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TUESDAY

In 1995, Daniel Wolff wrote You Send Me: The Life & Times of Sam Cooke, which appeared to be the definitive book on that soul-music legend. But now, 10 years later, Peter Guralnick may have topped Wolff’s volume with Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke. Guralnick, best known for his two-part Elvis Presley bio, has penned a 651-page opus (plus 60-some pages of footnotes). As in his other efforts, this roots-music connoisseur avoids flowery prose and sticks with the facts and hard analysis. But that doesn’t mean this is a dry read. Guralnick conveys his passion for Cooke’s gospel and pop recordings, and he articulates the complexity of Cooke’s character. The author presents Cooke in all his guises: the suave showman, the civil-rights pioneer battling segregation, the brilliant songwriter, the businessman, and, sadly, the angry womanizer tragically shot dead in a fleabag hotel in 1964. Guralnick reads at 7 p.m. at Olsson’s Books & Records, 418 7th St. NW. Free. (202) 638-7610. (Steve Kiviat)