Dr. Barnabas T. Bynum's New School Musical Revue and Travelling Minstrel Show

A memoir filled with humor, introspection, and wonderful showbiz stories as recounted by the one and only Paul Shaffer. We all know Paul - David Letterman's long running musical director and comic foil. What many don't know is that Paul appeared on SNL in its infancy and flirted briefly with having a television show of his own. Beside his Late Show duties, Shaffer is in great demand as a session musician and musical director of such ceremonies as the annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. At times, Shaffer seems like one of those guys on facebook who brags about the number of friends he has and the postings of photos of himself taken with various celebrities. But Paul can be forgiven for all of that. After all, he possesses real talent and has played behind nearly every music superstar of the last quarter century. He even has an obligatory Bob Dylan chapter which leads the book. Shaffer simply loves show bizness and all it entails. (You'll love reading about his long running spoof of the James Brown cape routine.) He also loves his Orthodox Jewish faith and his family that help keep him anchored which is made abundantly clear in the book. A standup guy and an excellent storyteller. Showbiz could use a few more Paul Shaffers.

In his book Always Been There, Michael Streissguth attempts a part bio, part exploration of Rosanne Cash's latest recording project, and part analysis of the current state of the recording industry itself. Streissguth is no stranger to the Cash family as he has written an excellent bio of Johnny Cash. The List stems from essential country songs Cash thought his daughter should know as she began her own performing career. Written down and long tucked away, Rosanne has finally come to terms with that canon of classic songs and ready to pass them on to the next generation. The problem is that the actual list is never found. Rosanne has had to rely on memory and her own intuition as to what songs should be recorded. Much agonizing and hand wringing over the list and what it should and shouldn't contain bog the book down at times. This worry also makes its way into the actual recording studio where Cash's husband John Leventhal produces. Undoubtedly the most talented of the Cash/Carter clan, Rosanne has none the less gone to great lengths to get out of the huge shadow of her iconic father. Her emotions and feelings, which Streissguth is all too willing to showcase also weigh the book down. So much so that Rosanne and the book are prime subjects for an Oprah episode. Nothing wrong with Oprah, but I would prefer a little less of her and a lot more about the spirit of southern music. Unfortunately, there are instances in the book in which Cash comes across as a diva. Maybe not the author's intent but the impression lingers. In the end, list or no list the finished project is marvelous. It is perhaps one of the best recordings of last year and one her father would proudly welcome. And if you have the rare chance to see her and Leventhal perform, you will witness magic onstage and observe the greatness of Rosanne Cash and forget the character flaws displayed in the book. With The List, Rosanne has finally come to terms with her father's legacy. Hopefully she can come to terms with her own.

If you haven't read Andrea Kapsaski's October Scene4 article about Woodstock, I would encourage you to do so. While you're at it, you might also want to pick up Woodstock (Three Days That Rocked The World) It's one of those big coffee table books jam packed with photos, But unlike most coffee table books, it's filled with plenty of text detailing the history, chronology of the days events, and insightful commentary from the actual performers. It's interesting to know that Neil Young abhorred it. He didn't even want to be filmed with his bandmates Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Pete Townshend of The Who also disdained it. He found himself in an onstage altercation with Abbie Hoffman. Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead relates the experience of almost being electrocuted on stage due to the rain and thunderstorms which enveloped the festival. On the other hand, performers like Townshend's bandmate Roger Daltrey, Richie Havens (whose improvised Freedom set the mood for the festival) and John Sebastion of the Loving Spoonfull all have fond memories of their experience at Woodstock. The social and political upheaval leading up to Woodstock and it's aftermath are also chronicled. There's also a foreward by a guy you might have heard of - Martin Scorsese. It turns out he was there as one of the film editors.

Let me see - an autobiography by a famous chimpanzee. I'm open to that. This one deals with Cheeta of Tarzan movie fame. Cheeta is now 76 and living comfortably in Palm Springs. The autobiography chronicles Cheeta's entry into the U.S., career in Hollywood, and his retirement. Of course Cheeta didn't write any of this at all. So who is it ghostwritten by and what's the motivation? The book dishes out a lot of gossip and salacious stories, but is it true? And who cares? Cheeta did the bulk of his work in the 30's and 40's. A golden age of Hollywood for sure. But the audience for this book is probably already dead. The writer infuses Cheeta with a cool way of talking that is more appropriate for someone of Generation X. And Generation X probably doesn't care about the escapades of Johnny Weissmuller, Maureen O'Sullivan, and problems on the set of the ill fated Doctor Dolittle. I don't. A book that would have been sensational in the 40's and 50's is merely a tired gimmick in 2009. What's next? The long lost diaries of Mr. Ed?

I swear director Darren Aronofsky must have read this book before he made his brilliant film The Wrestler . Writer Thomas Hackett delivers an entertaining and sometime heartbreaking look into the world of professional wrestling leaving no stone unturned. What makes fans of professional wrestling tick? The wrestlers themselves? And if everyone is aware that moves are choreographed and outcomes predetermined, why does wrestling's popularity linger in today's culture? Hackett delves into such matters reminding us that spectacle as it relates to modern day wrestling is nothing new. What is new is the extreme lengths wrestlers and fans go to in their quests to fulfill fantasies that often have very little to do with wrestling. Hackett interviews the rabid fans as well as wrestlers with names like Asshole Andy Armageddon, The Hardcore Homo, and the Sandman. He also interviewed the biggest of the big - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson after he left wrestling for Hollywood. The character of Randy "The Ram" Robinson permeates the book. But these are real people with real fears and anxieties that revolve around a sport that's fake. That's the sad part of the book. The young men whose hopes and dreams of becoming professional wrestlers will never be realized and the men like "The Ram" who have stayed too long.

An audacious title about an audacious man and a tumultuous time by Boston writer James Sullivan. In fact the title was so compelling, I felt the need to read it almost immediately. But it only took a few pages for me to get bogged down in the minutiae that was 1968 Boston race relations and politics. The book attempts to focus on Brown's Boston Garden concert the day after Dr. Martin Luther King was murdered. Along the way we're treated to a meandering bio of the godfather of soul. Nothing wrong with that, but again Sullivan seemingly namechecks every single member of Brown's considerably large and constantly changing retinue along with all the folks who influenced him over the course of his career. I greatly admire Sullivan's knowledge and enthusiasm for his subject but if you read the book don't be surprised if your eyes start to glaze over. While James Brown's dedication and committment to the African-American community is beyond question, he was first and foremost a "capitalist". Everything else was secondary. Even the celebrated '68 Boston Garden concert almost didn't take place because of monetary and contractual concerns. (The concert would be televised live in an effort to keep potential rioters off the streets.) Brown would later be called a sell-out due to his ardent support of Richard Nixon. And Brown's efforts at reaching out to disaffected black youth meant little more than releasing sloganeering preachy songs. That having been said, he will always be remembered as one of the best entertainers of his generation. And his music did help bring the races together. Did James Brown save the soul of America? No, but like countless others he helped to mend it. Unlike Brown's over the top theatrical cape routine which left the audience wanting more, this book unfortunately will not do the same. The hardest working man? Yes. A great entertainer? Yes. The godfather of soul? You bet. However, Sullivan's attempt to transform Brown into this great civil rights icon that he never was creates a disservice not only to the readers but to the godfather himself.

Writer David Pietrusza examines the 1960 presidential campaign in his new book 1960 LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon (The epic campaign that forged three Presidencies). At times scholarly, at times journalistic (harking back to a time when serious journalism was treated seriously), and at times tabloid style; Pietrusza weaves a narrative that concludes with the election of JFK. An otherwise fine book is marred at times with innuendo, gossip, and rumors. For example, Pietrusza uses as one of his sources Frank Sinatra's valet/personal assistant. What did Frank supposedly do? He was used as a courier by the mob to deliver large sums of cash to the Kennedy campaign. Of course we know from a number of reputable sources that this campaign was probably not run cleanly especially when you add Joseph P. Kennedy and his millions into the mix. But Pietrusza's Sinatra allegation is never definitively proven along with other assertions he makes based on dubious sources. Pietrusza is far more successful in analyzing broader political themes such as twice defeated presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson's hold on the democratic party as late as 1960 and the sobering warnings from without and within the Republican party concerning a Richard Nixon presidency. Also the Nixon/Kennedy debates are examined in detail. Everyone remembers the first debate. But what about the other three? Pietrusza fills us in. LBJ is often depicted as a helpless despondent bystander in this great campaign. Pietrusza's final chapter summarizes the fate of each man in spectacular prose which makes me want to forgive him for his previous lapses.

In his bookSomebody(The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando), author Stefan Kanfer cobbles his bio of Brando together with fact, anecdotes, and rumors. It is an interesting book but too often Kanfer relies on unreliable sources such as Brando's own autobiography or books of questionable veracity such as Brando Unzipped and Brando for Breakfast. When Kanfer refers to Peter Manso's definitive bio of Brando, he perhaps unwittingly is inviting an unwelcomed comparison. The troubled youth, the tortured soul, the dysfunctional family...blah, blah, blah are all topics delved into by Kanfer. However I'm not sure we learn anything new here. The author does shed a much needed light on Brando's tragic last years. This is ground no one has covered up until now.

The helicopter above our heads used to carry the most important man in the world. It would take him "home" to a ranch in central Texas. A home he adopted, a home I can't escape. A home that was more of a prop than an actual working ranch. The people of this ranch town were merely extras in a melodrama that has come to an end. It's a wrap. Payment was deferred and meals were not provided.

The helicopter above our heads would shine in the sun. The light, the power, the glory would blind us. But the man inside would lose all connection to reality, so he created his own reality to the detriment of his subjects. No one told the emperor that he had no clothes.

The helicopter above our heads used to carry what some referred to as a genuinely nice man. I won't quibble with that assessment. Nice men have their moments. Nice men sometime get in over their head. They become belligerent and vain. Nice men should be running small coffee shops and restaurants, not a country.

The helicopter above our heads necessitated a father-son talk about the dirty business of politics, the failings of democracy, and the myth that every vote counts. For you see, the helicopter above our heads was never supposed to be above our heads in the first place.

The helicopter above our heads used to carry the most powerful man in the world. It no longer does. We remain powerless and he has become powerless. The ranch town has become meaningless and the helicopter flightless, a museum piece - a symbol of ineptitude, hubris, and what might have been.

The lessons I learned after reading this book by Matt Birkbeck are: 1.) Pay your taxes 2.) Pay your taxes 3.) Pay your taxes and 4.) Pay your taxes dammit! We've all heard this story before. Most recently, actor Wesley Snipes was sentenced to the big house for IRS troubles. In this case, the book tells the story of one of the most beloved entertainers of the last century - Sammy Davis Jr. and his tax woes. Birnbeck also makes salacious and sensational claims concerning Davis, his troubled widow Altovise, Sinatra, and assorted cronies and associates. Perhaps the biggest bombshell dropped by the author is that Davis knew who killed JFK! Who would of thought? Sammy Davis Jr. knew the answer to the greatest mysteries of the last century all while singing Candy Man. A humorous tidbit mentioned in the book is that Donald Rumsfeld (yea that Donald Rumsfeld former secretary of defense) used to stay at Davis's pool house. Birkbeck does his best writing when he shines a light on Albert "Sonny" Murray who singlehandedly settled IRS claims on the Davis estate and resurrected the career and iconic stature of Davis years after he passed away. Murray's relationship to his parents and their historic resort in the Poconos is touching and endearing. If all lawyers were like Murray the world would indeed be a better place.