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Back Beats and Rim Shots

The Johnny Blowers Story

Warren W Vaché author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Scarecrow Press

Published:20th Mar '97

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Back Beats and Rim Shots cover

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. Blowers's 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 Hackett's first band at "Nick's," 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 Blowers's recollections with a straightforward narrative. Including a discography, Back Beats and Rim Shots is a must for the music aficionado.

...gives an excellent insight into making a living at music...a very good book and I recommend it. * Jersey Jazz *
...a seamless account of one highly regarded musician's multi-faceted career. * JazzTimes Magazine *
Veteran jazz man/author Warren Vaché's new book once again makes it possible to return to the days (and nights) when big bands were here, with a look at the inner workings of the business that could only be understood and written about by someone who was part of it. This is more than the biography of a drummer — it's the life story of a remarkable man and a narrative that well depicts the fascinating era of network radio, classic jazz, and the big bands, from the viewpoint of a man who loved it. * Joslin's Jazz Journal *
...very interesting and enjoyable reading. Vache did an excellent job of combining his writing skills and experiences as a musician to make a story of a dedicated and hard working professional easy reading. -- Murray Davison
...a rare insight into the swing era and the subsequent decline of the big bands... * Jazz Journal International *
...an interesting and very enjoyable read...it's easy to imagine you're along with him. Strongly recommended. * Big Bands International *
...[a] marvelous book, a "page-turner" if there ever was one...Every chapter is loaded with the inside stuff...immediate, touching and real... * The Mississippi Rag *
This is one of the greatest books ever written about the big-band era. -- Mel Tormé

ISBN: 9780810831629

Dimensions: 221mm x 146mm x 20mm

Weight: 431g

200 pages