Music & Movies

Award-winning actor, rapper, and producer Ice-T unveils a compelling and astonishing memoir of his early life robbing jewelry stores until he found fame and fortune--while a handful of bad choices sent his former crime partner down an incredibly...

With striking photographs and personal insight, a compelling biography of the great American saxophonist and free jazz innovator Ornette Coleman. Ornette Coleman's career encompassed the glory years of jazz and the American avant-garde. Born in...

(Fake Book). Since the 1970s, The Real Book has been the most popular book for gigging jazz musicians. Hal Leonard is proud to publish completely legal and legitimate editions of the original volumes as well as exciting new volumes to carry on the...

At its rhythmic, beating heart, Close to the Edge asks whether hip hop can change the world. Hip hop--rapping, beat-making, b-boying, deejaying, graffiti--captured the imagination of the teenage Sujatha Fernandes in the 1980s, inspiring her and...

Tracing the evolution of jazz from the boogie-woogie and swing of the 1930s, through bebop, funk, and fusion, to the eclectic mix Blue Note releases today, this landmark publication tells the story of an influential jazz institution and commemorates Blue...

Over one dramatic decade, a trio of Trenchtown R&B crooners swapped their 1960s Brylcreem hairdos and two-tone suits for 1970s battle fatigues and dreadlocks to become the Wailers--one of the most influential groups in popular music. Colin Grant presents...

The banjo has been called by many names over its history, but they all refer to the same sound--strings humming over skin--that has eased souls and electrified crowds for centuries. The Banjo invites us to hear that sound afresh in a biography of one of...

The essential account of R. Kelly's actions and their consequences, a reckoning two decades in the making. Updated and expanded to include Kelly's 2021 trial and conviction. In 2000, Chicago journalist and music critic Jim DeRogatis received an anonymous...

(Jazz Play Along). For use with all Bb, Eb, C and BC instruments, the Jazz Play-Along Series is the ultimate learning tool for all jazz musicians. With musician-friendly lead sheets, melody cues and other split-track choices on the included CD, this...

Guitarist Michael Bloomfield shot to stardom in the '60s with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Bob Dylan, the Electric Flag and on Al Kooper's Super Session. His story is told in the words of his brother, musicians such as B.B. King, producer Paul...

Nearly 100 years after bursting onto Chicago's music scene under the tutelage of Joe King Oliver, Louis Armstrong is recognized as one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. A trumpet virtuoso, seductive crooner, and consummate...

(Jazz Play Along). For use with all Bb, Eb, C and bass clef instruments, the Jazz Play-Along Series is the ultimate learning tool for all jazz musicians. With musician-friendly lead sheets, melody cues and other split-track choices on the included CD,...

Legendary multi-instrumentalist/composer Benny Carter has granted us the impressive honor of compiling a remarkable play-along of his favorite works. Mr. Carter's fine harmonic awareness and keen melodic ear combine for unforgettable jazz compositions...

The title says it all. Break out the crayons, 'cause it gangsta rap coloring time! 48 pages of line drawings of Gangsta rappers, done with the thick black line we all remember from the coloring books of our youth. The juxtaposition of the outlaw image of...

The haka has always been a vital part of Maori culture and tradition. Today it has a growing influence on the lives of all New Zealanders. It provides a powerful and dramatic vehicle for welcoming visitors, challenging opponents, rejoicing in victory and...

In this first installment of acclaimed music writer David Toop's interdisciplinary and sweeping overview of free improvisation, Into the Maelstrom: Music, Improvisation and the Dream of Freedom: Before 1970 introduces the philosophy and practice of...