This Thing Called Life

This Thing Called Life

Author: Neal Karlen

Publisher: Macmillan + ORM

Published: 2020-10-06

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 1250135257

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A warm and surprisingly real-life biography, featuring never-before-seen photos, of one of rock’s greatest talents: Prince. Neal Karlen was the only journalist Prince granted in-depth press interviews to for over a dozen years, from before Purple Rain to when the artist changed his name to an unpronounceable glyph. Karlen interviewed Prince for three Rolling Stone cover stories, wrote “3 Chains o’ Gold,” Prince’s “rock video opera,” as well as the star’s last testament, which may be buried with Prince’s will underneath Prince’s vast and private compound, Paisley Park. According to Prince's former fiancée Susannah Melvoin, Karlen was “the only reporter who made Prince sound like what he really sounded like.” Karlen quit writing about Prince a quarter-century before the mega-star died, but he never quit Prince, and the two remained friends for the last thirty-one years of the superstar’s life. Well before they met as writer and subject, Prince and Karlen knew each other as two of the gang of kids who biked around Minneapolis’s mostly-segregated Northside. (They played basketball at the Dairy Queen next door to Karlen’s grandparents, two blocks from the budding musician.) He asserts that Prince can’t be understood without first understanding ‘70s Minneapolis, and that even Prince’s best friends knew only 15 percent of him: that was all he was willing and able to give, no matter how much he cared for them. Going back to Prince Rogers Nelson's roots, especially his contradictory, often tortured, and sometimes violent relationship with his father, This Thing Called Life profoundly changes what we know about Prince, and explains him as no biography has: a superstar who calls in the middle of the night to talk, who loved The Wire and could quote from every episode of The Office, who frequented libraries and jammed spontaneously for local crowds (and fed everyone pancakes afterward), who was lonely but craved being alone. Readers will drive around Minneapolis with Prince in a convertible, talk about movies and music and life, and watch as he tries not to curse, instead dishing a healthy dose of “mamma jammas.”


Book Synopsis This Thing Called Life by : Neal Karlen

Download or read book This Thing Called Life written by Neal Karlen and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2020-10-06 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A warm and surprisingly real-life biography, featuring never-before-seen photos, of one of rock’s greatest talents: Prince. Neal Karlen was the only journalist Prince granted in-depth press interviews to for over a dozen years, from before Purple Rain to when the artist changed his name to an unpronounceable glyph. Karlen interviewed Prince for three Rolling Stone cover stories, wrote “3 Chains o’ Gold,” Prince’s “rock video opera,” as well as the star’s last testament, which may be buried with Prince’s will underneath Prince’s vast and private compound, Paisley Park. According to Prince's former fiancée Susannah Melvoin, Karlen was “the only reporter who made Prince sound like what he really sounded like.” Karlen quit writing about Prince a quarter-century before the mega-star died, but he never quit Prince, and the two remained friends for the last thirty-one years of the superstar’s life. Well before they met as writer and subject, Prince and Karlen knew each other as two of the gang of kids who biked around Minneapolis’s mostly-segregated Northside. (They played basketball at the Dairy Queen next door to Karlen’s grandparents, two blocks from the budding musician.) He asserts that Prince can’t be understood without first understanding ‘70s Minneapolis, and that even Prince’s best friends knew only 15 percent of him: that was all he was willing and able to give, no matter how much he cared for them. Going back to Prince Rogers Nelson's roots, especially his contradictory, often tortured, and sometimes violent relationship with his father, This Thing Called Life profoundly changes what we know about Prince, and explains him as no biography has: a superstar who calls in the middle of the night to talk, who loved The Wire and could quote from every episode of The Office, who frequented libraries and jammed spontaneously for local crowds (and fed everyone pancakes afterward), who was lonely but craved being alone. Readers will drive around Minneapolis with Prince in a convertible, talk about movies and music and life, and watch as he tries not to curse, instead dishing a healthy dose of “mamma jammas.”

This Thing Called Life

This Thing Called Life

Author: Joseph Vogel

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2018-04-19

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 1501333976

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What were Prince's politics? What did he believe about God? And did he really forsake the subject-sex-that once made him the most subversive superstar of the Reagan era? In this illuminating thematic biography, Joseph Vogel explores the issues that made Prince one of the late 20th century's most unique, controversial, and fascinating artists. Since his unexpected death in 2016, Prince has been recognized by peers, critics, and music fans alike. President Barack Obama described him as �one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time.� Yet in spite of the influx of attention, much about Prince's creative life, work, and cultural impact remains thinly examined. This Thing Called Life fills this vacuum, delving deep into seven key topics-politics, sound, race, gender, sex, religion, and death-that allow us to see Prince in fresh, invigorating new ways. Accessible and timely, This Thing Called Life takes the reader on a journey through the catalog and creative revolution of one of America's most compelling and elusive icons.


Book Synopsis This Thing Called Life by : Joseph Vogel

Download or read book This Thing Called Life written by Joseph Vogel and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2018-04-19 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What were Prince's politics? What did he believe about God? And did he really forsake the subject-sex-that once made him the most subversive superstar of the Reagan era? In this illuminating thematic biography, Joseph Vogel explores the issues that made Prince one of the late 20th century's most unique, controversial, and fascinating artists. Since his unexpected death in 2016, Prince has been recognized by peers, critics, and music fans alike. President Barack Obama described him as �one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time.� Yet in spite of the influx of attention, much about Prince's creative life, work, and cultural impact remains thinly examined. This Thing Called Life fills this vacuum, delving deep into seven key topics-politics, sound, race, gender, sex, religion, and death-that allow us to see Prince in fresh, invigorating new ways. Accessible and timely, This Thing Called Life takes the reader on a journey through the catalog and creative revolution of one of America's most compelling and elusive icons.

What Is This Thing Called Jazz?

What Is This Thing Called Jazz?

Author: Eric Porter

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2002-01-31

Total Pages: 442

ISBN-13: 9780520928404

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Despite the plethora of writing about jazz, little attention has been paid to what musicians themselves wrote and said about their practice. An implicit division of labor has emerged where, for the most part, black artists invent and play music while white writers provide the commentary. Eric Porter overturns this tendency in his creative intellectual history of African American musicians. He foregrounds the often-ignored ideas of these artists, analyzing them in the context of meanings circulating around jazz, as well as in relationship to broader currents in African American thought. Porter examines several crucial moments in the history of jazz: the formative years of the 1920s and 1930s; the emergence of bebop; the political and experimental projects of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s; and the debates surrounding Jazz at Lincoln Center under the direction of Wynton Marsalis. Louis Armstrong, Anthony Braxton, Marion Brown, Duke Ellington, W.C. Handy, Yusef Lateef, Abbey Lincoln, Charles Mingus, Archie Shepp, Wadada Leo Smith, Mary Lou Williams, and Reggie Workman also feature prominently in this book. The wealth of information Porter uncovers shows how these musicians have expressed themselves in print; actively shaped the institutional structures through which the music is created, distributed, and consumed, and how they aligned themselves with other artists and activists, and how they were influenced by forces of class and gender. What Is This Thing Called Jazz? challenges interpretive orthodoxies by showing how much black jazz musicians have struggled against both the racism of the dominant culture and the prescriptive definitions of racial authenticity propagated by the music's supporters, both white and black.


Book Synopsis What Is This Thing Called Jazz? by : Eric Porter

Download or read book What Is This Thing Called Jazz? written by Eric Porter and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2002-01-31 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite the plethora of writing about jazz, little attention has been paid to what musicians themselves wrote and said about their practice. An implicit division of labor has emerged where, for the most part, black artists invent and play music while white writers provide the commentary. Eric Porter overturns this tendency in his creative intellectual history of African American musicians. He foregrounds the often-ignored ideas of these artists, analyzing them in the context of meanings circulating around jazz, as well as in relationship to broader currents in African American thought. Porter examines several crucial moments in the history of jazz: the formative years of the 1920s and 1930s; the emergence of bebop; the political and experimental projects of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s; and the debates surrounding Jazz at Lincoln Center under the direction of Wynton Marsalis. Louis Armstrong, Anthony Braxton, Marion Brown, Duke Ellington, W.C. Handy, Yusef Lateef, Abbey Lincoln, Charles Mingus, Archie Shepp, Wadada Leo Smith, Mary Lou Williams, and Reggie Workman also feature prominently in this book. The wealth of information Porter uncovers shows how these musicians have expressed themselves in print; actively shaped the institutional structures through which the music is created, distributed, and consumed, and how they aligned themselves with other artists and activists, and how they were influenced by forces of class and gender. What Is This Thing Called Jazz? challenges interpretive orthodoxies by showing how much black jazz musicians have struggled against both the racism of the dominant culture and the prescriptive definitions of racial authenticity propagated by the music's supporters, both white and black.

This Thing Called Music

This Thing Called Music

Author: Victoria Lindsay Levine

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2015-05-21

Total Pages: 537

ISBN-13: 1442242086

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The most fundamental subject of music scholarship provides the common focus of this volume of essays: music itself. For the distinguished scholars from the field of musicology and related areas of the humanities and social sciences, the search for music itself—in its vastly complex and diverse forms throughout the world—characterizes the lifetime of reflection and writing by Bruno Nettl, the leading ethnomusicologist of the past generation. This Thing Called Music: Essays in Honor of Bruno Nettl salutes not only a great scholar and beloved teacher, but also a thinker whose search for the meaning and ontology of music has exerted a global influence. Editors Victoria Lindsay Levine and Philip V. Bohlman have gathered essays that represent the many dimensions of musical meaning, addressing some of the most critically important areas of music scholarship today. The social formations of musical communities play counterpoint to analytical studies; investigations into musical change and survival connect ethnography to history, offering a collection of essays that can serve as an invaluable resource for the intellectual history of ethnomusicology. Each chapter explores music and its meanings in specific geographic areas—North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East—crossing the boundaries of genre, repertory, and style to provide insight into the aesthetic zones of contact between and among the folk, classical, and popular musics of the world. Readers from all disciplines of music scholarship will find in this collection a proper companion in an era of globalization, when the connections that draw musicians and musical practices together are more sweeping than ever. Chapters offer models for detailed analysis of specific musical practices, while at the same time they make possible new methods of comparative study in the twenty-first century, together posing a challenge crucial to all musicians and scholars in search of “this thing called music.”


Book Synopsis This Thing Called Music by : Victoria Lindsay Levine

Download or read book This Thing Called Music written by Victoria Lindsay Levine and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2015-05-21 with total page 537 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most fundamental subject of music scholarship provides the common focus of this volume of essays: music itself. For the distinguished scholars from the field of musicology and related areas of the humanities and social sciences, the search for music itself—in its vastly complex and diverse forms throughout the world—characterizes the lifetime of reflection and writing by Bruno Nettl, the leading ethnomusicologist of the past generation. This Thing Called Music: Essays in Honor of Bruno Nettl salutes not only a great scholar and beloved teacher, but also a thinker whose search for the meaning and ontology of music has exerted a global influence. Editors Victoria Lindsay Levine and Philip V. Bohlman have gathered essays that represent the many dimensions of musical meaning, addressing some of the most critically important areas of music scholarship today. The social formations of musical communities play counterpoint to analytical studies; investigations into musical change and survival connect ethnography to history, offering a collection of essays that can serve as an invaluable resource for the intellectual history of ethnomusicology. Each chapter explores music and its meanings in specific geographic areas—North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East—crossing the boundaries of genre, repertory, and style to provide insight into the aesthetic zones of contact between and among the folk, classical, and popular musics of the world. Readers from all disciplines of music scholarship will find in this collection a proper companion in an era of globalization, when the connections that draw musicians and musical practices together are more sweeping than ever. Chapters offer models for detailed analysis of specific musical practices, while at the same time they make possible new methods of comparative study in the twenty-first century, together posing a challenge crucial to all musicians and scholars in search of “this thing called music.”

The Art of Bop Drumming

The Art of Bop Drumming

Author: John Riley

Publisher: Alfred Music Publishing

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 84

ISBN-13: 9780898988901

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Presents the essential elements of bop drumming demonstrated through concise exercises and containing ideas to help understand what to play and how to play it and why, as well as an explanation of how the drummer functions in a group.


Book Synopsis The Art of Bop Drumming by : John Riley

Download or read book The Art of Bop Drumming written by John Riley and published by Alfred Music Publishing. This book was released on 1994 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents the essential elements of bop drumming demonstrated through concise exercises and containing ideas to help understand what to play and how to play it and why, as well as an explanation of how the drummer functions in a group.

What is this Thing Called Soul

What is this Thing Called Soul

Author: Damani C. Phillips

Publisher: Black Studies and Critical Thinking

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781433145650

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What Is This Thing Called Soul explores the potential consequences of forcing the Black musical style of jazz into an academic pedagogical system that is specifically designed to facilitate the practice and pedagogy of European classical music.


Book Synopsis What is this Thing Called Soul by : Damani C. Phillips

Download or read book What is this Thing Called Soul written by Damani C. Phillips and published by Black Studies and Critical Thinking. This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What Is This Thing Called Soul explores the potential consequences of forcing the Black musical style of jazz into an academic pedagogical system that is specifically designed to facilitate the practice and pedagogy of European classical music.

What is this Thing Called "Sunsum"?

What is this Thing Called

Author: Clifford Owusu-Gyamfi

Publisher: LIT Verlag

Published: 2023-01-23

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 3643853343

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In recent decades, African scholarship has stressed the importance of regional oral traditions in academic learning. With this broad knowledge base in African studies, significant categories of socio-religious learning have been closely studied. This volume focuses on the notion of "spirit" as understood by the Akan people of West Africa. Clifford Owusu-Gyamfi is a systematic theologian from Ghana who lives in Switzerland. MTh from the University of Lausanne and PhD from the University of Geneva.


Book Synopsis What is this Thing Called "Sunsum"? by : Clifford Owusu-Gyamfi

Download or read book What is this Thing Called "Sunsum"? written by Clifford Owusu-Gyamfi and published by LIT Verlag. This book was released on 2023-01-23 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent decades, African scholarship has stressed the importance of regional oral traditions in academic learning. With this broad knowledge base in African studies, significant categories of socio-religious learning have been closely studied. This volume focuses on the notion of "spirit" as understood by the Akan people of West Africa. Clifford Owusu-Gyamfi is a systematic theologian from Ghana who lives in Switzerland. MTh from the University of Lausanne and PhD from the University of Geneva.

What Is This Thing Called Jazz?

What Is This Thing Called Jazz?

Author: Batt Johnson

Publisher: iUniverse

Published: 2000-12-26

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 1462081770

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There is no better authority on jazz than the creators, educators, and writers who have made this enigmatic musical style a major force internationally as well as in American history. The answer to the question what is jazz? is as complex and diverse as those involved in it. This book takes the question to noted musicians, scholars, and composers, creating a documentary style of oral history that makes you feel as if you are actually in the room as they put the sounds they know as music into words. The ideas from these authentic, personal voices of authority provide a unique perspective that will enlighten the novice and stimulate the professional. Ron Carter, Bassist-Because they are improvising does not necessarily mean that it is jazz Buddy Rich,Drums-Trane to Bird, Diz to Miles, all in the family of jazz, just different children. Ray Charles, Singer/Pianist-Jazz is the freedom to do what you want within the confines of the chord structure. Milt Jackson, Vibraphonist-"The era of bebop represents jazz to me. Chet Baker, Trumpet-Paris Jazz is a hard swinging rhythm section with everybody playing with the same time feeling.


Book Synopsis What Is This Thing Called Jazz? by : Batt Johnson

Download or read book What Is This Thing Called Jazz? written by Batt Johnson and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2000-12-26 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is no better authority on jazz than the creators, educators, and writers who have made this enigmatic musical style a major force internationally as well as in American history. The answer to the question what is jazz? is as complex and diverse as those involved in it. This book takes the question to noted musicians, scholars, and composers, creating a documentary style of oral history that makes you feel as if you are actually in the room as they put the sounds they know as music into words. The ideas from these authentic, personal voices of authority provide a unique perspective that will enlighten the novice and stimulate the professional. Ron Carter, Bassist-Because they are improvising does not necessarily mean that it is jazz Buddy Rich,Drums-Trane to Bird, Diz to Miles, all in the family of jazz, just different children. Ray Charles, Singer/Pianist-Jazz is the freedom to do what you want within the confines of the chord structure. Milt Jackson, Vibraphonist-"The era of bebop represents jazz to me. Chet Baker, Trumpet-Paris Jazz is a hard swinging rhythm section with everybody playing with the same time feeling.

The Soundtracks of Woody Allen

The Soundtracks of Woody Allen

Author: Adam Harvey

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2007-03-20

Total Pages: 229

ISBN-13: 0786429682

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This comprehensive guide covers all of the music used in Woody Allen's films from Take the Money and Run (1969) to Match Point (2005). Each film receives scene-by-scene analysis with a focus on how Allen utilized music.


Book Synopsis The Soundtracks of Woody Allen by : Adam Harvey

Download or read book The Soundtracks of Woody Allen written by Adam Harvey and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2007-03-20 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This comprehensive guide covers all of the music used in Woody Allen's films from Take the Money and Run (1969) to Match Point (2005). Each film receives scene-by-scene analysis with a focus on how Allen utilized music.

This Thing Called Ballet

This Thing Called Ballet

Author: George Borodin

Publisher: London : MacDonald

Published: 1945

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis This Thing Called Ballet by : George Borodin

Download or read book This Thing Called Ballet written by George Borodin and published by London : MacDonald. This book was released on 1945 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: