Ken Farmer

Virgil First Raise wakes with a shiner and a hangover in a roadside ditch on the stark but beautiful plains of Montana. As he rises to face the day he sees a vision of his father lying dead at his feet. Impossible– his father froze to death in a snowdrift years earlier. Virgil returns home to find that his wife, Agnes, has left him. Worse, she's taken his electric razor and his beloved rifle. Virgil sets out to find her– beginning a hi-line odyssey of inebriated encounters, sexual skirmishes, and improbable cloak-and-dagger intrigues with the mysterious 'Airplane Man'. Virgil's quest also brings him face-to-face with childhood memories and visions of his beloved, lost brother Mose– some glorious, some tragic. Only when Virgil seeks the counsel of an old, blind man named Yellow Calf, does he grasp the truth of his origins and begin to thaw the ice in his veins

At its best, Roomful of Blues is a throwback to the heated jump blues bands of the early '50s, which blended hard-driving swing with the extroverted emotions of early R&B. However, this particular release is different than expected. Listeners who hope to hear extended solos and riotous ensembles are sure to be disappointed with Under One Roof, for much of the time Roomful of Blues sounds like an anonymous backup group put together specifically to accompany singer Sugar Ray Norcia. Norcia is a versatile and talented singer, and his repertoire ranges from a Basie blues to tunes that are closer to rock, soul and even country. If one comes to this CD without false expectations, the music is enjoyable on its own level, but from a jazz standpoint, the release is rather routine and not very significant.

Rockabilly legend Mac Curtis was born in Fort Worth, TX, on January 16, 1939. He grew up with his grandparents and started playing the guitar in 1951 at the age of 12. A neighboring farmer taught him how to use it, and soon he was entering local talent contests. After winning 15 dollars in a contest, he realized that he not only got the price of the guitar back but also made five extra dollars. He then knew he could make a living off his talents, and after moving to Weatherford, TX, in 1954, he decided to play music with his schoolmates Jim Galbraith and Ken Galbraith.

Welcome to Broadway! With Broadway in a Box, you'll become acquainted with 25 classic musicals that are essential to any great Broadway collection. This handsome set includes a 60-page book packed with show descriptions, cast lists, musical numbers, recording session photos and more. Each compact disc is packaged in a mini jacket featuring the original album cover art. Broadway in a Box guarantees hours of listening pleasure and is the perfect introduction to the distinctive sound of Broadway musicals.

The term beatnik with its implied allusion to Communism was to inspire fear and loathing in every God-fearing, white, Anglo-Saxon, protestant the length and breadth of 1950s America when it emerged with the disillusionment felt by many young people in post-WWII America who had begun to realize the futility of war, the emptiness of materialism and the brutality of organized religion. In 1943 New York, three men came together and formed the most potent underground art phenomenon of the post war world. Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs would, between them, create the notion of youth culture, without which rock & roll and all that followed in its wake would be unthinkable. This 5 CD box set celebrates the Beat Generation, the art it produced and the influences from which it borrowed. Disc One & Two - The Complete Jack Kerouac; The three albums Kerouac recorded in the late 1950s plus bonus cuts. Disc Three & Four - Beat Generation Jazz; Two CDs featuring the jazz that inspired the Beat Generation. Disc 5 - Diggin' The New Breed; Featuring Interviews with the Beats themselves, plus the testimonials of fellow writers, friends and lovers.

Incredible true stories reveal strange new magic in American history in this wondrous first book from the creator of the award-winning podcast The Memory Palace.

Billy Childs Ensemble - Autumn: In Moving Pictures (Jazz-Chamber Music Vol. 2) (2009) is an exceptional album that highlights Billy Childs, an accomplished jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, blending elements of jazz with classical music in a chamber setting. This album is part of a series of works that explores the intersection between jazz and classical music, offering a unique fusion of genres. As the second volume in his Jazz-Chamber Music series, it demonstrates Childs' innovative approach to composition and ensemble playing.

"This set of four CD's gives the best possible collection of kids songs. It contains the most popular songs my Mom taught to me and I always wanted my daughter to sing. I grew up with these songs and am fascinated to see each one of them on the CD. The content of these CD's does not get obsolete or out of fashion over time and is a classic that can be stored and passed on to generations. The music is good and is an excellent gift for children under the age of 7 and play groups."