Synopsis
Big Band music instantly reminds us of America on the homefront during World War II, lavish Hollywood musicals, and the jitterbug. Fans of big band music will enjoy Back Beats and Rim Shots, which vividly describes the life of jazz drummer Johnny Blowers (1911-2006) and the atmosphere of America during the time when the big band sound reigned supreme. Blowerss career typified the enchantment of the big band era and illuminates the fierce competition between the musicians as they struggled for success. Author Warren Vaché follows the life of the musician from his boyhood in a small southern town to the mean streets of New York, where he gambled on his future in music without friends or connections, until the almost unbelievable lucky break that put him on the road to success.
Back Beats and Rim Shots chronicles the time Blowers spent recording for Vocalion with Bobby Hacketts first band at Nicks, the famous jazz spot in Greenwich Village, as well as later recordings with industry titans such as Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holliday. Vaché skillfully intersperses Blowerss recollections with a straightforward narrative. Including a discography, Back Beats and Rim Shots is a must for the music aficionado.
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About the Author
The late Warren W. Vaché was a freelance writer and jazz musician. He was a co-founder and charter member of the New Jersey Jazz Society, the co-founder of the American Federation of Jazz Societies, and founder of the American Jazz Hall of Fame.
From the Back Cover
Back Beats and Rim Shots is the biography of a drummer. This drummer is Johnny Blowers, a man who never wanted to do anything else but play drums and has devoted his life to them. This is the Johnny Blowers who gambled his future on a chance-of-a-lifetime trip to New York City, braving the Big Apple without friends or connections and staving off starvation with soup and crackers until the almost unbelievable "big break" started him on the road to success. This is the Johnny Blowers who went on to play in Bobby Hackett's first band at Nick's, the famous jazz spot in Greenwich village, making classic records for Vocalion; who then joined the great Bunny Berigan band at the urging of singer Red McKenzie; and who later toured and recorded with practically every big name in the entertainment world - Frank Sinatra, Eddie Condon, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Bunny Berigan, Yank Lawson, Billy Butterfield - just to skim the surface of a long list. Back Beats and Rim Shots is the story of a remarkable man and his fascinating era of network radio, classic jazz, and big bands.
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Back Beats and Rim Shots: The Johnny Blowers Story
Seller: Webster's Bookstore Cafe, Inc., State College, PA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Light shelf wear. Else clean and tight. Seller Inventory # mon0000113516