Jeff Tamarkin

Jeff Tamarkin (born October 15 1952, Brooklyn, USA) is an editor, author and historian specializing in music and popular culture.

For 15 years he was editor of "Goldmine", a magazine for record and CD collectors. Prior to that, he served as the first editor of "CMJ" (College Media Journal) and as editor of "Relix".

He was also the first editor of "Grateful Dead Comix", and has written for many other publications, including "Billboard", "Pulse", "Boston Phoenix", "Playbill", "Creem", "Mojo", "The Aquarian Weekly", "Newsday", "Tracks", "Harp", "The New York Daily News" and "ICE".

He has contributed to the "Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music" and Allmusic.

Tamarkin has written the liner notes for more than 75 CDs, for such artists as The Beach Boys, Tom Jones, Jefferson Airplane, Dick Clark, J. Geils Band, Chubby Checker, Merle Haggard, Dean Martin and many others, including ABKCO Records' Cameo-Parkway label reissue series. He has also served on the Nominating Committee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and as a consultant to the Grammys.

In the course of his work Tamarkin has interviewed hundreds of musicians and celebrities, including Roy Orbison, Brian Wilson, Jerry Garcia, Yoko Ono, B.B. King, Dave Brubeck, Ricky Nelson, the Ramones, Ray Davies, Elvis Costello, Peter Tosh, Frank Zappa, Ringo Starr, Solomon Burke, Dionne Warwick, the Monkees, Bobby McFerrin, Little Richard, and Nancy Sinatra. As a consultant to the Music Club CD label, he assisted in releasing over 180 reissues and compilations, in styles including rock, jazz, country, world music and pop.

After writing short books on Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen, his first full-length book, "Got a Revolution! The Turbulent Flight of Jefferson Airplane" (Atria Books), was published in June 2003. The first biography of the San Francisco band, it was written with the cooperation of all of the band members and placed the Airplane into the context of their times, the volatile 1960s.

"Got a Revolution" was named one of the best books of 2003 by the "San Francisco Chronicle" and the Boston "Phoenix", and received very positive reviews from, among others, "Publishers Weekly", "Kirkus", "Austin Chronicle", "New York Daily News", and "The Onion". It was published in paperback in July 2005.

From 2002-2006 Tamarkin was editor-in-chief of "Global Rhythm", the leading magazine for world music and global culture, in which he also wrote about music, film, cuisine, politics and other topics. In 2007 Tamarkin was named Associate Editor of "JazzTimes" magazine.

He lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, with his wife, the novelist and book reviewer Caroline Leavitt, and their son, Max.

External links

* [http://www.gotarevolution.com Tamarkin's book "Got a Revolution!"]