed in front of his peers. A lesson learned but a valuable one. He later went to Indiana University; Bloomington and the rest is musical history. I will not tell you everyone he has played with because you wannabe drummers or lovers of other instruments need to read this.Not only is he a highly disciplined player; like above he is a humble one. If you are into sleazy autobiographies on rock stars this is not for you. Kenny is a musicians musician. And he has shown it by giving lessons to students while recording with Mellencamp and being creative with his art. I was also fascinated how much he loved Bloomington. And how he described it. A young boy who idolized Ringo Starr from the East Coast ends up in the heart of the United States; Indiana; and becomes one of the most famous; versatile drummers of all time. What made me teary eyed was when he was granted his childhood wish to play with Ringo Starr. He is so versatile that he has played rock; country; jazz and symphony. He is an unbelievable and rare artist and from what I read a very kind and giving man.Neil Peart in the Forward said it best: "Hold on to that thought for when you get to John Mellencamps acid comment about Kenny and his "ambition." As if there is something wrong about wanting to play with everybody in the world--and then doing it. As Dizzy Dean said; "It aint braggin if you can back it up. Kenny Aronoff can back it up."1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. This book is amazing even if you arent a drummerBy CHRIS PETERSYouve heard his grooves a million times but did you know what went on behind the scened to produce that music? This book is amazing even if you arent a drummer. If you are a drummer; it is a must read. Mr Aronoff is a yet unexpected; but incredible writer who shares first hand accounts of his medlings with the worlds finest musicians and all the drama behind the music.His story is a struggle to make it to the top of an industry and become on the of the tops in all of music by working harder than almost anyone in the business. It has correlations far beyond the reach of music so it is a good read for anyone who wants to learn how to be a success in any area of life. Well done Kenny!!
