HELP! The Beatles, Duke Ellington, and the Magic of Collaboration

Narrator Keith Sellon-Wright makes this friendly dose of musicology even friendlier with his relaxed delivery and mellow tone. The audiobook builds upon a thesis-like setup--a comparison of Duke Ellington's decentralized, opportunistic approach to musical collaboration and the egalitarian, fraternal approach of Lennon and McCartney. The work is populated by interesting digressions: the surprising inspiration for the song "Ticket to Ride"; helpful references to other disciplines, such as the artistic collaborations of Picasso and Braque and the film collaboration behind THE WIZARD OF OZ; thought-provoking comparisons, such as Lennon's "Julia" and McCartney's "Let it Be" both being references to the death of a mother; and more. The result of this collaboration between author and narrator is a well-researched audiobook that skims the scholarly waters without sinking into lecture-hall monotony. R.W.S. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2019]