Teo Macero (1925 -2008)

Teo Macero produced various Jazz classics for Columbia Records - including the entire Miles Davis Columbia recordings as well as the first Lounge Lizards album. Magnificent!

Alain Robbe-Grillet and Alain Resnais' "Last Year at Marienbad"

Alain Robbe-Grillet (1922-2008)

A great film ...

...written by this man, Alain Robbe-Grillet, who also wrote great novels.

TamTam Books' Tribute to the Late and Great HENRI SALVADOR

Henri Salvador was one of the last links to the Boris Vian era as well as the Saint Germain-des-Prés boho scene circ. late 1940's. A wonderful singer and a great guitarist, Salvador had the charm to become one of France's top entertainers as well as the first one (with the help of Boris Vian) to make a rock n' roll record in France. And with that in mind Vian and Salvador
had a close personal and working relationship. They wrote a ton of songs together and were very close friends.


Vian with Sartre and Vian with Salvador

For me personally I have become a huge fan of Salvador's music via the world of Vian. The following albums down below are some of my favorite recordings of his:



The first mighty recordings of Henri. He meets Vian during these years.



Henri before he enjoys the rock. More jazz and pop mood.



The first collection of Henri doing 'rock n' roll' with a few Vian/Salvador tunes plus Vian's A&R on this album.



An early EP by the great man.


This maybe my favorite Henri album. It is just him, his electric guitar, stand-up bass and light drumming. Kind of laid-back and very sexy. Vian A&R on this record as well.



Sort of a greatest hits collection but focusing on his jazz recordings.



A tribute album to his friend Boris Vian. Recorded sometime in the 60's. Essential of course.



Another cool single by Henri.

And now see Henri move and shout:


Juanita Banana


Le travail c'est la santé


Minnie Petite Souris
Twist


Pubblicita americana (pretty funny)


Henri Salvador, you shall be missed!

The Dead All Have The Same Skin (Book Cover)

Boris Vian's (Vernon Sullivan) THE DEAD ALL HAVE THE SAME SKIN

TamTam Books is proud (as usual) to announce the publication of Vernon Sullivan’s (or better known as Boris Vian) masterpiece of noir-gone berserk – “The Dead All Have The Same Skin” (Les morts ont tous la meme peau).

Written one year after the controversial (putting it mildly) “I Spit on Your Graves,” you think Vian would have known better. But no, he decided to do another violent shocker that is ripped out of today’s (or was it all in my head?) headlines. This surreal masterpiece of ‘dark’ writing is about Daniel Parker who is a bouncer in a drink hell bar hole somewhere in New York City (Vian, a French man never been to the States) who is blackmailed by his long lost brother who is black and threatens him to tell the truth about his brother’s racial blood. Parker is not going to take that. His life, by that admission, becomes a tipsy topsey one-way ticket to hell.

If that is not enough it also includes a short story by Vian “Dogs, Desire, and Death” which is an erotic tale of a bad girl, a helpless driver, and the need for destruction and sexual release.

And no not even that is not enough; we have a small essay or more like a rant by Vian regarding the history of his first controversial shocker “I Spit on Your Graves.” And not only that, but also a thoughtful and informative introduction by Marc Lapprand.

Translated from the French by Paul Knobloch. Tom Recchion did the design work.

The book is 122 pages.

978-0-9662346-5-7

“The Dead All Have The Same Skin” will be released April 2008

TamTam Books' Tribute to Shuji Terayama (Part One)

Shuji Terayama is probably one of the most interesting figures to come out of Post-War Japan. He’s up there with Yukio Mishima, but I don’t think one could separate Terayama from his time period.

At the time Tokyo arts were going big-time in the sixties. A lot of great stuff was being produced during this period, and Terayama was one of the great figures of that era. He was a writer, playwright, filmmaker, poet, visual artist, graphic artist and essayist.

For information on him in English, go here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuji_Terayama

Here are some of his artworks and images.













Here are some of his films. And don't be afraid of the language, they're visual treats. Trust me on this!


Emperor Tomato Ketchup (Excerpt 1) (1971)


Emperor Tomato Ketchup (Excerpt 2) (1971)


Emperor Tomato Ketchup (Excerpt) 1971


Movie Guide For Young People Blue Screen (1974) A masterpiece!
Trailer for "To Die in the Country (1974)


A still from one of his films


A shrine to Shuji Terayamam