Biographies of key figures in the world of 20th century jazz and blues music, with special features on selected individuals.

The first definitive biography of guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan, with an Epilogue by Jimmie Vaughan, Foreword by drummer Chris Layton, and Aterword by bassist Tommy Shannon. Despite the cinematic scope of Vaughan's life and death, there has never been a truly proper accounting of his story--until now.

"An intimate, revealing look at one artist's journey from self-censorship to full expression As one of the most celebrated musicians of our time, Alicia Keys has enraptured the nation with her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary vocal range, and soul-stirring piano compositions. Yet away from the spotlight, Alicia has grappled with private heartache-over the challenging and complex relationship with her father, the people-pleasing nature that characterized...

When a black musician in New York is evicted for non-payment of rent, a white woman living in the same apartment block takes him in. He is Soupspoon Wise, a gentle jazz guitarist from Mississippi who has cancer. She is Kiki Waters, a drinking, swearing redhead from Arkansas who works on Wall Street. The novel traces their menage.

Known as the father of American Primitive Guitar, many consider John Fahey to be a foundational figure in American folk music. As both musician and musicologist, Fahey made a fundamental contribution to our understanding and appreciation of such music genres as Delta blues, Appalachian bluegrass, and New Orleans jazz. Interviews, performances and archival footage with animation are combined in a musically charged tribute to a tremendously influential...

"The long-awaited memoir of Booker T. Jones, leader of the famed Stax Records house band, architect of the Memphis soul sound, and one of the most legendary figures in music. From Booker T. Jones's earliest years in segregated Memphis, music was the driving force in his life. While he worked paper routes and played gigs in local nightclubs to pay for lessons and support his family, Jones, on the side, was also recording sessions in what became the...