5 comments about Duke Ellington: a Spiritual Biography (Lives & Legacies).

1. Very accesible book & good introduction not only to Duke Ellington but the world of Jazz. I suppose an author is limited by the number of pages how in depth one can get but still I expected a more critical examination of the contradiction of Ellington's public persona w/ his spirituality and how he reconciled these contradictions. That said, I still found Steed's argument convincing, especially his leading up to his sacred music. This is especially a good book for the new initiate to Duke Ellington.



2. I just recently joined a book discussion group and last night, during my first meeting we were discussing Janna Tull Steed's new book "Duke Ellington: A Spiritual Biography." In just 192 pages Steed traces Ellington's development from a piano player to bandleader to composer and his truly thrilling and sublime sacred concerts in the last decade of his life. Steed also discusses in depth Ellington's ability to write for the individual voice, or band member, which seems to be, at least partly, what made and marks him as such an extraordinary and perhaps greatest American composer--that and his overwelming dedication to his music and a relentless ability to constantly break new ground.

   Steed's grasp of Ellington and his music, particularly Ellington as a composer is tops. She draws on the enormous archives at the Smithsonian Institution but also on extensive firsthand interviews with scores of people who were intimately familiar with Duke Ellington and his music, and especially his development of his sacred music and concerts. It is in the area of the sacred concerts that Steed breaks new ground but also her focus of Ellinton as composer, as well as his oft forgotten important work in Hollywood. Her outstanding achievment is that she accomplished this in 192 pages. Steed covers the entire scope of Ellington's remarkable life and career and her insights are very welcome and as engaging as they are informative.




3. I picked this book up after reading Joan of Arc in this Lives and Legacies Series. This new book delivers everything it promises. I'm a real biography nut with an interest in a very broad range of subjects (and that's just what this series delivers) but have little time to immerse myself in a 500 or 700 page reading. So it's great to be able to pick up these short biographies, get a great read, and then decide if I want to explore a subject in further depth. But I can tell you with both these books, short as they are (192 pages), they are still very in-depth, scholarly and but still accessible to the popular audience. Duke Ellington was a particular pleasure as I knew nothing about his Sacred music and Concerts, nor have I run across anything that examines so fully the films that him and his orchestra were featured in, and which by the way Ellington had a significant role in developing. Author Janna Steed offers up a terrific little gem with this new book on Duke Ellington.



4. The author's knowledge of Duke Ellington, and descriptions of his compositions is impressive. After studying Ellington's life and compositions through this book more closely, in his music, even when it is not overtly religious, one can quickly see that Ellington did indeed work out his spirituality through his music, as this author so convincingly argues. Of especial interest is the author's conception of spirituality and her deep artistry of both genuinely recognizing Ellington's and making that connection with his music, and how both shaped and influenced his life. This is not a scholarly tome, but rather a wonderfully quick, short read. As one of many old Ellington fans, my guess is that Duke Ellington would have smiled brightly and given his big stamp of approval to this book.



5. I just got finished listening to the new CDs of Duke Ellington's Sacred Music, picked up at Borders. Wow! While I was listening to this great stuff I was reading this book. And Wow! again. If you want the nitty, gritty, the lowdown, or dope so to speak, on the Duke you'll have to go somewhere else. Miss Steed does give you the whole story but her emphasis is on his work, his artistry, and his legend--what the Good Man left us with--and his Sacred Music, which he said, was not his best work, but his most important work. And it was real, man, this is what I was looking for, someone who really had something new to say about The Man, and knew what they were talking about! Buy this book and get to know the Duke and the man behind the legend.

5 comments about Queen: The Life and Music of Dinah Washington.

1. Oh Dear Dinah, your life & music deserves more than a mere listing of your shows and records in such a big collage(awfully long to read)of a book! I guess it is well researched but are magazine writings reliable? Not really.
   I DO know more about Washington, for sure...
   It is not the 1st book of the kind I read, certainly not the last but hopefully, not another one like this in the near future...



2. Because no one has ever written about legendary Dinah Washington before (at least not published in Europe),I snatched this book immediately just to find it a bit overwhelming & too detailed.Where author dazzled in her previous book,this time she seems she wasn't sure is she writting about Washington or the whole afro-american society of post WW2 America.Sure,she had done her homework and reasearched high and low (future authors will have to rely on her) but after a while,the book turns into list of every concert performance Washington ever gave in her life,therefore a bit dry.Strange how vital and exciting singer like Washington ended up with such uninspired biographer! The little episodes,like the only time this overworked woman spent time with her family in Disneyland tell much more than all the concerts and recording dates.I love Washington dearly and thanks to her music legacy,for me she lives forever.Read the book if you are curious,but stick to the music.



3. Dinah Washington, like Etta James and Esther Phillips, is one of the underrated singers of the post WWII era, and very little has been written about her. So when I saw this book and who its author was,(Nadine Cohodas, who wrote a superb history of Chess Records,Spinning Blues Into Gold), I eagerly anticipated reading it.
   After finishing it, unfortunately I'm still waiting for the definitive biography of the Queen. It's very apparent that Cohodas did a lot of research, but the result was turned into a laundry list of club dates, recording sessions, clothes inventories, and rotating musicians and husbands which becomes numbing. What is missing is context and interpretation of these events aside from the repetitive assertion that Washington was narrowly promoted and marketed because of race. I wasn't looking for sensationalism or psychobiography from this book, but I was hoping to gain some insight into Dinah Washington's life, or music, and the lack of analysis left me still wondering both who she was and how she created such wonderful music.



4. 
   Born Ruth Lee Jones in 1924 in Alabama, singer Dinah Washington's family moved to Chicago where she became a local gospel star at fifteen - but she didn't stop there. When she was discovered by Lionel Hampton at eighteen, Dinah made her way to New York's Apollo Theatre and became a legend. Queen: The Life And Music Of Dinah Washington reviews her life and music, delving into her high and low moments alike. A fine insider's guide to the real Dinah.



5. Dinah Washington was a great human being as well as a great singer. Cohodas' limited writing skills and lack of insight result in an unwieldy, superficial account of dates, places and people in the life of this passionately human, outstanding artist who was decades ahead of her time. On the other hand, the book provides significant documentation for future biographers. The book gets one star for the excellent cover by Carol Devine Carson who also designed the cover of Bill Clinton's autobiography. Dinah would have loved it!
   
   Given Dinah's magnificent talent, deep spirituality, and complex personality, only a highly skilled writer capable of penetrating social and psychological insights and access to personal materials could craft a biography worthy of her. Someone of the caliber of Toni Morrison, or Maya Angelou at her best, could do her justice. Until then, the brilliant light of Dinah's talents, generosity and love will continue to shine upon the earth bestowed - solo - by the Queen.

No comments about Paul Robeson: The Years of Promise And Achievement.

No comments about The Education of Booker T. Washington: American Democracy and the Idea of Race Relations.

No comments about Memoirs of a Fortunate Jew: An Italian Story.

5 comments about Soul Survivors: The Official Autobiography of Destiny's Child.

1. I READ THIS BOOK AND I WAS SHOCKED AT HOW GOOD IT WAS. IT TALKED ABOUT THE MEMBERS OF DESTINY'S CHILD AND THEIR LIVES AT HOME AS WELL AS ON THE ROAD. IT TALKED ABOUT THE MEMBER CHANGES AND WHAT REALLY HAPPENED. IT TALKED ABOUT THEIR STRUGGLES WITH GETTING A RECORD DEAL AS WELL AS THE STRUGGLES WITH THE MEDIA. I REALLY LIKE THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT TALKED ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT THE MAGAZINES DONT.IT MADE ME FEEL AS IF I KNEW THEM. IF ASKED IF I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO A FRIEND I WOULD BECAUSE IT'S AND EXCELENT BOOK.



2. It is a great book. I definetly recommend it. It tells what happened with the group members, first kisses, boyfriends. I never ever wanted to read a book,{BECAUSE I AM NOT A GOOD READER} but when i got the book i couldnt put it down. I read it in one day and i am a slow reader. They didnt say anything bad about farrah, letoya, or latavia. I WOULD always recommend you to get the book, and it is worth every penny. You wont be disappointed. Also it tells about their childhood, with pics which is cool.
   
   P.S: You can have a opinion but dont hate, appreciate. Also u will probably hurt their feeling so dont say anything stupid.



3. the book is very good i want to read over and over again and i like how they put pictures in the middle of the book and they talk about their child hood but they talk to much about the break up but not the future and what they have accomplished as a group with out the other members but i would recomend this book



4. I enjoy Destiny's Child, and I thought it would be interesting ot read about them. It was a good book mostly, and you learn a lot about these three members, like their childhood, early life, school years, how they joined Destiny's Child, and more. What was strange to me was the title of this book. I really am not sure that these three rich woman who are famous all around the world are really "soul survivors". What did they survive? Sure, they lost three group members but that's about it. Another thing that bothered me was that the book was mostly Beyonce this, Beyonce that. She did most of the writing, or should I say talking because they just told their story to James Patrick Herman, who actually wrote it. Also, it seems like the book is mainly about her. So what, she writes their songs and is their (Destiny's Child) lead singer. It dosn't mean she should always get all of the attention! Overall, the book is great, but I think big Destiny's Child fans would like it the most.



5. The book gave a look into the lives of the group destiny's child and the women. I just don't feel it. I think the only way to be really honest is to have the ex-members tell there side a well. If it's not that way then you're really getting a one sided story. And I need to hear everybody's piece. I think they are talented and everything, but really you are just throwing away money if you get this. Money that could be in your pockets. Please do not keep slipping further into idol worship. This are just people. Some of ya'll need to really calm down. Some girl was going off. Like she was a friend of those girls. Just like she, said she don't know them personally either. So how can she try to make it like they are just survivors, no. They really honestly didn't lose anything. Everybody is picked, shy sometimes, and grows up without a father. Just because they are stars do not make there story more heart touching. I need to hear from everybody to know the truth. That's just me. So For all of ya'll obsessed crazy fans. Please, calm down. It ain't that serious, really. Remember they are just people, psychos.

5 comments about From Pieces to Weight: Once Upon a Time in Southside Queens.

1. This is a great book that shows the life of 50 (Curtis Jackson). It was written in a manner that was easy to read and kept you waiting to see what happened next. I highly recommend this book even if you are not a big fan of his music because it shows the story of how someone can make it big even when the odds are stacked against him.



2. From Pieces To Weight was a great book and I gave it five stars because of the writer's vivid descriptions of the harsh things that he experienced in his life. 50 Cent had to go through a really rough life. His mom died when he was a kid and he never new who his father was. 50 Cent knew he was going to be a drug dealer because everyone in his family sold drugs. I'm not going to give away the rest of the book but I suggest you read this book, it is really good.



3. I recently purchased this book for my fiance, who, obviously, loves 50 Cent. He read the first 50 pages the day it arrived, and I must tell you, he is NOT the type of person to sit down and read a book. It's about 50's life in Southside Queens and his experiences as a child up until his fame. While my fiance finds this book inspirational and exciting, I find the writing style to be fairly simple with 50 reiterating well-known facts (ex. You can't have life without death) and also presenting himself as an arrogant, almost martyr-type of character. Why do I say that? He talks about himself and his experiences in life (which may or may not be exaggerated) and repeatedly states that what he has gone through should be used as an example to others. He blames the media for his portrayal as a "bullet riddled rapper" but obviously, 50 uses it to his advantage without much complaint. He tries to come off as a mentor and inspiration, but I really did find him irritating at times. I think their are better role models for others to look up to. I'd rather read Sidney Poitier's memoirs than idolize 50 Cent. But that's just my view. For 50 Cent lovers, they'll be inspired and amazed.



4. I read the book From Pieces to Weights, by 50 cent. This book showed me how the streets are a hard place. There are a lot of people that think the streets are a horrible place and that there dangerous. Well they are dangerous, but there not horrible and many people think that there are horrible people that live in the area. This book showed me that many people on the streets hustling are really trying to find themselves. This book also showed me not to judge the people that are selling the drugs.
   
   This book really touched me with what 50 cent was going though. His mom was killed for selling drugs and then he went and started to sell drugs. I really think he didn't have a choice because it's what he saw everyday. He watched his aunts and uncles and everyone else on the streets, and he probably thought that it was the right thing to do. This book was very well writing and I got hooked to it. I think 50 cent did a great job at telling his story.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone, I think mostly people who don't really know about the streets because it tells you a lot. I wouldn't recommend this book to people that do not like bad language used a lot. This book was very entertaining. I suggest you read it.



5. when I read his book he had some facts that I didn't know about. his book should reach the #1 spot on the book list.

3 comments about A Place for Us: A Greek Immigrant Boy's Odyssey to a New Country and an Unknown Father.

1. I could not put this book down. I read the story of Eleni several years ago and wanted to know what happened to the family and thie story continues with this book. Nicholas Gage's mother would certainly be proud of her family and the sacrifice she made. A fantastic book, highly recommended



2. Gage writes his and his family's story with a wonderful combination of pathos and humour--an incredible perspective and a worthwhile read.



3. This is as an extraordinary book by one of our country's most important contemporary writers. Highly recommended!

2 comments about This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer (Civil Rights and the Struggle for Black Equality in the Twentieth Century).

1. Mills' biography is a welcome addition to the growing body of literature on the civil rights movement. The well-documented work explores the life of Ms. Hamer, an important figure in the '60s Deep-South struggles whose name may be unfamiliar to some.

   Fannie Lou Hamer was a poorly educated woman who, like most of her contemporaries growing up in pre-Depression Mississippi and beyond, endured virtual apartheid for a good portion of her life. Voting rights were essentially unknown to African-Americans in the state, which was controlled for decades by opponents of civil rights locally and through the state's federal representatives, most notably James O. Eastland, a senator who consistently stalled civil rights legislation through his control of the Judiciary Committee.

   Ms. Hamer was among the first African-Americans to challenge Mississippi's voting registration practices, which were designed to bar blacks from voting. For her troubles, she was arrested, detained in a small-town jail and beaten so severely that she sustained injuries that eventually shortened her life.

   Mills paints a vivid picture of Ms. Hamer's indomitable spirit, which was symbolized by her powerful singing voice, frequently employed to boost the courage of her local comrades and of the black and white workers who came to Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964 in an attempt to challenge the white supremacists who ran the state.

   Nowhere does her spirit come through more clearly than in Mills' account of the 1964 challenge Hamer and others leveled at the Democratic delegation sent to the presidential convention in Atlantic City. The challengers persuasively claimed that they represented thousands of disenfranchised African-Americans who had been denied their right to participate in the political process. The Democratic presidential candidate, Lyndon Johnson, and his running mate, Hubert Humphrey, Mills recounts, dragged their feet on addressing the challengers' claims, only belatedly offering a weak compromise that Hamer and some others fiercely opposed.

   "I question America," Hamer memorably said during hearings on her group's challenge of the white-only delegation. Mills is careful to explore the arguments and motivations of those within Hamer's delegation who argued in favor of accepting the compromise, but it is clear that her heart lies with Hamer's courageous stand.

   In the end, the 1964 challenge failed, but in 1968 another challenge succeeded and Hamer was seated, along with others, at that year's presidential convention. The victory, which deserves special mention in American history, was tempered and largely forgotten due to the street violence for which the 1968 convention is now largely remembered.

   Mills also does a fine job of relating Ms. Hamer's attention to the plight of the poor and her attempts to build political power for the impoverished. One gets a strong sense of the sacrifice that Hamer made to live a life committed to political struggle.

   It is only when Mills attempts to summarize the major events of the civil rights movement that the book's strength flags. I found the first couple of chapters negligible because I'm familiar with the big events of the movement and frankly they've been done better elsewhere.

   When she turns her attention to Ms. Hamer, however, Mills delivers a story worth telling in strong prose that reveals her admiration for her subject without sacrificing her critical judgment.




2. A well writen documentary of an inspirational woman. This book gives life to significant events taking place in the fight for civil rights. In particular, reading about her Freedom Ride on a bus through the American South gave chilling reality to the ordeal. Fannie Lou Hamer is a pivotal figure in American history.

2 comments about Samuel Morris: Missionary to America (Heroes of the Faith).

1. It seems, from time to time, the Lord touches a person on Earth with a special annointing. Kaboo,aka Samuel Morris, was one of those people. This young boy had a tremendous impact on many people-though his life spanned only twenty years. His influence is still felt. Personally, I have been led to write about this young man in two different novels I am writing. The hero is one of the books is patterned after Sammy, to a certain degree. Terry Whalin kept this book true to Sammy's character, unassuming, to the point, and focused on the Lord. My goal is that every believer will read this story and allow the spirit of Sammy to guide them to a place where they let the Spirit of God lead them in their journey. More importantly, if you're not a believer, you might become one before you're finished. That power for conversion was Sammy's legacy.
   Donald James Parker



2. Very well written and easy to read. It was inspiring and made me think about my own walk with the Lord.