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Women have been involved with jazz since its inception, but all too often their achievements were not as well known as those of their male counterparts. Some Liked It Hot looks at all-girl bands and jazz women from the 1920s through the 1950s and how they fit into the nascent mass culture, particularly film and television, to uncover some of the historical motivations for excluding women from the now firmly established jazz canon. This well-illustrated book chronicles who appeared where and when in over 80 performances, captured in both popular Hollywood productions and in relatively unknown films and television shows. As McGee shows, these performances reflected complex racial attitudes eme...
Jewels in the Crown, winner of the 2013 Montagu Trophy by the Guild of Motoring Writers, provides an analysis of Tata’s acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover in 2008, and subsequent transformation of their fortunes, written by an award-winning motoring writer. Ray Hutton goes behind the scenes to examine how Tata have not only returned the business to profit, but also transformed the public image of these long-established British brands. At the time of the takeover, both brands (once the crown jewels of the British motor industry) had been tarnished by a patchy reputation for quality and reliability. Tata bought a new approach to the business, with fast decision-making and a solid, sustainable, long-term strategy. Factory efficiency was improved and a major export drive accompanied by a succession of carefully-positioned new models, from the Jaguar XJ Saloon and F-Type sports car to the Evoque and the new, lighter but more luxurious Range Rover flagship. The result was a remarkable change of fortunes. This book shows how it was done.
Siskiyou County Library has vol. 1 only.
This sumptuous book tells the story of one of the world’s most important racing cars. Always raced in Gulf’s iconic blue-and- orange colours, this Ford GT40, known by its chassis number ‘1075’, won the Le Mans 24 Hours not just once but twice, in 1968 and 1969, and the second victory came after the closest fight ever seen at the finish of this great endurance race. Four other championship wins – at Brands Hatch, Spa, Watkins Glen and Sebring – add to this GT40’s distinction as the very best of its breed, driven by ‘greats’ such as Jacky Ickx, Pedro Rodríguez and Brian Redman. The car’s entire competition life is covered in fascinating detail, together with biographies of its drivers and insights into John Wyer’s crack team that ran it, all supported by a fine collection of period photographs.
The most famous Jazz icon you never heard of, is... Eddie Durham wrote the book for the original Count Basie Orchestra out of Kansas City, many of its compositions and at first, all arrangements. He also played in the Basie Orchestra trombone section and as a featured soloist on electric guitar. That he had been such a primary in the intro of amplification on the guitar, was as significant as anything ever done, not just by him. Because the electric guitar had a prominence certainly in the 2nd half of the 20th Century, the first electric guitarist is the foundation to an astounding set of developments in music. Eddie Durham is that first practitioner. He’s also taught Charlie Christian. If...
In Peggy Gilbert & Her All-Girl Band, Jeannie Gayle Pool profiles the fascinating life of this multi-talented saxophone player, arranger, bandleader, and advocate for women instrumental musicians. Based on oral history interviews and Gilbert's collection of photographs, newspaper clippings, and other memorabilia, this book includes many materials not previously available on all-women bands from the 1920s, 30s, and 40s.
Covering the years 1945-2018, this alphabetical listing provides details about 2,923 unaired television series pilots, including those that never went into production, and those that became series but with a different cast, such as The Green Hornet, The Middle and Superman. Rarities include proposed shows starring Bela Lugosi, Doris Day, Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Orson Welles, Claudette Colbert and Mae West, along with such casting curiosities as Mona Freeman, not Gale Storm, as Margie in My Little Margie, and John Larkin as Perry Mason long before Raymond Burr played the role.
An essential work for rock fans and scholars, Before Elvis: The Prehistory of Rock ‘n’ Roll surveys the origins of rock ’n’ roll from the minstrel era to the emergence of Bill Haley and Elvis Presley. Unlike other histories of rock, Before Elvis offers a far broader and deeper analysis of the influences on rock music. Dispelling common misconceptions, it examines rock’s origins in hokum songs and big-band boogies as well as Delta blues, detailing the embrace by white artists of African-American styles long before rock ’n’ roll appeared. This unique study ranges far and wide, highlighting not only the contributions of obscure but key precursors like Hardrock Gunter and Sam Thear...
The 1940s saw a brief audacious experiment in mass entertainment: a jukebox with a screen. Patrons could insert a dime, then listen to and watch such popular entertainers as Nat "King" Cole, Gene Krupa, Cab Calloway or Les Paul. A number of companies offered these tuneful delights, but the most successful was the Mills Novelty Company and its three-minute musical shorts called Soundies. This book is a complete filmography of 1,880 Soundies: the musicians heard and seen on screen, recording and filming dates, arrangers, soloists, dancers, entertainment trade reviews and more. Additional filmographies cover more than 80 subjects produced by other companies. There are 125 photos taken on film sets, along with advertising images and production documents. More than 75 interviews narrate the firsthand experiences and recollections of Soundies directors and participants. Forty years before MTV, the Soundies were there for those who loved the popular music of the 1940s. This was truly "music for the eyes."