All The Right Notes

I can’t believe it’s been over 20 years since Joanna “JoJo” Levesque burst on to the scene with her debut single, “Leave (Get Out),” and I’m sorry (okay, not sorry) if it’s stuck in your head now. JoJo was seemingly everywhere: on the radio, on TV, in magazines, in movies, but then she seemed to suddenly disappear.  So, what happened?  I knew some of what was going on behind the scenes, but this memoir shared a whole different side to the recent Broadway headliner. In this candid memoir, she holds nothing back—success, heartbreak, lawsuits, redemption, and resilience. 

This is the story of three revolutionary American musicians, the maestro jazzmen who orchestrated the chords that throb at the soul of twentieth-century America. Jazz great Sonny Rollins says, “The Jazzmen tells an uplifting and unifying story that is especially important now, when times are so fractured.” Award-winning actor Dominic Hoffman is the perfect narrator for this important story. In June 2024, Hoffman was inducted as a Golden Voice,  AudioFile’s lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators (he’s also the narrator of James—one of our Best Audiobooks of 2024).   

At the mere mention of the name Van Halen, I instantly hear the bright synth on the opening of their classic “Jump” —one of the many musical moments Eddie Van Halen was known for. Older brother and band co-founder, Alex Van Halen, pays tribute to his younger brother in this deeply personal tell-all of family, fame, and brotherhood. Plus, the audiobook includes an exclusive, never-before-heard piece of music—the last written together by the legendary Van Halen brothers. 

I’ve been a fan of Questlove since I read his memoir, Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove. To be honest, whenever he’s involved with a project, I’m immediately interested. How would Questlove follow up his New York Times bestseller, Music Is History? By focusing on something he definitely knows a little bit (ok, A LOT) about—hip-hop of course! There’s a lot more to the story, aside from that first party in the Bronx back in 1973. I’m not surprised that this audiobook is an Earphones Award winner—I loved it. AudioFile Magazine says, “Questlove’s curiosity, intelligence, and natural ability to compel listeners are on full display.” 

The truly one-of-a-kind life story of Cher, told by the superstar herself, traces Cherilyn Sarkasian from her humble origins to the remarkable heights she’s reached and everything in between. It’s honest, authentic, and incredible. Who better to narrate this intimate memoir than Cher herself? She is joined by Stephanie J. Block, the Tony Award-winning actress who portrayed Cher on the Broadway stage. This is just part one—we anticipate part two will earn a spot on one of our future “best” lists. 

There’s a lot more to Kenny G than his legendary locks (which I’ve seen in person and can confirm they do not disappoint). In addition to containing thirty original saxophone pieces composed by Kenny G exclusively for this audiobook, he also narrates—and he’s a natural. This truly felt the way a good audiobook should—like you’re sitting down listening to the author talk directly to you. It’s not all stories of life on the road and the many greats he’s worked with—there are plenty of jokes and life lessons, too, from the man who takes his music seriously but himself not so seriously. 

Anyone familiar with Eve’s music knows the response to the question the title of this memoir poses: Eve’s that girl! La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. . . The rapper, singer-songwriter, designer, actor, mother, philanthropist, and entrepreneur adds author to her list of achievements. How’d she go from the projects in West Philadelphia to becoming the first artist to win a Grammy for best Rap/Sung collaboration? She covers it all, and more, in this definitive autobiography. Eve also comes up in co-author Kathy Iandoli’s essential history of hip-hop’s female pioneers, God Save the Queens.  

If you know anything about the band or are a loyal Deadhead, it’s easy to enjoy this untold origin story of the iconic band, told straight from the source. In the forward, musician John Mayer says: “This is a gift—a rare, special, and important hand-drawn blueprint by the architect of the dream himself. Discovering just a page of this book would have been enough to rejoice over. That we have hundreds is a reality I’m still trying to get my head around. Time itself has revealed something truly magnificent, and there is beauty to be found on every page.” 

A truly unique experience, this is one of those times where, in addition to the stunning audiobook (chock- full of excerpts of archival NPR interviews), I think it’s worth having the hardcover on your shelf, too, in order to truly have the full experience of this vital record of history and understated role women have and continue to play in popular music. I had no trouble finding some new artists to listen to because of this book, so I’m sure you’ll find at least half a dozen.  

Executive director of music at Billboard, Jason Lipshutz, pens his first book, which is a must-listen for Linkin Park fans. He narrates the majority, with notable narrators James Fouhey and Helen Laser providing their voices for the insightful interludes by a few musicians who discuss the impact Linkin Park had on them. I’d been waiting for someone to shine a light on how one band was such an influence on modern music. Hybrid Theory remains one of my favorite albums, though I also LOVE our B&N Exclusive vinyl edition of their singles collection, Papercuts. 

Who knows when we’ll get a Taylor Swift memoir, but while we patiently wait, I’ll happily accept this instead. If I’m going to read what anyone has to say about Taylor, it’s going to be from Rob Sheffield. He’s the legendary Rolling Stone journalist who has chronicled Taylor for every step of her extensive career, from her early days to the Eras Tour. Sheffield gets right to the heart of Swift and her music, her lyrics, her fan connection, her raw power. I’ll also mention that I also recommend Sheffield’s memoirs, Love is a Mixtape and Turn Around Bright Eyes (tons of music talk AND karaoke)! 

The Washington Post breaks this one down nicely: “What do you get when you combine a 1970s music legend, a 1990s sitcom star, and a global pandemic? Michael McDonald’s memoir, obviously. . . What a Fool Believes is oddly difficult to classify, standing out somewhat from the deluge of celebrity memoirs. It’s a little bit of everything: an addiction memoir, a career retrospective, a series of funny rock-and-roll vignettes, a rumination on family. . . vulnerable and honest.” The audiobook includes conversations between McDonald and his friend and co-author, Paul Reiser, which is also a lot of fun and enlightening. 

Embark on a complex and inspiring journey through the last 101 years, as told through some of the most memorable hits and the artists behind them. This is one of those books that you could read in a couple of days or could easily listen to a chapter a day as a sort of “daily dose of music history.” I appreciate that Lefevre (the creator of YouTube channel Polyphonic) spotlights one song for each year and includes an honorable mention or two—I can’t imagine choosing just one song. (It’s always a challenge for me to not include 50 books in my blog posts!). Brian Telestai’s narration kept me engrossed throughout because he makes you feel as if he’s a friend talking just to you about all these songs. AND many of the artists above are included in this book, too (but I won’t spoil it for you).