[audiobook] Giant Steps: Bebop And The Creators Of Modern Jazz; 1945-65 by Kenny Mathieson in Arts-Photography

Description

From his formative years playing pure; hardcore honky-tonk for mid-80s Los Angeles punk rockers through his subsequent surge to the top of the country charts; Dwight Yoakam has enjoyed a singular career. An electrifying live performer; superb writer; and virtuosic vocalist; he has successfully bridged two musical worlds that usually have little use for each othermdash;commercial country and its alternative/Americana/roots-rocking counterpart. Defying the label "too country for rock; too rock for country;" Yoakam has triumphed while many of his peers have had to settle for cult acceptance. Four decades into his career; he has sold more than 25 million records and continues to tour regularly; with an extremely loyal fan base. In Dwight Yoakam; award-winning music journalist Don McLeese offers the first musical biography of this acclaimed artist. Tracing the seemingly disparate influences in Yoakams music; McLeese shows how he has combined rock and roll; rockabilly; country; blues; and gospel into a seamless whole. In particular; McLeese explores the essential issue of "authenticity" and how it applies to Yoakam; as well as to country music and popular culture in general. Drawing on wide-ranging interviews with Yoakam and his management; while also benefitting from the perspectives of others closely associated with his musical success (including producer-guitarist Pete Anderson; Yoakams partner throughout his most popular and creative decades); Dwight Yoakam pays tribute to the musician who has established himself as a visionary beyond time; an artist who could title an album Tomorrows Sounds Today and deliver it.