Books
Discover how two outsiders Billie Holiday, a young black woman raised in poverty, and Abel Meeropol, the son of Jewish immigrants combined their talents to create a song that challenged racism and paved the way for the Civil Rights movement.The audience was completely silent the first time Billie Holiday performed a song called "Strange Fruit." In the 1930s, Billie was known as a performer of jazz and blues music, but this song wasn't either of those things. It was a song about injustice, and it would change her life forever.
Count Basie was one of America’s pre-eminent and influential jass pianists, bandleaders, and composers, known for such classics as “Jumpin’ at the Woodside,” “Goin’ to Chicago Blues,” “Sent for You Yesterday and Here You Come Today,” and “One O’Clock Jump.”
Black-and-white photographs oozing with cool immortalize the performances and offstage lives of more than 100 famed jazz musicians who forged Blue Note Records’ legendary reputation.
In Spirits Rejoice! Jason Bivins explores the relationship between American religion and American music, and the places where religion and jazz have overlapped.
"This well-told and exquisitely illustrated story of a musician with a steep career trajectory will inspire young readers to pursue their passions, despite the challenges." (Kirkus Reviews 2015-02-01) - "If a fairy tale were set in New Orleans, this is how it would read."(Publishers Weekly 2015-02-09)
Published in celebration of Holiday’s centenary, the first biography to focus on the singer’s extraordinary musical talent.
The long-awaited memoir by one of the most influential and beloved musicians of our time