Best known for his pictorial chronicles of the Beat Generation, Christopher Felver (Beat) has also spent 30 years snapping quick informal portraits of the masters of late 20th-century jazz, rock and blues. American Jukebox is Felver's own personal photographic playlist, with more than 200 black-and-white shots of an eclectic range of musical icons. Like a friendly paparazzo, he roamed the classic festivals (Farm Aid, Monterey Jazz Festival, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass) to catch the stars at their candid best.
He covers all the greats with their hats, horns and other gear. There's B.B. King with Lucille (his guitar), Oscar Peterson in an elegant tuxedo, Dr. John and Clarence "Frogman" Henry with their walking sticks, Trombone Shorty with his 'bone and mirrored aviators and Ironing Board Sam wearing a sequined jacket and a big smile. With essays and comments from the likes of Dan Hicks, Ed Sanders of the Fugs and Ramblin' Jack Elliott, American Jukebox is a warm tribute to those who created this nation's modern musical legacy. --Bruce Jacobs, founding partner Watermark Books & Cafe, Wichita, Kans.