Upbeat

David Amram-composer, jazz artist, conductor, and world music pioneer-has been described by the Boston Globe as "the Renaissance man of American music." From early collaborations with Kerouac and Sinatra, chosen by Leonard Bernstein as the New York Philharmonic's first composer in residence, Amram's artistry has taken him from concerts with Willie Nelson to jamming with the Massai tribe of Kenya. In Upbeat: Nine Lives of a Musical Cat, Amram recounts his extraordinary adventures in the many worlds of music he calls home, all told in a rollicking anecdotal style that makes you feel that you are at home around the world. He writes, "Everywhere I have been in the world, music transcends politics. As musicians, we were able to go beyond all that and just be fellow human beings." Threading through Amram's tale of music, hard work, respect, and friendship are unforgettable stories of fellow great artists-Dizzie Gillespie, Hunter S. Thompson, Janet Gaynor, George Plimpton, Lyle Lovett, Zoe Caldwell, Willie Nelson, and many more.

David Amram is an American composer, musician, conductor, and writer. As a classical composer and virtuoso performer, his integration of jazz (including being one of the first noted as an improvising jazz French hornist), ethnic and folk music has led him to work with the likes of Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Willie Nelson, Charles Mingus, Leonard Bernstein, Sir James Galway, Arthur Miller and Jack Kerouac throughout the course of his career.

Introduction: At Home Around the World 1 Merrymaking and Mayhem in the Mountains: Hunter S. Thompson's Final Blastoff 2 Kenya, Africa: The Mother of Us All 3 Natural Ambassadors Photo Section following page 4 Kokopelli: Walking the Native American Trail of Beauty 5 Bouquets and Bombs on Broadway: Agony and Ecstasy on the Great White Way 6 The Dutch Treat: The Genesis of Offbeat: Collaborating with Kerouac 7 Words and Music: Scat and Make-up Songs, the Art of One-Time-Only Rap Reporting 8 Postcards from the Road, 2002-2007, 9 Fond Farewells: Honoring Six Old Friends