October Concert Features Instrumental Guitarist Peter Biedermann

Peter Biedermann

Love Music? Find It Here!
The East Hampton Public Library is proud to present another in its 2015-2016 Saturday Afternoon Concert Series. All concerts are free, open to the public, and held in the library Community Room. Join us!

Instrumental Guitarist Peter Biedermann
Saturday, October 10, 2PM
Peter Biedermann performs original acoustic finger-style pieces in unique tunings on various 6 and 12 string guitars. The architecture of the music is melodic and rhythmic; combining compositional structure and improvisation that embraces the influences of the last 50+ years of finger style acoustic guitar playing. Fans of artists such as Alex de Grassi, John Fahey, Bert Jansch, Leo Kottke, Ralph Towner and Michael Hedges will enjoy this music.

About Mr. Biedermann
Peter has been writing and performing original instrumental music for over 30 years covering a number of genres in the electronic and acoustic fields. His background includes stints in various group settings; most notably the bands PING, White Light, Serious Fun, Magic Spot and Amalgamation. The common thread throughout his career is crossing the boundaries of various genres including jazz, world, folk, and rock, while using acoustic and electronic instrumentation in unique ways. Mr. Biedermann began focusing on performing original solo instrumentals in 2000.

Give a Listen

Ladies and Gentleman, the Beatles!

February 7, 1964
February 7, 2014 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' arrival in America. If you are up for a walk down memory lane -- and a long one at that -- enjoy a quick list of recent and classic books about this influential British band who forever changed musical history and American culture.

The Beatles: All These Years by Mark Lewisohn
Presents the first volume in a planned trilogy on the iconic band, documenting their early years in Liverpool and Hamburg and the role of American music in shaping their ambitions.
Beatles vs. Stones by John McMillian
The author, an assistant professor of history at Georgia State University, compares and contrasts the careers of the two greatest rock 'n' roll bands of the 20th century. Who's your favorite?
Beatles : the BBC Archives: 1962-1970 by Kevin Howlett
A carefully curated collection of the surviving transcripts of the Beatles' appearances on BBC Radio and Television from 1962 to 1970, featuring commentary from the author. Listen to the Live at the BBC music CDs while you read.

The Beatles Anthology by the Beatles
An oral history style book of the band though 1970. In a word? Epic. Pair it with the eight volume video series of the same name.
The Beatles by Hunter Davies
Described as the only authorized biography of the Fab Four, Davies spent 18 months with the band between 1967 and 1968.
You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup by Peter Doggett
Chronicles the band's break-up and subsequent legal feuds.

For Younger Fans
The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny) by Katherine Krull and Pal Brewer
Q: How do you find all this business of having screaming girls following you all over the place? George: Well, we feel flattered . . . John: . . . and flattened. Enjoy a lighthearted look at the Fab Four's sense of humor.

Who Were the Beatles? by Geoff Edgers
An easy to read narrative about the their Liverpudlian childhoods, first leaps into rock music, what Beatlemania was like, and why the band broke up.
Yellow Submarine, story adapted by Charlie Gardner
Pair the picture book with the animated film.
Beatles: Leading the British Invasion by Diane Dakers
An unvarnished look on the Beatles as a band and as individual performers.

Loving the Beatles in a LEGO Kind of Way...

Shamrocks and Such

Celebrating St. Paddy's Day
Everyone goes green (at least a little) on Paddy's Day, the feast day which annually celebrates Saint Patrick (385–461), one of the patron saints of Ireland. If you decide to wear the color on March 17th, please do feel free to accent your green finery with Ireland's traditional color blue.

In the lead up to the big day, we also hope you'll plan to do some reading, listening, viewing, doing, and surfing. As you might expect, we have a few suggestions.

Books for Kids
Our holiday book collection features quick find-and-go selections for the little people (hee-hee) in your life.

For wee-bit older kids:
O'Sullivan Stew by Hudson Talbott
Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk by Gerald McDermott
Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie De Paola
That's What Leprechauns Do by Eve Bunting
Fiona's Luck by Teresa Bateman
Leprechaun in Late Winter by Mary Pope Osborne
Shannon and the World's Tallest Leprechaun by Sean Callahan
A Fine St. Patrick's Day by Susan Wojciechowski

There's A Leprechaun on My Refrigerator!
If you are in the age 4-8 range, join us on Saturday, March 16, @ 11 a.m. and use your skills, creativity, and imagination to craft a mischievous little elf not unlike ... at times... you!  All materials provided but always an opportunity to add your own special touches. Click to register or give us call if you plan to participate.  

For the Record : 4 3/4 Size
No Irish holiday would be complete without tunes. We recommend the Chieftains' or Clancy Brothers' collaborative-efforts or music from the Irish Tenors, Cherish the Ladies, Clannad, or Dervish. Connecticut-based performers -- all of whom have performed at the library -- are also represented in our collection. Enjoy CDs from Danny Quinn, The Kerry Boys, Full Gael, or Tara's Thistle.

Screen Time
Everyone has a list of must-see St. Patrick's Day films and these are included on more than a few regarded list-maker's lists. A baker's dozen plus one and as always, watch the ratings labels and chose for yourself or for your kids :
Finian's Rainbow -- The Quiet Man -- Once -- The Commitments -- The Wind That Shakes the Barley -- Waking Ned Devine -- In America -- The Secret of Kells -- Leap Year -- Secret of Roan Inish -- Ondine -- Hunger -- The Guard -- Ryan's Daughter

Page Turning : Adult Fiction & Non-Fiction
Pick and choose from our quick lists of recommended fiction books with an Irish flare or regarded non-fiction books about Ireland's storied history and people, native and American vintage.

Someone's In the Kitchen
Rachel Allen's cookbooks offer easy-to-follow recipes, both traditional or with a contemporary twist. Eight-time recipient of the James Beard award (and Greenwich CT resident) Colman Andrews' book, Country Cooking of Ireland is also in the house. Don't forget the soda bread, wheat or gluten-free. Also consult epicurious.com for a very inviting round-up of St. Patrick's Day recipes, including all the essential instructions (as if you need them) for making corned beef and cabbage.

Musical Notes

Pop Rocks!
A short post on music CDs, from our ears to yours. Click here for an abbreviated list of additions to the collection, from latest and oh-so popular to maybe you missed the greatness.

Also keep an eye out for a small poster, updated monthly, featuring popular music selections recommended by library staff member Ben Martin. The current list features selections by The Weepies, The Lumineers, Postal Service, and Glen Hansard, among others.

Don't forget to consult a quick list of 2013 Grammy Award winners.

Dylan Turns 70

Happy Birthday
Bob Dylan celebrates his 70th birthday next Tuesday, May 24.

For more info about one of the most influential singer/songwriters of the second half of 20th century history -- and who's probably supplied at least one song to the soundtrack of your life -- find books and music @ your library.

Books for Adults and Teens
Chronicles: Volume One by Bob Dylan
Positively 4th Street by David Hajdu
Bob Dylan in America by Sean Wilentz
No Direction Home : The Life and Music of Bob Dylan by Robert Shelton

For Kids
Man Gave Names to All the Animals by Bob Dylan; Jim Arnosky (Illustrator)
When Bob [Dylan] Met Woody [Guthrie] : The Story of the Young Bob Dylan by Gary Golio; Marc Burckhardt (Illustrator)

Music
For a quick list of Dylan CDs available for checkout, including great covers by others, click here.

Magazines
There's all Dylan all the time at Rolling Stone online now and the print issue is up and coming.  Library subscribes.  Be there.

Surf's Up
Also visit the Rock Hall and Roll of Fame.

Photo Above
Dylan, Bob. Photograph. Encyclopedia Britannica Online Library Edition Web. 17 May 2011. Click here and use your EHPL library card to login.

Who's Who?

Biographical Reads You Might Enjoy

Memoirs, biographies, and autobiographies always pepper the many reading lists you (and we) consult when looking for an up close and personal read. Here are but a few of the latest you might like to add to your reading list.

Extraordinary, Ordinary People by Condoleezza Rice

This (less about politics) memoir by our former Secretary of State has caught major buzz in magazines and on the TV talk show circuit. Add this one to must-read bestsellers by the "formers" : Tony Blair (former British Prime Minister), Nelson Mandela (South African statesman and former political prisoner), and Jimmy Carter (former President).

Composed by Rosanne Cash

Firstborn daugther to country music legend Johnny Cash tells her story straight up. On the tune side, we highly recommend Rosanne's 2009 tribute title The List.

Other recent titles by or about contemporary musicians : Dave Mustaine, Johnny Winter, Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, and Patti Smith. Smith's book is a 2010 National Book Award finalist, in the non-fiction category.

Washington by Ron Chernow & First Family by Joseph J. Ellis

For Founding Fathers and their families fans, try the above. Catch companion stories about the former and latter titles on NPR.

Growing Up Laughing by Marlo Thomas

A fun read from the star of the 1960s TV show That Girl, or creator of Free to Be... You and Me, or fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Other celebrity reads (several fairly weighty, some light as air) John Ritter, Sal Mineo, Liz & Dick, and Warren, among others.

Operation Dark Heart by Anthony Shaffer

Shaffer delivers an exciting, eyewitness account of fighting terrorism in Afghanistan using the military's most cutting-edge espionage tactics. Pair this one with T. H. Bagley's excellent Spy Wars (2007) or Larry Devlin's Chief of Station, Congo (2007).

Original Gangster by Frank Lucas
The above is all about the Harlem crime boss whose life inspired the 2007 film American Gangster. For another true crime fix, try Douglas Starr's The Killer of Little Shepherds about French serial killer Joseph Vacher and early criminologist Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne.

Grant Wood by R. Tripp Evans

In this major new biography of America's most acclaimed, and misunderstood, regionalist painter, Grant Wood, who painted American Gothic, is revealed to have been anything but plain, or simple.

The Last Boy by Jane Leavy
Drawing on more than five hundred interviews with loved ones and fellow baseball players, the author crafts a deeply personal biography of Mickey Mantle, weaving her own memories of the major league slugger with an authoritative account of his life on and off the field.

Click here for a selection of other recent books about baseball and its players.

Strike up the Band!

For Theater Lovers
Given the many fine local theater groups in our area -- Epoch Arts and Podium Players are our favorites, of course -- many in our community may be interested in Geniuses of American Musical Theater : the Composers and Lyricists by Herbert Keyser.

This large format, heavily illustrated book includes concise biographies, as well as insider looks at the men and women who made their mark on Broadway and gave us some of the most enduring musicals of our time. Even if every name in the book doesn't immediately ring a bell, we bet you know more than a little about their work. Example chapters feature:

Leonard Bernstein (West Side Story) -- Cole Porter (Kiss Me Kate, De-Lovely) -- Meredith Willson (The Music Man, Unsinkable Molly Brown) -- Harry Warren (42nd Street) -- Jule Styne (Funny Girl) -- Charles Strouse (Annie) -- Frank Loesser (Guys and Dolls) -- Andrew Lloyd Webber (Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar) -- Stephen Sondheim (Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeny Todd, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum).

Bestsellers

"The Shack"
William P. Young's The Shack has been topping religious bestseller lists but also trade paperback bestseller lists. With over 1.6 million copies in print, news has it a CD of "inspired by" music may be in the works as well as a screenplay.

If you enjoy point-of-view reads, try subject headings Christian fiction or Christian life. Stop by the library's main circulation desk if you need assistance finding the above titles or other titles that represent these and other points of view.

The library's music CD collection also represents a wide range of musical interests, including contemporary Christian Rock and gospel music recordings.

Library Launches Movies and Music Blog

The holiday season is officially and well underway. In the harried days between now and the new year, we'll be wishing you many happy returns when you visit the library to borrow great books, films and music to add maximum happy to your holidays.

Music Rocks and Movies Roll @ your library
During this holiday season, we'll be turning up the volume on library services by ramping up a new blog devoted to movies and music. We'll provide you with quick links to latest titles added to our movie and music collections and make recommendations on all too easy to miss titles you might also enjoy. We'll add to our service recipe reading suggestions tied to your viewing and listening interests. We'll also chat about new films, still in theatrical release, before they make it to our DVD shelves.

Official launch date of our Movies & Music Blog was December 1st.

MyLibrary BookStore: A New Way to Think Locally

No Fooling... Visit Our Online BookStore
Our new online BookStore is now open for business! Our bookstore is backed by Baker & Taylor -- a worldwide distributor of books, video, music, and games -- and powered by Autographics, our leading edge library system services provider.

Spending with Local Impact
MyLibrary BookStore offers you the opportunity to think locally when choosing to buy a book, video or music CD for your personal library. Hardcover book prices are generally discounted by 25%; paperbacks by 20%; media materials by 10%. Shipping options vary; the charges are reasonably competitive. Credit card transactions are protected by SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption technology to protect your personal information.

Give Our BookStore a Whirl!
Our BookStore's discounts surely won't beat the prices and promotions offered by the online or bricks-and-mortar Goliaths; and we all know who they are. However, the important difference is a portion of the profits from our BookStore return to East Hampton, a "corporate" enterprise in which we all share a more personal investment. We hope you'll consider using your purchasing power locally. There's a great book you may want as your own... and it's only a couple of clicks away.

It's Still Rock and Roll

The Beatles Anthology on DVD
Classic rock struts its' stuff in this anthology of the Fab Four's indisputable transformation of post-Elvis rock and roll. Filled with interviews and performances -- and stories of both success and failure -- these films give a comprehensive visual history of what is arguably the world's all-time favorite band.

Check out this series (8 parts on 4 DVDs) for a look back at a time you may remember or share it as a family with your tweens or teens. Each DVD circulates for 2 weeks.

Tuesday Stress Reliever: Join Our Community Drum Circle

We've Got Rhythm to Spare and Share
The East Hampton Public Library makes its Community Room available to area folks interested in joining with others in a community drum circle. Drum circle programs are scheduled on the first Tuesday of every month, in the library Community Room. All programs begin at 6:30 p.m.

What's a Drum Circle, You Ask?
A drum circle is a collaboratively self organized musical event; anyone can participate. People of all levels of musical expertise can join in the circle and share their rhythm and whatever drums and percussion they bring to the event. You don't have to be a drummer to participate; all you need is a willingness to make music; share your rhythmic spirit; and release some positive energy in the process.

Bring along your drum to the Tuesday programs or think creatively: play a plastic water bottle turned upside down with the neck cut off; shake a soda can with rocks in it; or hit two sturdy sticks together. All you really need to know how to do is form a circle and add your spirit to the rhythm of your community's drums.