“Al Schackman recounts his life and times with the soul of the jazz improviser that he is. His story is intertwined with the lives of icons Martin Luther King, Jr., Harry Belafonte, and James Baldwin. To read his stories is to hear perhaps his greatest guitar solo, every note resonant with history and memory.”
~ Joe Hagan, author of Sticky Fingers: The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stones Magazine, contributing writer for Vanity Fair

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“One of the most meaningful times in my life was spent with wonderful music in Big Sur, my Gull house on the cliffs, and Al Schackman. The lifetime experiences that he shares in this book will amaze you.”
~ Kim Novak, acclaimed actress and painter, best known for her starring role in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo

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“Al Schackman is the most talented musician I’ve ever worked with. His stories and adventures reflect his free soul and life’s journey.”
~ Garry Sherman, award-winning record producer and arranger, film composer, including the score for Midnight Cowboy and The Heartbreak Kid

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“Reading selections for Al Schackman’s book is like hearing him play the guitar. He was and is a musician who always tells a story! He has a natural gift as a writer, and his stories make you feel that you are there with him.”
~ David Amram, first composer-in-residence at the New York Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein, also known for his film stories, including The Manchurian Candidate and Splendor in the Grass

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“Just finished reading Me, My Guitar, and Nina Simone, written by my friend and fellow musician, Al Schackman. I hope you will enjoy your time with [his] book as much as I have.”
~ Ron Carter, world-renowned, Grammy-winning double bassist, and the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He is widely known for his work with the Miles Davis Quintet

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“I have been listening to Nina (Simone) since the 1980s, . . . Al has been there the entire time, playing as a sideman to an incredible performer. I wouldn’t know where to start with what I love about his playing - the way he’s woven through everything she plays.”
~ Dominic Blaazer (Daddy Dom), Jazz Guitar Magazine, 2024

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“Guitarist Al Schackman and I met in the mid-sixties in Paris. Since then, I have had many opportunities to hear him, especially his extraordinary work when he performed with Nina Simone. To me, Al is one of the most gifted musicians I have ever met in my life.”
~ Maurice Cullaz (1912-2000), president of the French Jazz Academy, historian, and producer at Radio France

BOOK REVIEWS:

Jazz Times