Tom Moon - 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die: A Listener's Life List

From Books & Books website:

Tom Moon- 1,000 Recordings
Time: Thursday, April 9, 2009 8:00 p.m.
Location: Books & Books, Coral Gables
265 Aragon Avenue
Coral Gables
305.442.4408

The musical adventure of a lifetime. The most exciting book on music in years. A book of treasure, a book of discovery, a book to open your ears to new worlds of pleasure. Doing for music what Patricia Schultz—author of the phenomenal 1,000 Places to See Before You Die—does for travel, Tom Moon recommends 1,000 recordings (Workman Publishing, $19.95) guaranteed to give listeners the joy, the mystery, the revelation, the sheer fun of great music.
This is a book both broad and deep, drawing from the diverse worlds of classical, jazz, rock, pop, blues, country, folk, musicals, hip-hop, world, opera, soundtracks, and more. It’s arranged alphabetically by artist to create the kind of unexpected juxtapositions that break down genre bias and broaden listeners’ horizons— it makes every listener a seeker, actively pursuing new artists and new sounds, and reconfirming the greatness of the classics.

Flanking J. S. Bach and his six entries, for example, are the little-known R&B singer Baby Huey and the ’80s Rastafarian hard-core punk band Bad Brains. Farther down the list: The Band, Samuel Barber, Cecelia Bartoli, Count Basie, and Afropop star Waldemer Bastos.

Each entry is passionately written, with expert listening notes, fascinating anecdotes, and the occasional perfect quote—« Your collection could be filled with nothing but music from Ray Charles, » said Tom Waits, « and you’d have a completely balanced diet. »

Every entry identifies key tracks, additional works by the artist, and where to go next. And in the back, indexes and playlists for different moods and occasions.

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“The list to end all lists” –Billboard.com

Meet
Tom Moon
Playing and discussing
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die:
A Listener’s Life List
(Workman, $19.95)

Thursday, April 9, 8pm
Books & Books, Coral Gables


Driven by the notion that the more you love music, the more music you love, Tom Moon delivers a smart, passionate guide to the 1,000 recordings every intrepid music-lover should hear at least once.

Tonight, he’ll share a curated selection at Books & Books, as a jumping-off point to explore new artists and sounds. Come listen with us, and help build the playlist – You have to hear these songs!

Can you figure out who they are? Hints about tonight’s listening experience:

He was introduced as a « gymnopedist » in 1887, shortly before writing his most famous compositions.
This pianist-composer would notably impress and influence, among others, trumpeter Miles Davis.
She’s a cool, feminine Brazilian singer who died tragically of cocaine/alcohol poisoning at age 36.
He’s an influential blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player whose real name is Chester Arthur Burnett.
“Love me, love me, love me, say you do, let me fly away with you”
These compositions are derived from the Spanish folk tradition, in collaboration with Gil Evans.
He’s a Puerto Rican American pianist, bandleader and musician best known for combining jazz piano and instrumental solos with Latin rhythms.
This album has been called “the most important and passionate record to come out of soul music, delivered by one of its finest voices.”

About the Author

Award-winning music journalist Tom Moon is a regular contributor to National Public Radio’s All Things Considered as well as Rolling Stone, Blender and other publications. During his twenty-year tenure as a music critic at the Philadelphia Inquirer, his writings appeared in hundreds of daily newspapers and magazines. A saxophonist, Moon began his career as a professional musician, working in assorted rock bands, cruise ship orchestras, and Maynard Ferguson’s big band. He lives with his wife, daughter, two dogs and thousands of CDs in Haddonfield, New Jersey.