5 comments about All The Stops: The Glorious Pipe Organ And Its American Masters.

1. For centuries pipe organs were the most complex mechanisms the human race had devised, but only a handful of books have surveyed its history. In All The Stops: The Glorious Pipe Organ And Its American Masters, Craig Whitney, NY Times Journalist and editor, focuses on the history of the American pipe organ and its fans, surveying both master organ builders and players alike. An excellent history is revealed in a specialty item which will appeal beyond the classical crowd.



2. The pipe organ - "the King of Instruments" -- has long been worshiped by Bach lovers but underappreciated by other classical music fans. At music conservatories, organists have been outsiders joined by a common passion. All that may be changing thanks to a pipe organ renaissance underway in this country and swell of interest generated by this book. Organist and New York Times writer and editor Craig Whitney clearly knows how to tell a good story. Rather than turn out a muddled and boring history with every name, place and date, he tracks the competing ideas and conflicting personalities of America's top organ builders (Edward Skinner, Donald Harrison, Charles Fisk) and its two most influential performers ("purist" Powerful Biggs and "showman" Virgil Fox). It's a dramatic story of clashing egos, cultural shifts, economic realities and esthetic choices. As a Bach organist, I long wished for this book but thought it a "pipe dream." Bravo, Craig Whitney.



3. All the Stops is a pretty concise overview of the hitsory of the pipe organ in North America. There's lots of information but it's not written in a text book way.



4. What a excellent book about the pipe organ and some of the major artists that played the instument in America. It is highly informative about the lives of E. Power Biggs and Virgil Fox, two very prominent organists in developing interest in the pipe organ in America. It is a "must-read" book for anyone who enjoys the "king of instruments"!



5. Even though I don't play the organ and don't read music or know much about the instrument--I loved this book just because I have always loved organ music. I found it a very enjoyable book to read. It brought me closer to the world of organ by reading about the makers and artists and showing me the progression of organ popularity over the centuries. LONG LIVE THE PIPE ORGAN (and all organs--too much disuse of them these days).

3 comments about Lentil (Viking Kestrel Picture Books).

1. 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



2. 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.



3. As a retired preschool/ daycare administrator I never hesitate to say that McCloskey is one the all-time great writers . Lentil has always been one of the best books to read at story time . You can't go wrong with buying this story for your favorite 4 or 5 year old, but even my 9 year old grandsons love this tale, and it got them interested in playing a harmonica!

1 comments about Little Organ Book (Summy-Birchard Edition).

1. This is an excellent book for the beginning organ student. The book includes a variety of information and practice ideas.

No comments about Classic Hammond Organ: Know the Players, Play the Music.

5 comments about The Hammond Organ - Beauty in the B: Second Edition (Keyboard Musician's Library).

1. Previous to the publcation of Vail's book, newcomers seeking to penetrate the mystique surrounding the Hammond organ had to rely on a diffuse smattering of sources for information. Most such sources are commercial: technicians, restorers, shops dealing in vintage musical gear, etc. Though many of these specialists are deeply knoweldgable and provide great products and services, it's a small and competitive community, which can make it difficult for the curious novice to get objective information. As a younger keyboard nut, I personally bugged enough of those people to learn that most do not have the time or energy to play the role of educator, especially if a sale is not imminent.

   Playing this role is exactly the point, though, when you have a book to sell, and Vail approaches this task with a thoroughness, integrity, and love of the subject that make this one of the best books of its kind. No. it's not an exhaustive technical reference, nor the end-all of any debate about the Hammond. It's not meant as such, any more than a docent-guided tour of a famous museum is meant to replace a PhD in art history. Rather, it's the beginning of a journey, and for this subject, a better beginning than we've ever had.

   Among Vail's many sources are longtime Hammond exec Alan Young, who also shed light on the legacy of John Hanert, the engineer who made many of Laurens Hammond's ideas work, rotary speaker inventor Don Leslie, and a who's who of the jazz, rock, and gospel players that imprinted the Hammond-Leslie sound on our consciousness to the degree that even people who've never heard the name of the instrument recognize "that sound." While I haven't fact-checked every page, it is simply absurd to suggest any generalization that the sources are suspect or the information inaccurate.

   Overall, this is an enjoyable and informative read that can save you a ton of legwork in approaching the realm of the mighty Hammond. The better part of a century lies between us and its conception, and some current repairers and restorers scrape part numbers off components so their work can't be duplicated. In such a world, Vail's book is as objective as it gets.




2. I had borrowed a copy of this book from a friend, and after skimming it, decided then and there I had to have my own copy; so I bought one.

   It's great to see that someone took the time to research and write such an informative and interesting book on a very "niche" piece of the music industry.

   It should be required reading for anyone interested in the Hammond organ, and it's history. Because of the amount of pictures and quotes, it makes for very "easy" reading. I finished it in about one day, and still refer to it!

   I recommend it, highly!




3. As a Hammond B3 player for more years than I'd like to admit, I WILL admit I enjoyed this book tremendously. Now, it's not a tech manual, but I thought the book was laid out very well. It gave a good description of who Laurens Hammond was, such as being inventor of the electric clock. When doing research there's always gonna be some folks out there who may disagree with some statement, but that's just natural. I think that Mark Vail did an incredibly thorough job of researching this instrument and its history. He showed that he has a personal interest in it as well. A lot of people can just write a book 'cause they're paid to, but Mark has passion for the B. He showed it all the way through. I liked the reproductions of some of the original brochures, with the pictures of the different models. I remember those from when I was a kid -- my mother went to buy a Hammond and brought those brochures home. Quite often when I'm talking with someone about a particular model, I'll take out Mark's book and show them the photos and descriptions. He gives the year the models were built, what their price was -- that sort of stuff is very helpful and just plain fun to know.



4. This book is better than nothing, it alerts potentially otherwise ignorant readers that Hammond organs have a distinct following, market value, and sources for parts and service. However, it is not thorough historically, technically, or musically.

   There are other organs besides Hammonds, there are other Hammonds besides B-3s hooked to Leslies, and other kinds of professsionally recorded music besides jazz and Chicago blues that people still enjoy-even Ken Griffin (although personally I can't stand him). It's a pretty lopsided look at an instrument with a lot of history, only a small slice of which is considered "hip" by the Jann Wenner-thinking people who control today's popular magazines. (I write this on June 1 of the year 78 MM-which brings to mind "Specialization", a bouncy 1960 tune riffing on this very subject...)

   If you want a thorough Hammond education, I'd start with the original Hammond service manuals and brochures followed by some of the period literature for organ hobbyists, as well as print and web sites devoted to the sacred cows of Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff and the DeFrancescos and their little branch of the big organ tree. Soap operas, Black churches, skating rinks and even the notorious Anton LaVey all have a place in Hammond history which the jazz organists are not overridingly more important than.




5. This book is the Bible - A must have for all Hammond owners and Tonewheel/Leslie wannabes! It has the history, the technology, tips on buying, restoring and playing the greatest keyboard instrument since the grand piano. Learn about drawbar harmonics and how the Leslie Speaker works - try out registrations and licks from the legends. As an owner/player I cannot recommend this reference highly enough.

5 comments about The Organists' Manual: Technical Studies and Selected Compositions for the Organ.

1. This is the finest universal organ method I have come across to date. I believe it is intended tfor the beginner or intermediate student. All aspects of playing the instrument are covered, with a focus on church service work and the issues dealing with that job.
   I recommend it highly.



2. I bought this as a Christmas present so was very disappointed to find though advertised as new the cover looked like something had been dropped on it. It was scuffed badly. I didn't have time to return it for exchange and the person who received it "said" it was okay I was upset. If something says new it should look new.



3. This book is excellent for learning or reviewing organ skills; uses actual, common organist pieces for learning, not boring exercises like many books;
   
   Speedy, on-time delivery from amazon



4. This is a good book for the beginning organist. The book has good training activities and practice ideas.



5. I am a pianist who recently started studying organ to upgrade my skill for playing in church. This is a great resource, with quite a bit of very fine music. As another reviewer stated, it is quite similar in concept to the classic organ method by Gleason, which I also respect and enjoy. But I find the repertoire here more interesting and serviceable than what you will find in the Gleason.
   
   Also contains very fine chapters on registration, articulation and phrasing. An essential resource in my opinion.

1 comments about Great Music's Greatest Hits.

1. Wonderful book of classical music. Most of the pieces are easier and shorter than the original compositions. The compilation is varied and includes many wonderfully talented composers from all timeframes. Love it!

4 comments about Hammond Organ Complete.

1. I thought there were no Hammond methods, but somehow I found this one, and it's a good starting point for neophytes of the B-3 and drawbar organs. Don't expect it to disclose all the techniques you heard on Jimmy Smith's records, but it can be really useful as a reference book. The addition of the CD is absolutely essential: a good feature from the author.
   It's a fairly good catalogue of riffs, although I wish it focused a lot more on funk and jazzy riffs (there are some good examples, however -but not enough nor representative) than on poppy ballads and clichés.
   Anyway,at least it can lend some help to us forgotten organists and lovers of the Hammond!



2. I have this book, (not like the reviewer who gave it 1 star without reading or owning the book)and I think it's full of interesting information regarding functions and controls on a hammond organ, various playing techniques and the concept and theory behind creating registrations with the drawbars for different styles of music. Also the Cd is very well played and contains a number of nice pieces of music to play-a-long, plus some voicing techniques, bass lines for the left hand and some soloing techniques. It's not a course on improvisation, but rather an overview of the hammond organ and its possibilities, with music examples played with a full band to put it all in context. Most of the info here can be applied to hammond clones as well (as long as they have drawbars) like korg cx3 nord c1 nord electro, roland vk series , the new hammonds xb1 xk3 etc. So, even more for the players of this new generation keyboards, the philosophy behind the B3 is explained here with enough detail to get you going, and helping you to get a more authentic use of your clone.



3. This product makes it easy to see how many of the classic Hammond sounds are made. The explanations, photos, and cd are excellent ways to learn. Now I just have to make time to practice them.



4. There are a few good Hammond books out there but this one is the most complete. Drawbar settings, percussion and chorus/vibrato settings, swell pedal and leslie instruction, very thorough. Not only does it take you through a gradual learning process to get the instrument down, you gain some cool licks and stylistic direction along the way.

5 comments about 100 Ultimate Blues Riffs for Piano/Keyboards (Book and CD).

1. There are an absurd amount of Blues Piano books out there, most of which suck, and don't actually teach you how to play, or teach you only by sight reading where your hands and ears don't know the blues sound well enough. There are three exceptions though, and the three wonderful blues piano books that should be mandatory for anyone looking to learn and improve, be they beginner or advanced intermediate, are:
   
   1. Blues Piano -- Mark Harrison
   2. Improvising Blues -- Tim Richards
   3. 100 Ultimate Blues Riffs for Piano/Keyboards -- Andrew Gordon.
   
   The first two out of the above mentioned three really take the time to give you a step by step method for understanding all of the blues genre, and how to develop both hands playing it, the scales, chordal theory, etc, along with dozens of great riffs. This book doesn't do that; it is, like other people have mentioned, a strict runs/licks book. However, with the examples chosen, you couldn't ask for more.
   
   The riffs in this book are excellent; a lot of books on the blues, and people playing the blues, use some really cheesy riffs that sound very uncreative, uninspiring, and far too white. This book really hammers in tons of great sounding, truly bluesy riffs. It covers everything from funk, gospel, jazz, boogie woogie, n. orleans, and rock n' roll type of blues, and the way he transcribes the licks note for note really allows the player (with lots of practice!) to get a nice Ray Charles sound...aka: sounding natural, musical, and unforced.
   
   I also like the fact that they aren't all in one key; I find that if a book uses only C or G then that leaves the door open to not practicing in other keys. This book forces you to learn different riffs in all kinds of different keys, and is one of the biggest reasons I was finally able to overcome my hesitancy with being able to transpose very common licks and runs into some of the harder keys to play that have more sharps/flats.
   
   This book is great for both beginners through advanced intermediate...an invaluable resource to finally learn the riffs we've all heard thousands of times yet can't figure out ourselves. (The CD that comes with the book is great...played nice and slowly so you don't feel rushed, you can very clearly hear what's being played, and they are note for note transcriptions of the sheet music examples in the book).



2. I am finding this book/cd combo invaluable. Although a bit challenging, it makes learning to play the blues accessible and the riffs provide a great short-term goal, which keeps me progressing. It is exactly what I have been looking for and is as good as private study because of the CD. Yay, Andrew Gordon. Thanks!



3. I have not had enough time to thorougly play the entire book, but what I have reviewed is exactly what I was looking for. Might yet be a 5 star .



4. This book is a very good book on showing you bits and pieces of riffs/licks from blues, rock, gospel, R & B, and boogie woogie that will help enhance your playing. You can incorporate these licks in a variety of music. For example, I am incorporating these licks into my jazz and blues piano playing.
   
   Some of the licks however, are not that good but for the most part they are very good. This is not a book that teaches you how to play the blues but gives you bass lines, 12 bar blues form and 2 pieces at the end of the book that show you how to combine the riffs to make your own songs.
   
   A very good resource ranging from the intermediate to the advanced and it will help your playing sound better.



5. Had I noticed that this was by Andrew D. Gordon, I probably would not have bought it, based on his rhythm piano book, which I have reviewed and which was mediocre.
   
   This book is far better. There are good licks in here that give insight into many techniques of blues piano from several different genres. They are not for beginners, but are not insanely difficult, either. Still, getting the tougher ones up to speed will take time for pianists who are not already technically accomplished.
   
   Now that I've seen that this author can write a good piano book, I'm tempted to dock his other book one star.
   
   This book would make a good companion to "Improvising Blues Piano" by Tim Richards, and everyone will find at least half of the 100 riffs to be very useful.
   
   I recommend it!

5 comments about A Crooked Kind of Perfect.

1. A Crooked Kind of Perfect is a great book for a kid who is just starting to be sensitive about what other people think of her, noticing the cliques at school, and trying to decide what kind of person she wants to be. In other words, it's for anyone age 11 or older.
   
   I bought it for my granddaughter for Christmas, and decided to take a peek before I wrapped it. When I put it down, I had read it straight through. Now I will very happily give it away, but I hope she will want to read it with me. The message I got from it (but never fear, it isn't at all preachy!) is that when you accept what you get in life, and love people for who they are, wonderful things can happen. This book leaves the reader with a very positive feeling.



2. Ten-year-old Zoe dreams of performing at Carnegie Hall one day. She thinks pianos are glamorous, sophisticated, and worldly. She'd love to have a grand piano and be taught how to play impressive, difficult pieces by a grandfatherly maestro.
   
   Instead, she gets a Perfectone D-60 organ and six months of free lessons from a woman named Mabelline Person. Instead of Fur Elise, Moonlight Sonata, or even Frere Jacques, she is given television theme songs from the sixties and seventies. Not exactly glamorous.
   
   Zoe is an only child. Her mother is a straightforward, working professional, a controller for the state who spends a great deal of time a work. Her father enjoys earning degrees from Living Room University, learning how to scrapbook, coach boxing, and pilot a plane - all from the comfort of his own home, using objects he has around the house. After school, before or after her own lessons, Zoe helps her father with his. Sometimes, she delights in his antics, but other times, his errors - like getting her a wheezy organ! - make her cringe. Her goofy classmate named Walker befriends her father and the two bake in the background while Miss Person sets up a metronome and a Hits from the Sixties songbook for an exasperated Zoe.
   
   Zoe's getting frustrated. She's not a prodigy. She's not a concert pianist. But she's also not a quitter. Slowly but surely, she learns how to play the organ and surprises herself with how much she likes it. When she goes on to compete at Perform-o-Rama, winning over her parents is far more important to her than winning a trophy.
   
   With quirky characters and quick chapters, Linda Urban's debut is as close to Perfect as you can get. The humorous writing will satisfy both reluctant and avid readers. From her head to her toe socks, Zoe is a lovable little girl, and her voice rings true. If this book were a song, it would be music to my ears. One of the best books of 2007, in my opinion. Highly recommended.



3. The fictional book, A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Lisa Urban is a wonderful and inspiring book that shows the importance of following a dream. In this book a young girl has a tough time, has much perserverence, and is very brave. I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars because when i read this book, I felt like i was a character in the book. I recommend this book for girls ages 9-15 because I think they would be able to relate to the story. In the book a girl who wants to be a pianist gets an organ that she doesn't like but plays it any way, then her friend ditches her for a new friend. So the main character makes a new friend who supports her through stage fright. If your interested in buying the book it is $16.00. I recommend it!



4. I think this would make a wonderful book club book. Zoe has the unique situation of having her dad buy her an organ when she actually wants a piano. Urban's diary-like writing style really hooks the reader into feeling empathy for Zoe.
   
   I'm sure most students would be familiar with pianos, but I wonder how many would need to see an organ or at least a picture of one to get an idea of how it works. Much of the story and plot are dependant on at least an acquaintance with the organ, so there would need to be some background knowledge. Zoe plays several classic TV hits from the 70s and I also wondered if young readers would follow what was happening, but I suppose those parts are just funny on different levels of understanding.
   
   Zoe interacts with boys at school and one of them "likes" her. I don't think it is at all inappropriate for 3rd grade or older students. Other complicated issues present are divorce and agoraphobia. It should make for some interesting discussion!



5. A Crooked Kind of Perfect is a testament to normal families everywhere. Every child has dreams of fame and Zoe Elias is pretty much perfect in that regard. However, dealing with a workaholic mother and an agoraphobic father does not necessarily make for the All American family, or does it?
   
   Zoe does not concentrate on her father's disability nor her mother's dominant personality because in her world they are perfectly normal. In fact Zoe participates in many of her dads Living Room University courses where you can learn any trade from the privacy of your own home.
   
   Through out the book Zoe keeps the readers informed of a variety of Living Room courses her dad takes. Everything from a Golden Gloves Boxing Coach, to the Scuba-Dooba-Do, diving lessons which required him to stay under water for half an hour. "He took the test in our bathtub breathing through a bendy straw. I timed him."
   
   Zoe dreams of being a concert pianist but when her dad buys a Perfectone D-60 Organ which comes with six months of lessons from Mabelline Person, she resigns herself to the fact she will never be able to play at Carngie Hall as a piano prodigy.
   
   However, when Mabelline Person insists Zoe enter the Perfectone O'Rama Organ competition things at school and at home begin taking hillarious turns.
   
   A Crooked Kind of Perfect is a great read for middle grade youth. The chapters are short. Chapter one is two pages and chapter two is only one page. This book is not slap-on-the-knee type of humor but it is full of chuckles and an occasionall laugh out loud.