BOOKS! Mary Lee Kortes: Dreaming of Dylan, Randy Fox: Shake Your Hips-The Excello Records Story

Not only can you listen to music, but you can read about it. Here are two intriguing topics…

There has been a lot written about Bob Dylan, but I’m willing to bet that this is the first book that is a collection of dreams about him. The book includes drawings and photos as an accompaniment to subconscious and almost surreal writings, getting deep into some of the lyrics of his songs. Is this an addendum to his “Motorpsycho Nightmare”?!?

The history of the jump blues label Excello is well chronicled in this fun book by Randy Fox, who takes you through 1950s Tennessee and tells how artists like Slim Harpo, Lightnin’ Smith and Lazy Lester were able to make records, get airplay on a 50,000 watt radio station and influence a collection of artists like Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger and Keith Richard to create what we call “rock and roll.” The vintage photos of the artists, producers and managers make for a swinging read. Too bad there’s no cd to accompany it, but there’s enough of a groove in the righting to make you want to check out some youtubes.

www.maryleekortes.com

www.bmg.com

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