Remember all those books you bought and/or got for Christmas? Now might be a good time to dig into that pile; aside from a handful of titles featuring rockers Project 86, singer-songwriter Emma Ruth Rundle, jazzman Kenny Wheeler and country king Jimmie Davis, the pickings are slimmer than Chrystia (“Guys! Cut it out!”) Freeland’s chances of becoming PM. Read on:
I. Need. Truth.: My Life and Times in Project 86
By Andrew Schwab
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “I. Need. Truth. is an exhaustive journey through the music career of Andrew Schwab, during his time in the band he founded and fronted, Project 86. More than an autobiography, it is an emotional demonstration of the sacrifices made by modern recording artists, and the vindication which only can come from great disappointment throughout the journey. Each chapter contains a detailed look at the influences, circumstances, and situations which coalesced to produce the music, and especially the lyrics, for every album. Schwab also reveals the intricacies of the business side of the industry as he shares both hilarious and sobering episodes from the road. This volume packs an unexpected emotional punch; you will experience the depths of his disappointment as well as the heights of his vindication. Known as one of the most enigmatic vocalists in underground heavy music from the past several decades, Schwab’s legacy with Project 86 is cemented as a source of inspiration for hundreds of thousands of music fans across the globe.”
The Bella Vista: Poems
By Emma Ruth Rundle
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With The Bella Vista, Emma Ruth Rundle turns to language as the best and perhaps only tool suitable to express, in her words, “the tenderness and brutality of romantic love.” Written on the road and in the air between tour locations, the chronological, self-referential poems of The Bella Vista follow a relationship from its enthralling genesis through its twisted convulsions and the devastation of its dissolution; culminating, eventually, with a sort of peace. The collection is a concept album, an addiction memoir, a family tree, and a love letter all at once — to music, mistakes, and womanhood; to cross-country drives and other artists and the long road to finding oneself.”
You Are My Sunshine: Jimmie Davis & The Biography Of A Song
By Robert Mann
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In You Are My Sunshine, Robert Mann weaves together the birth of country music, Louisiana political history, the Second World War, and the American civil rights movement to produce a compelling biography of one of the world’s most popular musical compositions. This is the story of a song that, despite its simple, sweet melody and lyrics, holds the weight of history within its chords. The song’s journey to global fame began in 1939, when two obscure hillbilly groups recorded it. By the century’s end, it was a cultural phenomenon covered by hundreds of artists spanning every genre. It entered the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry in 2012.”
Song for Someone: The Musical Life of Kenny Wheeler
By Brian Shaw & Nick Smart
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Trumpeter and composer Kenny Wheeler (1930-2014) was one of the most enigmatic and influential musicians in recent memory. His instantly recognisable sound was a driving force within every major innovation in modern European jazz during the last half of the 20th century. More importantly, his life provides us with a profound example of the way music can manifest itself in the most unlikely of vessels. As a lonely and shy teenager in Canada, he sought refuge from his difficult home life in the friendships he forged through a mutual love of bebop. After an unexpectedly bold move to London at the age of 22, he struggled with his confidence for years before making his first big break with the John Dankworth Orchestra. Kenny would soon find his voice in a triumvirate of musical communities: straight-ahead jazz, the burgeoning free scene, and in the busy recording studios. Throughout his life, he constantly pursued personal growth while investing in his friends from every corner of the music business who would bring the inimitable beauty, precision, and chaos in his compositions to life. And in an artform where individuality represents the highest level of expression, Kenny was peerless. Indeed, few jazz artists of any era developed such a fingerprint in one area, let alone becoming immediately identifiable as virtuoso instrumentalists, improvisors, and composers. Wheeler’s life is a compelling — and fundamentally human — story. This book brings together over 130 original interviews and new archival and biographical research on Wheeler’s life and music, chronicling his journey from small-town Canada to international acclaim. It is as much a perspective on the history and development of jazz in Britain and Europe as it is the extraordinary tale of this improbable pioneer.”
Carolina Beach Music Compilation Albums: The Classics
By Rick Simmons
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Carolina beach music — those often-soulful songs about the beach, parties, that special love, dancing or just relaxing in the sun — has long been a mainstay of culture in the Southeast. Yet until the late 1960s, you needed an impressive collection of 45s if you wanted to hear those songs in your home or at a party. But beginning with Atlantic Records’ Beach Beat in 1967, that music slowly became available on albums from Bell, Warner Bros., Ripete and other labels. Through interviews and firsthand accounts, author Rick Simmons examines the stories behind those classic albums, the people who created them and the artists and songs that contributed to the phenomenon known as Carolina beach music.”
