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This is the story of Mary Lou Williams a famous female jazz musician. She played around the world and composed and arranged music for Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman. Duke Ellington said of her, Mary's music retains a standard of quality that is timeless. She is like soul on soul." (the above came from the afterword)
The story itself is a wonderful look at a female jazz musician many might unfamiliar with (inculding myself) When Mary Lou Williams was three years old she would sit on her mother's lap and play a tune on the piano. Mary Lou spent most of her time playing the piano. When the Williams family moved to Pittsburgh in search of employment at the steel mills, they had to leave the piano behind.
Mary Lou was bullied in Pittsburgh. Though she had no piano that didn't keep her from playing.
"Ugly names and cruel words. Mary called them bad sounds, and she taught herself to play them out. Even without a keyboard, she could do it. Tapping on the tabletop, she beat back the bad sounds. She crooned and whispered and shouted out until her spirit was lifted free."
I love the rhyhtm of that passage, and many others. The authors give readers a very good appreciation of Mary Lou's muscial skill and how much people enjoyed it.
"When Mary cut loose, people couldn't stay still. They set to clapping, tapping, finger- snapping. Her blue notes made people want to cry at just how hard life can be. Her crazy chords made people shimmy their shoulders and shake their heads, high and happy. Mary would play a deep, powerful bass with one hand and lay a lacework of edgy blues over the top of it with the other. Her music rolled and slid and jumped along, zigzagging and giant- stepping."
The illustrations are great and a perfect fit for the text.Read more ›
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The Little Piano Girl is a touching and poignant depiction of jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams' childhood. Filled with colorful illustrations, the story is lively and fast-paced and sure to capture the interest and imagination of children.
It's wonderful that books for all ages are finally being written about this great jazz legend, whose contribution to jazz has not been fully recognized. I am an elementary school music teacher as well as a writer, and my young students thoroughly enjoyed the story of young Mary's amazing early life.
Sarah Bruce Kelly Author of JAZZ GIRL, a novel of Mary Lou Williams and her early life
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The book was read to our group by the author. I am ordering the book to have in my library, because it is so uplifting. It is a highly motivational story for young people (and anyone). The story follows the amazing talent and determination of a delightful little girl despite the odds against her, and tells how she grew up to be a great woman in the jazz world.
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I just read this book to my five year old daughter who loves coming up with her own tunes on the piano and we were both so inspired! The illustrations are wonderful and the prose perfectly jazzy and bluesy!
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Maryann's words skip as lightly and deftly over the pages as Mary Lou Williams' fingers skipped over the piano keyboard. The book is full of sounds - the sound of the train taking her away from her home, the thunder when she pounded on the keys, the rain when she tapped them. The reader can feel Mary Lou's joy, as they can feel her sadness at other times in her young life. This is a book for not only children and jazz aficionados, but for all music lovers who keep on performing, learning, and playing against the odds.
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My daughter loves this book! It's the catchy story of a talented pianist with nice shoes. It stays upbeat and does not muddle the story with unnecessary background information.
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What a wonderful book about an under celebrated jazz musician from the golden age of jazz. In addition to telling a little bit about jazz history's most prolific female jazz composer, this is a great story about a little girl who was very special in her own way. Any family with a budding musician would love this book.
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This item: The Little Piano Girl: The Story of Mary Lou Williams, Jazz Legend
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