Karate just got real! Sonny Leads is a black belt with something to prove to himself, and to the world. He's oozing with talent, but he can't seem to put it together when it matters most. So he takes the advice of a coach and follows his dream to train with the best in Japan. Before anything can go right, though, everything goes wrong. In the dojo. At his new Japanese home. Even in front of a cute university student named Haruka. Does Sonny have the fighting spirit needed to survive Japan? He'd better. Because real karate isn't for pretenders.

In this book, Guthrie's family and friends offer personal and often poignant recollections of his life. Noted writers shed new light on the Guthrie legacy, including an expanded appreciation of his impact on rock and roll.

B.G.P., Tha' Berch', Weed Gardens..." All nicknames representing a neighborhood - Berchwin Gardens Projects! Berchwin was a Garden because of the talented budding youth housed in the neighborhood. Hundreds of bright young children ran in courtyards, on playgrounds and in hallways of a Garden. That Garden budded youth that blossomed into adults affected by the ills of the projects. Some say it is hard to have a Garden in the Projects because there is rarely even one rose that grows from concrete. There are a few success stories of those who escaped from B.G.P.'s, finding success and never returning, but those stories are not told for inspiration but rather disgust. One thing about those housed in this Project Garden, unity was essential. Poverty had a vise grip on those of Berchwin but close inter - family bonds gave Berchwin a sense of community pride. Even with the common ills of the projects; dysfunctional families, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, disease and poverty Tha' Berch was home to a special budding star. A star that was destined to represent the Garden... This young rose of "Weed Gardens" was destined because those before him of the same lineage and genes struggled. That struggle was passed down through painful family issues that created a youngster focused on not being like "them." Meet that youngster... Meet that star... Meet that rose amongst weeds.... See life through his eyes... Tobe Carberry and Samont Washington Present; The Sonny Chronicles, Volume One: First Things Learned Are Hardest to Forget.

An Epic Journey through the Golden Era of Rock & Roll Embark on a thrilling musical voyage with The History of Rock & Roll, Volume 1. The book traces the evolution of rock and roll from its humble origins in the 1920s, culminating in the seismic shift ushered in by the Beatles in the 1960s. This rollercoaster ride through the decades invites you to tap your feet to the music of vaudeville and minstrel acts, rhythm and blues, and the unmistakable sounds that defined post-World War II America. Our guide through this iconic era is none other than celebrated writer Ed Ward. With his definitive narrative style enriched by a profound knowledge of music, Ward spotlights lesser-known heroes and big-name legends alike. Uncover the fascinating stories of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, and Ray Charles. Delve into the unsung tales of pioneers such as the Burnette brothers, the “5” Royales, and Marion Keisker. For all music lovers and rock & roll fans, Ward spins story after story of some of the most unforgettable and groundbreaking moments in rock history, introducing us to the musicians, DJs, record executives, and producers who were at the forefront of the genre and had a hand in creating the music we all know and love today.

**Winner of the American Book Award (2023)** ​**Longlisted for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award (2023)** The long-awaited first full biography of legendary jazz saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins Sonny Rollins has long been considered an enigma. Known as the “Saxophone Colossus,” he is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz improvisers of all time, winning Grammys, the Austrian Cross of Honor, Sweden’s Polar Music Prize and a National Medal of Arts. A bridge from bebop to the avant-garde, he is a lasting link to the golden age of jazz, pictured in the iconic “Great Day in Harlem” portrait. His seven-decade career has been well documented, but the backstage life of the man once called “the only jazz recluse” has gone largely untold—until now. Based on more than 200 interviews with Rollins himself, family members, friends, and collaborators, as well as Rollins’ extensive personal archive, Saxophone Colossus is the comprehensive portrait of this legendary saxophonist and composer, civil rights activist and environmentalist. A child of the Harlem Renaissance, Rollins’ precocious talent landed him on the bandstand and in the recording studio with Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, or playing opposite Billie Holiday. An icon in his own right, he recorded Tenor Madness, featuring John Coltrane; Way Out West; Freedom Suite, the first civil rights-themed album of the hard bop era; A Night at the Village Vanguard; and the 1956 classic Saxophone Colossus. Yet his meteoric rise to fame was not without its challenges. He served two sentences on Rikers Island and won his battle with heroin addiction. In 1959, Rollins took a two-year sabbatical from recording and performing, practicing up to 16 hours a day on the Williamsburg Bridge. In 1968, he left again to study at an ashram in India. He returned to performing from 1971 until his retirement in 2012. The story of Sonny Rollins—innovative, unpredictable, larger than life—is the story of jazz itself, and Sonny’s own narrative is as timeless and timely as the art form he represents. Part jazz oral history told in the musicians’ own words, part chronicle of one man’s quest for social justice and spiritual enlightenment, this is the definitive biography of one of the most enduring and influential artists in jazz and American history.

DAYS Nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award Days is a gigastore the size of a small city, whose security are licensed to kill and whose seven owners brood in the penthouse, far removed from the desperate scramble of consumerism. But at what price commerce? Security man Frank has lost his reflection, Books are entering a localised war with Computers, and there is a riot in Third World Instruments. Time for another flash sale... UNTIED KINGDOM Nominated for the John W. Campbell Memorial Award When the village of Downbourne is raided and schoolmaster Fen Morris’s wife Moira is snatched, there are no authorities to turn to. In the absence of its government – in exile in the Caribbean following the ‘Unlucky Gamble’ – and subject to random bombings and leaflet drops, the UK is lawless and falling apart. Their marriage was a disaster, but Fen sets out to recover her anyway; but does she even want rescuing?

Reviews and rates the best recordings of 8,900 blues artists in all styles.