- Rockabilly. Edited by Michael Dregni. Voyageur Press, 230 pages, $33.
The '50s saw an explosion of music as youth found their own voice. That voice turned into screams as fans became more passionate in support of the new rockabilly sound.
The collection of photographs, posters, concert tickets and album covers that accompany the stories and profiles make this an outstanding look at a musical genre.
Elvis Presley was the star that pushed this music into the spotlight and he receives plenty of attention at the start of the book. Sun studios, the clothes, the guitars and amplifiers are all examined in detail, both in relation to Presley's career and other artists.
Outstanding profiles make up the majority of the book and there is an extensive lineup of performers featured. Many of them achieved success, like Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly and Gene Vincent, while others only broke through in their local regions. The stories of the notdiscovered are just as fascinating as the accounts of the ones who made it.
- Ghost Towns of Route 66 by Jim Hinckley. Voyageur Press, 160 pages, $28.
It wound its way from Chicago in the east to Santa Monica on the Pacific Coast. Crossing seven states and covering more than 2,290 miles Route 66 became synonymous with the mobility of a nation and the hopes for a brighter future.
Along the way towns sprang up and industries developed but over time some of those towns were abandoned and newer routes were created leaving the old one to try to survive on its own.
Jim Hinckley and photographer Kerrick James take us on a state by state tour of this iconic highway sharing its history and showing us its present. From the beautifully photographed ruins of ghost towns to the images of restored gas stations and buildings, Kerrick captures the essence of the places they visited.
