Music & Movies

In 1959, twenty-nine-year-old Berry Gordy, who had already given up on his dream to be a champion boxer, borrowed eight hundred dollars from his family and started a record company. A run-down bungalow sandwiched between a funeral home and a beauty shop...

The Guitar Collection: Rhythm & Blues contains 65 key R&B songs from past greats such as Sam Cooke, Al Green, and James Brown, all the way up to instant classics by contemporary artists like Cee Lo Green, Bruno Mars, and Alicia Keys. Every book in The...

In the late 1920s and '30s Lincoln Perry, aka Stepin Fetchit, was both renowned and reviled for his surrealistic portrayals of the era's most popular comic stereotype-the lazy, shiftless Negro. Perry was hailed by critic Robert Benchley as "the best...

From Nelson George, supervising producer and writer of the hit Netflix series, The Get Down, this passionate and provocative book tells the complete story of black music in the last fifty years, and in doing so outlines the perilous position of black...

(Guitar Educational). In any music style, there are essentials scales, licks, chords, etc. Blues Guitar Chords teaches you the must-know chords that will get you shufflin' like a pro in no time. You won't get bogged down with tons of details. Rather,...

(Jazz Play Along). The Hal Leonard Jazz Play-Along Series is the ultimate tool for all jazz musicians. In this special instructional edition, the II-V-I progression is covered in detail from chords and scales to major and minor progressions to melodic...

Lush ballads and swingin' standards for every occasion, tastefully played by an outstanding rhythm section and made unforgettable by such great jazzmen as Dave Brubeck, Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Ray Noble, and Nat King Cole. A practical and enjoyable set...

Yuval Taylor and Jake Austen investigate the complex history of black minstrelsy, adopted in the mid-nineteenth century by African American performers who played the grinning blackface fool to entertain black and white audiences. We now consider...

Though New York remains the de facto capital of American theater, much of the most daring and interesting work today is done by regional theaters. This is doubly true of plays by African American authors, who, despite a few notable exceptions (August...

Influenced by the blues as well as West African and African-American sounds, rhythm and blues, rap, and hip-hop have become popular and influential forms of music around the world. Featuring soulful lyrics, hard-driving beats, and infectious rhythms,...

Cool syncopation, funky riffs, and smooth, stylish tunes---from dynamic to nostalgic, Pam Wedgwood's series has it all. More Jazzin' About for Piano / Keyboard is a vibrant collection of original pieces in a range of contemporary styles, tailor-made for...

This definitive guide includes a unique chapter-by-chapter playlist for the reader. Jazz: A Beginner's Guide is a lively and highly accessible introduction to a global musical phenomenon. Award-winning music journalist and author Stuart Nicholson takes...

(Musicians Institute Press). Learn the essential concepts of jazz harmony and melody with Jazz Piano . This book and CD package contains a wealth of knowledge for any aspiring jazz musician. The accompanying CD holds 57 tracks for you to play along with...

Educator and performer Carlos Arana captures Brazil's rich musical heritage with impeccable stylistic, historic, and technical analyses. The first section of this book covers the fundamental rhythmic and harmonic characteristics of samba, bossa nova, and...

(Jazz Play Along). For use with all Bb, Eb, and C instruments, the JAZZ PLAY ALONG SERIES is the ultimate learning tool for all jazz musicians. With musician-friendly lead sheets, melody cues, and other split-track choices on the included CD, this...