David Lasocki

A Choice "Best Academic" book in its first edition, The Recorder remains an essential resource for anyone who wants to know about this instrument. This new edition is thoroughly redone, takes account of the publishing activity of the years since its first publication, and still follows the original organization.

The fascinating story of a hugely popular instrument, detailing its rich and varied history from the Middle Ages to the present The recorder is perhaps best known today for its educational role. Although it is frequently regarded as a stepping-stone on the path toward higher musical pursuits, this role is just one recent facet of the recorder’s fascinating history—which spans professional and amateur music-making since the Middle Ages. In this new addition to the Yale Musical Instrument Series, David Lasocki and Robert Ehrlich trace the evolution of the recorder. Emerging from a variety of flutes played by fourteenth-century soldiers, shepherds, and watchmen, the recorder swiftly became an artistic instrument for courtly and city minstrels. Featured in music by the greatest Baroque composers, including Bach and Handel, in the twentieth century it played a vital role in the Early Music Revival and achieved international popularity and notoriety in mass education. Overall, Lasocki and Ehrlich make a case for the recorder being surprisingly present, and significant, throughout Western music history.

According to myth (or received opinion), the wealth of sizes of recorder present in the Renaissance petered out in the Baroque period, until only the alto (British: treble) was left, except for a few smaller sizes in concertos and vocal music. In this book David Lasocki examines all the surviving writings between about 1600 and 1800 (treatises, tutors, inventories, advertisements, purchases and sales) as well as indications of instrumentation in the repertoire. He concludes that sizes of recorder besides the alto were far more common and far more diverse than we have imagined. Imagine

Blackberry was a celebrated inspirational speaker, healer, and life coach. Tutti Frutti, a book found among his possessions upon his recent death, tells of a relationship between a character named Blackberry and two women that transformed all of their lives. Whether or not the story was based on Blackberry's own life remains an open question. Tutti Frutti tackles how we can connect with each other deeply and without judgement, how conflict can be resolved through openness, and how people may progress beyond society's rules that are no longer serving them-in order "to become both fully human and fully divine." Perhaps the most striking feature of the book is the inspiring honesty with which the characters speak to each other. The editor, A. W. Rooty, has supplied an introduction and numerous informative footnotes.

Since moving to New Orleans in 1976, James Singleton has been one of the city's most sought-after bass players, primarily in jazz of all kinds, but also blues, R&B, funk, and folk. Since 1978, he has been a mainstay of New Orleans' leading modern-jazz group, Astral Project, led by Tony Dagradi, which is still performing after 40 years. In 1995, he co-founded the free-jazz group 3NOW4 with Dave Easley. In the 2000s, he began to unveil his own groups: the James Singleton Trio, Quartet, String Quartet, and Orchestra, featuring his own singular compositions (pun intended). In the 2010s, he has been collaborating with the Nolatet and WATIV, and in various duos and trios with younger musicians. In "James Singleton, Rhythm Crusader," drawing on interviews with James and some 40 other New Orleans musicians as well as unbelievable amounts of other research, David Lasocki paints a lively picture of the life and times of this dynamic figure. James' recordings are analyzed, and a comprehensive discography is included.

Literal shackles are rings and chains around our wrists and ankles, ensuring that we stay imprisoned. The figurative shackles dealt with in this book are physical (sickness), mental, emotional, spiritual, environmental, social, and cultural. They still imprison us, because they create blockages and restrictions in the flow of our life. For anything to exist in this world, it must have form, or what is commonly called structure. Our society, family, schools, religion, laws, food, and medicine all create form for us. These forms support us, but they also have the potential to shackle us. Why? Because they tend to become self-serving, to perpetuate themselves, instead of flowing with the changes of life. As a result, we end up doing what others have been doing, based on the past, rather than finding out who we are and what would work for us in our lives in the present. So how can we release our shackles: what is no longer serving us in our lives? The first step is to recognize and acknowledge that something else would serve us better. Sometimes shackles release from only our awareness of their existence; or else the release occurs because our awareness leads to new choices in our lives, or we discover a new technique that shifts shackles. At other times, the releasing of shackles benefits from a helping hand. In any case, releasing shackles means, essentially, perceiving life differently. Part 1 of the book covers some common shackles. Part 2 summarizes essential background information. Many ways of releasing shackles have been coming to the world in the last ten or twenty years. Part 3 of the book introduces some of the ways that the author has been using in his energy-healing work with his clients (and on himself). Here's to a free and authentic life

Tony Dagradi is best known as the leader ofthe New Orleans modern-jazz group AstralProject, which he has made his life project. Yet he has had several other important threadsin his forty-year career: serving a series ofinformal apprenticeships with experimentaljazz, soul, and rhythm and blues artists in the1970s; playing, touring, and recording withProfessor Longhair, 1978-80; doing the samewith the Carla Bley Band, 1980-85; partneringwith the bassist Ramsey McLean in the early1980s; performing in a longstanding triowith James Singleton and John Vidacovich;making recordings as a sideman with manyNew Orleans jazz and popular musicians; andteaching at Loyola University of New Orleansas well as writing some important pedagogicalmaterials on jazz saxophone. Drawing on interviews with Tony and some40 other New Orleans musicians as well as aninconceivable quantity of other research, thisbook examines all facets of his career and hisrecordings as leader and sideman. Essentialreading for fans of Tony, Astral Project, NewOrleans music, and jazz saxophone.

Founded in 1978, and still going in 2018, Astral Project has been "New Orleans' best-kept secret" - a world-class modern-jazz group comprised of the city's finest players. Beneath its funky Big Easy style the group has a spiritual agenda: to put the audience on the astral plane. In "A Higher Fusion," drawing on interviews with group members and some 40 other New Orleans musicians along with an inconceivable quantity of other research, David Lasocki paints a lively picture of Astral Project and its history. He looks at the group's spiritual agenda and considers why it has never become world famous. He also examines Astral Project's recordings, studio and live, in illuminating detail. A comprehensive discography and an equally comprehensive bibliography are thrown in for good measure. The book is a must-read for fans of Astral Project, its members, and New Orleans music, not to mention people curious about how on earth jazz can be "spiritual."

Founded in 1978, and still going in 2018, Astral Project has been "New Orleans' best-kept secret" - a world-class modern-jazz group comprised of the city's finest players. Beneath its funky Big Easy style the group has a spiritual agenda: to put the audience on the astral plane. In "A Higher Fusion," drawing on interviews with group members and some 40 other New Orleans musicians along with an inconceivable quantity of other research, David Lasocki paints a lively picture of Astral Project and its history. He looks at the group's spiritual agenda and considers why it has never become world famous. He also examines Astral Project's recordings, studio and live, in illuminating detail. A comprehensive discography and an equally comprehensive bibliography are thrown in for good measure. The book is a must-read for fans of Astral Project, its members, and New Orleans music, not to mention people curious about how on earth jazz can be "spiritual."

Scholars lament that next to nothing has been discovered about the life and work of Pietro Grassi Florio (1738?-1795), one of the best-known names among flutists of the 18th century. In particular, it has never been clear what association he may have had with the invention of the six-keyed flute, the model of flute marketed under the name Florio, and the reintroduction of the C-foot. The present book blows open the research about Florio. It traces in detail: his move from Dresden to London, his employment as a flutist in London by the major opera houses and concert series, the music he performed in concert and at the opera (where "Florio's Breathing Flute ... merited much Applause"), the compositions he wrote and published, his reputation as a musician and as a person, his marriage to the daughter of a London woodwind maker, and the involvement of Florio and his wife with the six-keyed flute. The second part of the book contains 60 pages of musical examples, including many complete movements, illustrating the music that Florio both performed and composed.

Steve Masakowski jokes modestly that he's probably best known now in New Orleans as the father of his daughter Sasha, a rising star on the jazz and pop scene. That belies his world-class performances with the city's leading modern-jazz group, Astral Project, and other renowned local and touring jazz artists. His career has had several other innovative threads, including the electronic fusion group Mars, multi-year duets with Ellis Marsalis, and running the Composers Recording Studio in the 1980s; nine albums as a leader, including two for the prestigious Blue Note Records in the 1990s; and more recently, performances and recordings with his talented family. His early adoption of self-designed seven-string guitars, his invention of the keytar, and his specially designed switch-pick all bear witness to his creativity. Highly respected as a jazz educator, he is a Distinguished Professor at the University of New Orleans, where he holds the position of Coca-Cola Endowed Chair and Director of Jazz Studies. Drawing on interviews with Steve and some 40 other New Orleans musicians as well as an inconceivable quantity of other research, this book examines all facets of his career and his recordings as leader and sideman. Essential reading for fans of Steve, Astral Project, New Orleans music, and jazz guitar.

Tony Dagradi is best known as the leader ofthe New Orleans modern-jazz group AstralProject, which he has made his life project. Yet he has had several other important threadsin his forty-year career: serving a series ofinformal apprenticeships with experimentaljazz, soul, and rhythm and blues artists in the1970s; playing, touring, and recording withProfessor Longhair, 1978-80; doing the samewith the Carla Bley Band, 1980-85; partneringwith the bassist Ramsey McLean in the early1980s; performing in a longstanding triowith James Singleton and John Vidacovich;making recordings as a sideman with manyNew Orleans jazz and popular musicians; andteaching at Loyola University of New Orleansas well as writing some important pedagogicalmaterials on jazz saxophone. Drawing on interviews with Tony and some40 other New Orleans musicians as well as aninconceivable quantity of other research, thisbook examines all facets of his career and hisrecordings as leader and sideman. Essentialreading for fans of Tony, Astral Project, NewOrleans music, and jazz saxophone.

Steve Masakowski jokes modestly that he's probably best known now in New Orleans as the father of his daughter Sasha, a rising star on the jazz and pop scene. That belies his world-class performances with the city's leading modern-jazz group, Astral Project, and other renowned local and touring jazz artists. His career has had several other innovative threads, including the electronic fusion group Mars, multi-year duets with Ellis Marsalis, and running the Composers Recording Studio in the 1980s; nine albums as a leader, including two for the prestigious Blue Note Records in the 1990s; and more recently, performances and recordings with his talented family. His early adoption of self-designed seven-string guitars, his invention of the keytar, and his specially designed switch-pick all bear witness to his creativity. Highly respected as a jazz educator, he is a Distinguished Professor at the University of New Orleans, where he holds the position of Coca-Cola Endowed Chair and Director of Jazz Studies. Drawing on interviews with Steve and some 40 other New Orleans musicians as well as an inconceivable quantity of other research, this book examines all facets of his career and his recordings as leader and sideman. Essential reading for fans of Steve, Astral Project, New Orleans music, and jazz guitar.

A Choice "Best Academic" book in its first edition, The Recorder remains an essential resource for anyone who wants to know about this instrument. This new edition is thoroughly redone, takes account of the publishing activity of the years since its first publication, and still follows the original organization.

Compiled by scholars with unrivalled knowledge of the sources, this dictionary provides biographies of all musicians and instrument makers employed by the English court from 1485-1714. A number of the musicians featured here have never previously received a dictionary entry. Coverage of these minor figures helps to flesh out the picture of musical life in the court in a way which individual studies of more major composers cannot. In addition to basic biographical details, entries feature information on: appointments; probate material; family background; heraldry; signatures and holograph documents; subscriptions to books; bibliographic references. A finding-list of variant names, details of the succession of court places assumed by musicians and an index of subjects and place names completes this comprehensive reference work.