ldquo;The two sides of Shaw . . . are at the center of . . . [this] compulsively readable biography.rdquo;mdash;Daniel Akst; Wall Street JournalDuring Americarsquo;s Swing Era; no musician was more successful or controversial than Artie Shaw: the charismatic and opinionated clarinetist-bandleader whose dozens of hits became anthems for ldquo;the greatest generation.rdquo; But some of his most beautiful recordings were not issued until decades after hersquo;d left the scene. He broke racial barriers by hiring African American musicians. His frequent ldquo;retirementsrdquo; earned him a reputation as the Hamlet of jazz. And he quit playing for good at the height of his powers. The handsome Shaw had seven wives (including Lana Turner and Ava Gardner). Inveterate reader and author of three books; he befriended the best-known writers of his time.Tom Nolan; who interviewed Shaw between 1990 and his death in 2004 and spoke with one hundred of his colleagues and contemporaries; captures Shaw and his era with candor and sympathy; bringing the master to vivid life and restoring him to his rightful place in jazz history. Originally published in hardcover under the title Three Chords for Beautys Sake.
#1688806 in eBooks 2009-04-01 2009-04-01File Name: B004A16KYU
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Technical but informational.By sbfA bit too academic in style. but interesting facts are included. The site of El Tajin is marvelous so this book enhanced my understanding.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. contextual and descriptive narrative to anchor what is otherwise obviously good research and technical accuracyBy Charles GoslinIt is a very detailed book that lacks a broad. contextual and descriptive narrative to anchor what is otherwise obviously good research and technical accuracy. If you are an afcionado of mesoamerican arcana. archeological detail ad nauseum...go for it. Like reading a seriously boring doctoral thesis. For hours.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Exception Detail in a Easy to Read FormatBy Hector CordovaThis book is fundamental to anyone that studies Mesoamerica. It is of particular interest if your field encompasses any of these areas: Teotihuacan. Epi-Classic. Olmec Studies -- just to mention a few. El Tajin rose after the fall of Teotihuacan and was within the sphere of Teotihuacan influence. It was also one of the dominant sites during the Epi Classic - early Post Classic era along with Xochicalco. Tula and others. El Tajin is located in Huastec territory and was part of the Olmec homelands in prior centuries. The ability to read and decipher the glyphs and murals of this site help in the study of Zuyua for those that study this concept. It is also vital for anyone interested in Mesoamerican cosmology as a whole. Koontz takes a very logical. step by step approach in explaining the concepts and interpreting the images found at the site. If you ever are fortunate to visit this site in person. please take this book along with you. It is an amazing experience.
