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Positively Fourth and Mercer: The Inside Story of New York’s Iconic Music Club, The Bottom Line
280 pages, Hardcover
Published December 11, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 15, 2025
Positively Fourth and Mercer: The Inside Story of New York’s Iconic Music Club, The Bottom Line by Allan Pepper, Billy Altman is a wonderful book. I was very excited to receive a copy of this from NetGalley--and I was disappointed.
For someone coming of age in the 1960's and 1970's The Bottom Line is a magic name. Along with a few other New York music clubs, The Bottom Line for me evoked all the glamor and hipness of the sophisticated--and young--music lover. This book makes the legendary club personal without taking away any of the glamor I associate with this place.
The format of the book is a series of memories offered by some of the many people who made this magic happen. Allan Pepper (one of the authors of this book) and Stanley Snadowsky who knew each other from their childhood in Brooklyn created the dream venue of Pepper. Pepper provided the musical vision--eclectic, wide-ranging but always finding the highest quality in any genre he used--and founded and booked the talent. Snadowsky was a lawyer who kept the vision grounded and indeed possible. Together they showcased musical artists, sometimes at the very start of their career, such as Lou Reed, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton--and way too many more to list.
It is delightful to hear the anecdotes, to listen to the memories of musical greats (such as those already mentioned but many, many more as well) but also to the many other people associated with The Bottom Line. There are contributions from waitperson, people who worked the box office, producers, agents, people from every facet of the music business.
The tone of the book is warm and friendly, the stories told with evident love of the people who in some way were involved with the club and -- their lives often changed as a result. Several people who by some accident worked as waitpersons or secretaries found themselves building successful careers in some aspect of the music business.
Pepper and Snadowky had a vision for their club which never wavered, even when the trends in the business changed. There is a beautiful purity in how they created their dream venue, an integrity and a love of music and the people who make it. Actually, I felt that there was overall a spirit of love and generosity that radiated out from these men and this club and all the people whose lives were touched by it.
I am very grateful to NetGalley, the publisher Bloomsbury Academic, and the authors for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Positively Fourth and Mercers: The Inside Story of New York’s Iconic Music Club, The Bottom Line will be published on December 12, 2025.
For someone coming of age in the 1960's and 1970's The Bottom Line is a magic name. Along with a few other New York music clubs, The Bottom Line for me evoked all the glamor and hipness of the sophisticated--and young--music lover. This book makes the legendary club personal without taking away any of the glamor I associate with this place.
The format of the book is a series of memories offered by some of the many people who made this magic happen. Allan Pepper (one of the authors of this book) and Stanley Snadowsky who knew each other from their childhood in Brooklyn created the dream venue of Pepper. Pepper provided the musical vision--eclectic, wide-ranging but always finding the highest quality in any genre he used--and founded and booked the talent. Snadowsky was a lawyer who kept the vision grounded and indeed possible. Together they showcased musical artists, sometimes at the very start of their career, such as Lou Reed, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton--and way too many more to list.
It is delightful to hear the anecdotes, to listen to the memories of musical greats (such as those already mentioned but many, many more as well) but also to the many other people associated with The Bottom Line. There are contributions from waitperson, people who worked the box office, producers, agents, people from every facet of the music business.
The tone of the book is warm and friendly, the stories told with evident love of the people who in some way were involved with the club and -- their lives often changed as a result. Several people who by some accident worked as waitpersons or secretaries found themselves building successful careers in some aspect of the music business.
Pepper and Snadowky had a vision for their club which never wavered, even when the trends in the business changed. There is a beautiful purity in how they created their dream venue, an integrity and a love of music and the people who make it. Actually, I felt that there was overall a spirit of love and generosity that radiated out from these men and this club and all the people whose lives were touched by it.
I am very grateful to NetGalley, the publisher Bloomsbury Academic, and the authors for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Positively Fourth and Mercers: The Inside Story of New York’s Iconic Music Club, The Bottom Line will be published on December 12, 2025.
December 30, 2025
The Bottom Line: A Palace of Musical Magic
This is such an outstanding book! It is a glorious, well-written ode in prose to a groundbreaking club. The Bottom Line was the best place in NYC to hear music. It truly was a Palace of Musical Magic. It captures the excitement of the times, my times, so beautifully. I was a patron as soon as the club opened. I lived in the neighborhood so I could walk to the Line. Heaven! I have many connections with Allan, and it was sheer delight reading the reminiscences of friends. It was stunning to read about our unknown, mutual connections. Allan and Stanley were gracious, kind club owners. They kept reinventing themselves with their magical creativity. If you loved The Bottom Line as I did, this book is for you. If you never had a chance to go but love music, this book is for you. Thank you for writing this masterpiece, Allan Pepper and Billy Altman. It is so much fun to relive the magnificence of The Bottom Line. Thank you for all of the astonishing music and magical nights. These stories and history are grand. I had waterfalls coming out of my eyes and laughter coming from my belly. The Bottom Line changed and enchanted my life. Allan and Stanley's creativity was contagious. Eternal thanks!
This is such an outstanding book! It is a glorious, well-written ode in prose to a groundbreaking club. The Bottom Line was the best place in NYC to hear music. It truly was a Palace of Musical Magic. It captures the excitement of the times, my times, so beautifully. I was a patron as soon as the club opened. I lived in the neighborhood so I could walk to the Line. Heaven! I have many connections with Allan, and it was sheer delight reading the reminiscences of friends. It was stunning to read about our unknown, mutual connections. Allan and Stanley were gracious, kind club owners. They kept reinventing themselves with their magical creativity. If you loved The Bottom Line as I did, this book is for you. If you never had a chance to go but love music, this book is for you. Thank you for writing this masterpiece, Allan Pepper and Billy Altman. It is so much fun to relive the magnificence of The Bottom Line. Thank you for all of the astonishing music and magical nights. These stories and history are grand. I had waterfalls coming out of my eyes and laughter coming from my belly. The Bottom Line changed and enchanted my life. Allan and Stanley's creativity was contagious. Eternal thanks!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews