This is a dedication to those that lost their lives saving others that night. It was written tastefully, and w/an open approach. Taking police reports, eye witness accounts, and following up w/each of the victims families is an honorable way of the authors writing. It shows the more "teddy bear" approach to the stereotyped personalities, wrongfully given by those that don't quite understand the music. They're human, and the author has identified w/the families losses in so many ways. A book worth the time to read. Comes highly recommended, reguardless what type of music one listens to!
Average customer rating:
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Way Up North in Dixie: A Black Family's Claim to the Confederate Anthem
Howard L. Sacks , and
Judith Rose Sacks
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Inst Pr
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This book traces the lives of the Snowdens, an African American family of musicians and farmers living in rural Knox County, Ohio. Howard L. Sacks and Judith Rose Sacks examine the Snowdens' musical and social exchanges with rural whites from the 1850s through the early 1920s and provide a detailed exploration of the claim that the Snowden family taught the song "Dixie" to Dan Emmett--the white musician and blackface minstrel credited with writing the song. This edition features a new introduction in which the authors discuss the public response to this controversial claim, and present new information on the Snowdens' musical and social experiences.
Product Description
Music fans who grew up with Rock and Roll in Cleveland remember a golden age. We were young, so was the music, and the sense of freedom and excitement the Rock and Roll scene delivered was electric. There were so many great clubs, like the Agora, where every big band seemed to break in the 1970s. The trendsetting radio stations, from A.M.'s WIXY 1260 to F.M.'s groundbreaking "Home of the Buzzard", WMMS. And all those memorable shows. The free Coffee Break Concerts--remember Springsteen just when he hit it big? The gigantic World Series of Rock. Nights on the lawn at Blossom (including local favorites the Michael Stanley Band and their record-setting sellout streak).
This book collects the favorite memories of Clevelanders who made the scene: fans, musicians, DJs, reporters, club owners, and more.
Includes rare photographs and other memorabilia such as concert posters, bumper stickers, pins, and ticket stubs.
Customer Reviews:
Cleveland rock(ed).......2007-05-07
It was a fun look back at some of the bands, clubs,concerts,etc. that I spent time in the 70's with. I even saw some quotes and pictures of long time friends.
I thought there were a few glaring omissions though. Devo, who must have sold as many records as almost anyone else from Northeast Ohio, and was an influential force in music, barely warrants a mention.Also, from a media standpoint, Scene Magazine played a big part in exposing people to both local and national bands, and they too are barely referred to.
A Fun Book (www.deannaadams.com).......2007-02-20
Glad to see yet another book on the interesting and richly diverse talent so often associated with the Cleveland music scene. Carlo Wolff has put together a great collection of fun memories and stories - some of which this native hadn't heard before! And lots of photos every nostalgic baby boomer will enjoy. This book reiterates the fascinating impact this area had on pop culture. And proves there are more reasons to reflect on those days than just a trip down memory lane.
Hail Cleveland Rock and Roll.......2007-01-27
If you are from Cleveland, or lived here during the 60s through the 80s, you'll know what this book is about. Carlo Wolff covers the high and the low points of what was Cleveland Rock and Roll during that time. If you need a rerun to what was happening in the music scene in Cleveland, this is it. The book relects a history that ties itself to sounds and places that are gone for good. Elvis, Joey and the Continentals, the Beatles, The Choir, Rastus, Rolling Stones, David Bowie; they were either from here or played here. All of them left an important and permanent mark in the tapestry of Cleveland music. It's all in here. Learn how Carlo Wolff has woven this thirty year history of Cleveland Rock into a very entertaining book.
Thumbs up for Wolff's Cleveland Rock & Roll Memories.......2007-01-21
I was very delighted to get my copy of Cleveland Rock & Roll Memories. Unlike alot of rock books that I have read in the past, his book contained not only memories from players and club owners, but also from the fans!!
As a boomer who attended a ton of Cleveland shows and haunted some of the clubs he writes about, I could not put the book down, until I had absorbed every page.
A great read for anyone who grew up in the golden era of Cleveland Rock & Roll, or for those who wonder why Cleveland was picked for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The only thing I want is another book with more memories from the clubs and concerts from Cleveland
Buy this book today.
Amazon.com
Thank goodness Antwone Fisher's story has a happy ending--otherwise, his searing memoir would be nearly unbearable to read. His father was killed by a gunshot blast shortly before he was born in 1959; his 17-year-old mother gave him up for foster care. Unfortunately for Antwone, his foster mother was as successful at browbeating and demeaning her many wards as she was at lying to the Child Welfare authorities. His working-class African American neighborhood in Cleveland became purgatory for a sensitive, intelligent boy who quickly turned into a withdrawn underperformer at school. In Fisher's blow-by-blow account of his childhood, his sexual abuse at the hands of a female neighbor is hardly more horrifying than his foster mother's relentless cruelty--especially because respectable, churchgoing Mrs. Pickett justifies it all as due to the boy's wicked faults. Readers will be relieved when she dumps 15-year-old Antwone back at the Child Welfare office, even though he will endure homelessness and a scary spell of criminal employment, before an 11-year stint in the Navy provides him with a way forward. Grim though his tale is, Fisher displays throughout it the grit and stubborn integrity that kept him sane. He musters up some understanding (not forgiveness) for the dreadful Mrs. Pickett, and his eventual meeting with his burned-out mother is painfully poignant. He certainly deserves the beautiful wife and cute two-year-old daughter, cooking pancakes for him in the book's closing and redemptive scene. --Wendy Smith
Book Description
Soon to be a major motion picture starring and directed by Denzel Washington, Finding Fish is the memoir of Antwone Fisher's miraculous journey from abandonment and abuse to liberation, manhood, and extraordinary success -- a modern-day Oliver Twist.
Baby Boy Fisher -- as he was documented in his child welfare caseworkers' reports -- was raised in institutions from the moment of his birth in prison to a single mother. After beginning his life in an orphanage, Antwone was placed in a temporary foster home until, around age two, he was transferred to a second foster home. It was there, over the next thirteen years, that he endured emotional abandonment and physical abuse. Removed from this foster home not long before his sixteenth birthday, Antwone found fleeting refuge in a boys' reform school but was soon thrust into the nightmare of homelessness.
Though convinced he was unwanted and unworthy, Fish, as he came to be known, refused to allow his spirit to be broken. Instead, he became determined to raise himself, to listen to social workers and teachers who intervened on his behalf, and to nurture a romantic heart along with a scathing sense of humor and a wondrous imagination -- all of which sustained him with big dreams of a better day. Fatefully, just as Antwone's life on the streets hit rock bottom, he enlisted in the United States Navy, where he remained for the next eleven years. During that time, Fish became a man of the world, raised by the Navy family he created for himself.
Finding Fish shows how, out of this unlikely mix of deprivation and hope, an artist was born -- first as the child who painted the feelings his words dared not speak, then as a poet and storyteller who would eventually become one of Hollywood's most well-paid, sought-after screenwriters. But before he ascends those lofty steps, Antwone's story takes us from the Navy to his jobs as a federal correctional officer and then a security guard at Sony Pictures in Hollywood. In its climactic conclusion, the mystery of his identity is finally unraveled as Antwone returns to Cleveland to locate his mother's and father's surviving family members.
A tumultuous and ultimately gratifying tale of self-discovery written in Fisher's gritty yet melodic literary voice, Finding Fish is an unforgettable reading experience.
Customer Reviews:
Finding Fish.......2007-01-29
Finding Fish, by Antwone Fisher, is a passionate and heart wrenching look into the life of the author as a ward of the state. Thankfully, he escapes the terrors of his childhood and eventually finds success. Fisher writes with a distinctive voice. He is able to convey the emotions of the young boy he portrays in the memoir, rather than telling the story through the voice of an adult. The memoir is an honest, and shocking, look into the world of an orphan without anyone to protect him. His father had been shot two months before his birth and his mom is in prison. Throughout his life with the Picketts,his foster parents, Antwone is forced through horrific events that are painful to read about. He is molested at a young age by a babysitter, beaten, mentally abused, and treated like a ghost. He becomes reserved and shy, lacking love and the comfort of a family. Even worse, his social workers are sadly oblivious to the abuse because the Picketts are able to transform into respectable and polite adults when in public. Remarkably, Antwone braves through his torturous childhood, as well as homelessness for a short time, and finds himself in the Navy. This becomes his miracle, and inspires him to do more with his life. He finds himself traveling around the world, educating himself about different cultures as well as teaching himself English with the help of a thesaurus. In comparison to his childhood, Antwone is in paradise. This transition from a hopeless child with no allies in the world to a strong, successful Navy officer illustrates a major theme in the memoir. No matter how horrible somebody's life is, with perseverance and hope it is possible to achieve anything. Although Antwone is thrown into a terrible life, he finds his own success and thankfully escapes his past and finds happiness. This book is an emotional rollercoaster and any reader will become attached to Antwone, rooting for him against the negativity in his life.
FINDING FISH carries a profound impact..........2006-08-22
and taught me something. It taught me how much we all share--the need to belong, for family, to search, to question. This book is unexpected tender and this boy's journey impacted my own journey, my own questions of family, of accceptance.
~Carol D. O'Dell
Author, MOTHERING MOTHER
Kunati Publishing, April 2007
A magical child matures and we get to be in on it!.......2006-08-13
At first I resisted this book because it seemed to be written by an adult looking over his childhood from a very mature place. However, late in the book it is a revelatory experience to find that this is exactly what happened when an unfair accusation concerning Antwone at age 25 during his Navy experience 'caused' him to buy a dictionary, a thesorus and learn writing almost from scratch at this age. He soon found that he couldn't stop. Later he wrote this book that has become a best seller very deservedly. It is full of remarkable coincidences that could not be other than genuine because of hundreds of tiny clews that all add up to this person having been there. This is a profound work concerning human holistic Intelligence that Confirms Joseph Pierce's 'Magical Child Matures."
Good Book!.......2006-03-16
Finding Fish was a good book. I first learned of Antowne Fisher a few years ago when he appeared on the Montell Williams show. After hearing his story on the show I immediately wanted to go out and buy his book to find out more about this wonderful young man but could never find the book. A few years went by and then a movie of his life was made. After seeing the movie, which I thought was very good, I decided that the movie did a good job of telling his story and that I no longer wanted to purchase the book. Some years later I was in a book store looking for some books to purchase and came across Finding Fish on the book shelf. Since I was in a thrift book store I said what the heck and purchased this book along with some others. Well needless to say it was meant for me to read this book. The movie just touched on a small portion of his life and did nothing to give us a better understanding of Antwone's full story. The book went into more detail and was just phenomenal. I have such respect and admiration for Mr. Fisher and all that he endured. The saying is true: "All things happen for a reason" were it not for his horrific
childhood I don't think Antwone would be the man he is today. Kudows for Mr. Fisher!! If you have not read this book I recommend you do.
FINDING FISH.......2006-03-06
Wow..if you thought the movie was thought provoking..
the book is beyond that!
This book covers Antwone's childhood, where in the movie,
we only saw a taste of it.
This book tells the story of a little boy who beat the odds,
and used his innate ability to survive, extreme verbal, emotional
sexual and physical abuse.
Amazon.com
Among America's great symphonic institutions, the Cleveland Orchestra is not only one of the best, but one of the youngest. Founded by the formidable impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes in collaboration with the city's industrial and political leaders, it made its public debut in 1918. This book tells the story of the Cleveland's rise from modest beginnings to a position of undisputed preeminence among international orchestras.
Its first guide and mentor was the Russian-born violinist and conductor Nikolai Sokoloff. His contribution to its growth and expansion has been overshadowed by the great, often colorful maestros who succeeded him: Artur Rodzinsky, Erich Leinsdorf, Lorin Maazel, and, currently, Christoph von Dohnányi. However, it was the imposing, authoritarian George Szell who, in his 24-year tenure, left the strongest imprint on the orchestra, developing its matchless technical perfection, transparency, and balance, and forging it into "his instrument" as a world-class group.
Donald Rosenberg follows the orchestra's triumphs and tribulations--musical, personal, financial--in a rehearsal-by-rehearsal, concert-by-concert, recording-by-recording, dollar-by-dollar account, listing every program, every conductor, every soloist, in exhaustive, frequently exhausting detail. He describes the behind-the-scenes squabbles and intrigues; the conductors' strengths, weaknesses, and idiosyncrasies; the hiring and firing of players; the incessant labor conflicts between musicians and management, and, sadly, between musicians and their own union. Abundant quotes from both local and, later, worldwide newspaper reviews and commentaries reveal the extraordinary influence of the press on internal and public policy, which Rosenberg, himself the music critic of a Cleveland newspaper, casually takes for granted; his own opinions and preferences come through clearly, if obliquely. His writing is lively and informative, though it occasionally lapses into repetition and even contradiction.
The book includes copious notes, the orchestra's discography, the premieres it has performed, and--best of all--the names of its members through the years. So many of them have gone on to making successful careers as soloists, chamber musicians, orchestral leaders, and prestigious teachers that the list induces constant shocks of recognition: proof that the Cleveland Orchestra, though rooted in the seemingly inhospitable soil of a Midwestern industrial city, has always attracted and nurtured outstanding musical talent. --Edith Eisler
Book Description
They are, simply, the best at what they do.
The Cleveland Orchestra is one of the three greatest orchestras in the world--by the near-unanimous acclaim of audiences, critics, and musicians around the globe. What's more, they achieved this extraordinary success in a small Midwestern city, far from the traditional cultural centers of Europe and the U.S. east and west coasts. And they've stayed at the very top now for almost four decades.
This book tells how the Cleveland Orchestra rose amid the gritty surroundings of Big Industry to become a titan in the world of Big Art.
It's a story of indomitable founders like iron-willed impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes (the first woman to manage a symphony orchestra) and shrewd, wealthy patrons like industrialist John L. Severance. Of dedicated musicians and driven conductors--like colorful Artur Rodzinski (who packed a loaded pistol during every performance) and authoritarian genius George Szell, who drilled into his orchestra the awesome precision for which it is still renowned (and who even told his players how to dress and the cleaning ladies at Severance Hall what brand of toilet paper to stock).
It's also a story of many battles, for the orchestra has fought relentlessly to maintain its reputation for near-perfect performance.
How these musicians and maestros, managers and patrons rose repeatedly to meet the challenges--and in doing so set a standard for excellence rarely matched by any other arts organization--is the story of a true virtuoso performance.
In this book, the first about the Cleveland Orchestra in 30 years, and the first-ever independently published history of the subject, Donald Rosenberg recounts a complex, sweeping success story in very human terms, with a feel for its true drama and an eye for its telling details.
Customer Reviews:
Fine Musical Biography of America's Best Symphony Orchestra.......2005-02-07
Among serious fans and critics of classical music, the "Big Five" of Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York and Philadelphia are America's finest symphony orchestras, equal in quality to their peers in Europe. Yet only one of these is universally regarded as the equal to Europe's very best, the Berlin Philharmonic and Vienna Philharmonic orchestras: surprisingly, the one often mentioned as among the world's top three is the Cleveland Orchestra. Having heard the Cleveland Orchestra performing live under the batons of Dohnanyi, Boulez and Welser-Most at Carnegie Hall, I must concur with this popular opinion since this orchestra may now be the world's finest, or at least, on par with the venerable Vienna Philharmonic (Under Simon Rattle's leadership, the Berlin Philharmonic seems to have slipped somewhat in quality, and I would add yet another orchestra, Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, to my list of the world's top four symphony orchestras.). I have yet to hear a disappointing Cleveland Orchestra recording or live performance; this is without question, a precision quality ensemble always capable of flawless, lovely playing.
Cleveland newspaper music critic Donald Rosenberg tells an engrossing saga of the Cleveland Orchestra's history, from its founding in 1918, through the George Szell years which ensured the orchestra's rise to prominence as a world-class symphony orchestra, and finally, the close of Christoph von Dohnanyi's successful tenure as the orchestra's music director over the span of eighteen years. This is a fascinating inside look at the inner workings of a major American symphony orchestra, pointing out how Cleveland's wealthy elite were determined to create a fine music ensemble, and noting the importance of early conductors such as Artur Rodzinski and Erich Leinsdorf in the orchestra's rise to national artistic prominence. It is a story that is in a sense, miraculous, for no one would have expected that a small Midwestern city like Cleveland would be the home of one of the world's finest orchestras, and maintain that excellence inspite of the city's waning economic fortunes over the latter half of the 20th Century. And I fervently hope that Cleveland continues to support the artistic excellence demonstrated by the Cleveland Orchestra, which recently was the first American orchestra invited as a resident guest orchestra at Vienna's Musikverein, the celebrated concert hall that is home to the Vienna Philharmonic.
Bravo Donald Rosenberg!.......2002-02-26
Rosenberg's new volume has been joyously received and devoured by this reader. Even though the length (some 700 pages) is formidable, I was not able to leave it for long since receiving it this week. I find R's account thoroughly accurate, engaging, and stimulating. The book's account of Szell's life and Cleveland tenure finally fills the void for any such account (save a scattered few articles and Robert Marsh's volume on the Cleveland Orchestra published in 1967). For this alone, Rosenberg deserves high praise, but goes so much farther in presenting and illuminating all the significant on-stage and behind-the-scenes personalities in the life of this estimable musical institution. This is essential reading for anyone who, as I, grew up in the golden era of the Cleveland Orchestra. Bravo and thank you Don Rosenberg! ...
Detailed, often entertaining........2001-10-10
Certainly anyone who loves the Cleveland Orchestra or George Szell's work will want to have this, although most of the famous Szell-as-heartless-martinet stories have been widely told elsewhere. I enjoyed the section on the orchestra's early years, which were much more unfamiliar; it really is amazing how an orchestra like this has survived and even thrived in a "mid-market" city like Cleveland. Great photos, too, including Artur Rodzinski with his goats. However, I felt the book ultimately depended too much on lists of tour cities, lists of works played at concerts, and endless excerpts from contemporary newspaper reviews. I would have liked less time in the archives and more time interviewing musicians (in Cleveland and elsewhere) on what Szell (and Maazel, and Dohnanyi) really did in terms of working with the orchestra, the details of what they asked for and how the "sound" evolved over time. I guess that's hard to accomplish in the same book where you need to mention every time the orchestra went to New York, but it would have made for a more interesting read. Still, anyone who enjoys orchestral biographies (as I do) will want it.
Go with the plaudits.......2001-07-13
This is an enjoyable, comprehensive, and inside-out read. The Cleveland story is dramatically conveyed, the personalities come to life, from Leinsdorf's bad luck to Szell's *&^**%$ "personal" style in the pursuit of excellence. If reading something recent on classical music in the US, one is well advised to go here. More than the Bernie bios or the Solti (whom I love) memoirs. Serves well as both a continuous and a here-and-there random read. And depicts rather objectively all the intrigue, dedication, personal foibles underlying the external results through the 80+ yr history, and before. And very well documented appendices. You can believe the positive professional critics' reviews above.
Definitive musical history.......2001-06-09
I've been a fan of the Cleveland Orchestra for many years but have heard them live only once, at the Hollywood Bowl during a West Coast tour in mid-70's. It was an unforgettable experience - I had never heard an ensemble play with such clarity and precision.
Rosenberg's history nicely blends details about the musicians, managers, performances, and the music itself. Others have summarized many of the topics covered. I was particularly impressed by the sacrifices of the musicians, who did not have a full-year contract until the late 60's, despite being acknowledged as one of the 2 or 3 finest orchestras in the world. Many had to work odd jobs to keep their bills paid (still the case for most smaller market orchestras). And arrogant union leaders wouldn't allow the musicians to have a representative present during contract negotiations with management until well into the 70's.
Three separate collections of photos allow one to associate names with faces, and I find this helpful when listening to recordings. There's Myron Bloom heading up the wonderfully precise horns; and Josef Gingold playing a beautiful violin solo; and Robert Marcellus with his definitive performance of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto. Most of these fabulous performances are available as digitally re-mastered CD's on Sony's budget Essential Classics series. More recent, equally outstanding performances are led by soon to retire current conductor, Christoph von Dohnanyi, who has maintained and enhanced the orchestra's reputation. There are no better values in recorded orchestral music.
Anyone who loves orchestral music should enjoy this book. I recommend it most highly.
Average customer rating:
- lovely book and character training
- Excellent book for a musically inclined child.
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Lentil (Viking Kestrel Picture Books)
Robert McCloskey
Manufacturer: Viking Juvenile
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The Rag Coat
ASIN: 0670423572 |
Customer Reviews:
lovely book and character training.......2006-02-02
This is a lovely story set in a town in Ohio during the '40s. Lentil learns to play a harmonica and there are sweet scenes of small town life as well as a marching band. My 3.5 year old son loves this book, along with all of McCloskey's books. What has been wonderful for us about this book is the character of "Old Sneep", who grumbles and does mean things. This has really hit home with my son regarding our teaching of having a joyful heart and not complaining. Great literature at its best.
Excellent book for a musically inclined child........1997-12-12
This is an excellent book for the musically inclined child whose singing voice is a little less than melodious. In the book, the vocally challenged Lentil finds his mantra through the harmonica and ends up saving the day with it. My father gave me this book along with a harmonica when I was seven years old in response to my wobbly warbling, and I've been playing harmonica and many other instruments ever since. I just can't 'harp' enough on how great of inspiration this book was to me and could be for other vocally vexed children. -stephen
Book Description
An entertaining resource for people of all ages who want to know more about rock history, "Rock 'n' Roll and the Cleveland Connection" links national and international events in music and the world, with the primary focus on Cleveland. This is an enthusiastic celebration of rock 'n' roll.
Customer Reviews:
Soon to be a best-seller in Cleveland!.......2004-12-22
I grew up in Cleveland, and now reside in Michigan. When I was home for Thanksgiving, my brother showed me his copy of "Rock 'n' Roll and the Cleveland Connection", which I then spent a few hours with.
My first reaction? I quote the amazon.com editorial review of this book: "At 612 pages, the book will lag for readers with no interest in radio."
Somebody nailed that one. I agree; There's too much baloney about one local radio station, which I won't even mention because I personally am tired of hearing about it and don't want to contribute to its notoriety.
Suffice to say that there's a lot that's missing from "Rock 'n' Roll and the Cleveland Connection" mainly because the main thrust of the text evolves around Cleveland radio, and the constant stream of almost endless self-promotion surrounding a few personalities involved in the politics of the Cleveland music scene of the seventies and eighties. This book serves as yet another example of all that.
On a more positive note, the book is fairly well-written and has some nice pictures. While it's probably not a book that anyone will read from cover to cover, "Rock 'n' Roll and the Cleveland Connection" at over 600 pages does cover a lot of territory.
"Rock 'n' Roll and the Cleveland Connection" will probably appeal to a more conservative mainstream audience who remember the seventies and eighties music scene in Cleveland and wish to wax nostalgic. I'm sure that this book will be very popular in the Cleveland area.
corrections?.......2004-08-10
This is an important book, a milestone. And certainly, <I>Radio Daze</I> follows in its footsteps.
I regret there doesn't seem to be a way to contact the writer to update/correct her research, perhaps for future editions. For the last few years my efforts haven't succeeded.
There's gotta be a way. Does anyone know an address to send items to Deanna?
peace
Excellent book.......2003-11-05
For anyone involved in the Cleveland music scene, or just a fan of some of the greatest talent ever to (generally) stay in Cleveland, this book is a must-have. Nice work from Deanna Adams.
Awesome Book!.......2003-10-19
Just got this book for my birthday and read it in a couple of days (not easy considering it's length). But being a former Clevelander, I was able to relive many great moments in music history-the bands, the deejays, the clubs. What indepth research this author did. All the quotes & the behind- the- scenes stories of all the important musicians & people that made Cleveland such a fun town(honest!) makes it a must have for anyone interested in rock 'n' roll. It's now on my coffee table & friends who have never been to Cleveland pick it up & suddenly we're talking about all the concerts & times we lived through, proving you don't have to be from Ohio to really enjoy this book. And great photo's! Highly recommended. N from Florida
Rock 'N Roll and the Cleveland Connection.......2002-06-15
Personally, I loved this book. Three of my seven kids were avid Rock fans and, being a single mother, I ended up taking them to concerts. I also ended up a fan of many of the bands mentioned. Deanna Adams gives so many insights to the era. One can tell she set out to produce a wonderfully detailed, and truthfully told chronicle of those times. Reading the book struck such a note of nostalgia for me. Thanks for the memories, Ms. Adams. And guess what three of my "Kids" are getting for Christmas.
Book Description
This vivid ethnography of the musical lives of heavy metal, rock, and jazz musicians in Cleveland and Akron, Ohio shows how musicians engage with the world of sound to forge meaningful experiences of music. Unlike most popular music studies, which only provide a scholar's view, this book is based on intensive fieldwork and hundreds of hours of in-depth interviews. Rich descriptions of the musical life of metal bars and jazz clubs get readers close to the people who make and listen to the music.
Of special interest are Harris M. Berger's interviews with Timmy "The Ripper" Owens, now famous as lead singer for the pioneering heavy metal band, Judas Priest. Owens and other performers share their own experiences of the music, thereby challenging traditional notions of harmony and musical structure. Using ideas from practice theory and phenomenology, Berger shows that musical perception is a kind of practice, both creatively achieved by the listener and profoundly informed by social context.
Product Description
Frankie Yankovic, the foremost musician in American polka history, never wanted to play it safe. His life was filled with triumphs, defeats, crises, and controversies. An uninhibited original, Yankovic earned his international reputation.
For half a century, the Cleveland native thrilled polka fans around the globe with hits such as "Just Because" and the "Blue Skirt Waltz." He sold millions of records, won the first Polka Grammy, influenced a generation of musicians, and found fame and fortune beyond his wildest dreams.
But behind the light-hearted sounds of the accordion stood a man obsessed. Yankovic's tumultuous touring schedule and restless temper alienated talented band members and made family life difficult. Yankovic struggled with dark emotions while playing "the happiest music on earth."
Yankovic rose above his troubles and became an idol to polka fans in America, Canada, and Europe. He could be lovable, mean, generous, and petty, but always brave and audacious. Above all, he was an entertainer. There may never be another like him. This is his story.
Customer Reviews:
Wanna dance?.......2007-05-11
Cleveland has been internationally renowned for its symphonic Orchestra since shortly after it was formed in 1918. In the late 1900s, we became the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. In between these two events, however, Clevelanders knew--and danced to--a different kind of music. This music was by Frank, as in Yankovic, the man who made the words `polka' and `Cleveland' nearly synonymous from the late thirties until his death in 1998. In fact, in 1948 Yankovic won the first of his three titles as America's Polka King three times running when the competition was new. (It was sponsored by the major record companies, each of which had at least one polka band in their collection.)
He won the first-ever Grammy Award for polka music. Just his name alone drew the largest crowds ever to many dance halls throughout the midwest during a time of less mobility than in our current era. It was also a time when the media wasn't always busy creating the new hotshot.
Ten famous accordionists played for his funeral--one of the largest ever seen in Cleveland.
Recently-retired sportswriter for the Plain Dealer, Bob Dolgan, who knew Yankovic when they were both hardly more than pups, has written an engaging book about "America's Polka King - the real story of Frankie Yankovic." Yankovic, who was not born in Cleveland, certainly made it his homebase (as much as anywhere) for most of his adult life. Dolgan tells it like it was--the shiny and the tarnished parts--without dwelling on those bits that might possibly be considered a tad unsavory. This is a portrait of a real person.
Yankovic was a natural on the stage--a born entertainer, who loved what he did, unqualifiedly, and made sure the people in the audience enjoyed themselves as well. The ones who suffered most were his family--wives and children who remained behind in Cleveland, while he toured for 325 days a year. The flip side of that is that he earned an excellent living by doing so, and none of his three wives or ten children ever went without anything he (or they) thought they needed--except for his presence or companionship.
It may come as a surprise to some to discover that polkas are not exclusively Polish. There are many differences between the Polish and Slovenian varieties, and Yankovic was entirely Slovenian. Once he learned how to play the accordion, he was a gifted musician, able to write lyrics to go with melodies that he wrote, or to put American lyrics to older Slovenian or Italian folk songs. Either way, he quickly made the new song his own, and happily shared with his huge audience. His biggest hits were "Blue Skirt Waltz," "Just Because" and "In Heaven There is no Beer".
Dolgan also honors other Cleveland polka greats: Johnny Pecon and his sons Jeff and John, Jr., Lou Trebar, Eddie Habat, Kenny Bass, Johnny Vadnal, Jimmy Sturr, George Staiduhar, Dan Wojtila, Don Wojtila, Ed Sumrada, Tony Petkovsek and Joey Miskulin. There are photos, an index and a splendid discography, in addition to the history of Cleveland through the 1900s, told as a framework to the man and his music.
It's too bad that Yankovic didn't listen (or pay attention) to another popular song of his era, however. "You Always Hurt the One You Love," might have saved him some heartaches along the way. Or maybe not. He was one of a kind--a showman through and through, and as Dolgan says, "He brought a lot of joy to a lot of people." Not a bad epitaph, after all.
Appealing survey of the sunshine and shadows in a groundbreaking musician's life........2007-04-14
Written by columnist and polka dancer Bob Dolgan, America's Polka King: The Real Story of Frankie Yankovic and His Music is the true-life story of ethnic Slovenian and Cleveland native Frankie Yankovic, winner of the first Polka Grammy, whose hit, upbeat tunes earned him international fame and fortune. Chapters cover his turbulent life, his service in World War II, the loves of his life including the bitter end to his first marriage, raising his children, and of course, the absolutely stunning and smashing popularity of his music. Black-and-white photographs, an extensive discography, and an index round out this appealing survey of the sunshine and shadows in a groundbreaking musician's life.
A great book about Americas Polka King!.......2007-03-08
This was a great book about Frankie Yankovic. Bob Dolgan did a great job on this book and should be commended. I grew up on Frankie because my dad loved his music, as I grew older, I appreciated more the music and the man behind it. Yankovic truly sacrificed allot especially his family life. This book covers everything, there were some things that kind of bothered me, not that the book had anything to do with that, but I guess things that I learned about Yankovic that really told me more of who he was. I reccommend this book not only to Yankovic fans and fans of polka music but anyone who loves the history of music. Great book!!!
Fascinating stories about Yankovic and the "Polka World".......2007-02-24
My husband and I found "America's Polka King" to be the most interesting book we have read in a long time. The book is subtitled "The real story of Frankie Yankovic and his Music" and although Yankovic is the focal point of the book and a person who has done remarkable things for the polka genre, we also found the side stories of other musicians and incidents to be absolutely fascinating.
Frankie Yankovic was the most famous polka musician in U.S. history but this book also brings other legends (guys like Johnny Pecon and George Cook)to life for us, and explains their influence on the music and the musicians of today. Until we fell in love with this music we did not realize that Cleveland and the surrounding area was a "hotbed" of such incredible talent in those early years. Frankie Yankovic was quite an interesting individual who sacrificed much of his personal life for his love of polka music, but when put in the context of the other musicians of his era, the music, and the times - the book is even more than his story. It is a history of the Cleveland-style music that is so loved by so many today.
We took turns reading the book (should have bought two copies!), laughing at the stories, and saying to one another: "Did you know............?" Bob Dolgan does an excellent job of bringing these people to life and you will enjoy the book thoroughly.
Book well worth reading.......2007-02-02
In 1977, the author, Bob Dolgan, wrote a book entitled "The Polka King" about the life and times of Frankie Yankovic. That book has been out-of-print for many years. In his new book "America's Polka King," Dolgan revisits much of what he covered in 1977, but additional information and subjects are covered because Yankovic lived another twenty-one years after the 1977 book was published.
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