Biographies of the first African-American recording stars, and how they succeeded against tremendous odds. The first in-depth history of the involvement of African-Americans in the early recording industry, this book examines the first three decades of sound recording in the United States, charting the vigorous and varied roles black artists played in the period leading up to the Jazz Age. black artists who recorded commercially in a wide range of genres and provides in-depth biographies of some forty of these audio pioneers. Brooks assesses the careers and impacts, as well as analyzing the...
Biographies of the first African-American recording stars, and how they succeeded against tremendous odds. The first in-depth history of the involveme...
An examination of the culture of myth making by looking at the myths surrounding Robert Johnson and how they were used by various writers and artists. Suddenly Robert Johnson is everywhere. Though the Mississippi bluesman died young and recorded only twenty-nine songs, the legacy, legend, and lore surrounding him continue to grow. Focusing on these developments, Patricia R. Schroeder's Robert Johnson, Mythmaking, and Contemporary American Culture breaks new ground in Johnson scholarship, going beyond simple or speculative biography to explore him in his larger role as a contemporary cultural...
An examination of the culture of myth making by looking at the myths surrounding Robert Johnson and how they were used by various writers and artists....
As a centre for jazz and blues, vaudeville, and a budding recording industry, Chicago and its environs probably spawned more nationally recognized dance bands than any other city in the United States in the 1920s and 30s. While ample attention has been paid to their black counterparts, Charles A. Sengstock Jr.'s That Toddlin' Town looks at the history of the white dance bands, theater orchestras, radio studio ensembles and night club bands. Sengstock examines these bands not only in terms of the music they played but also in the context of the venues in which they played and Chicago's...
As a centre for jazz and blues, vaudeville, and a budding recording industry, Chicago and its environs probably spawned more nationally recognized dan...
Described by New York Times critic John Rockwell as one of the best non-famous composers this country has to offer, Ben Johnston reconceives familiar idioms--ranging from jazz to Southern hymns--using just intonation. Johnston studied with Darius Milhaud, Harry Partch, and John Cage, and is best known for his String Quartet No. 4, a complex series of variations on Amazing Grace. This volume reveals he is also a truly literate composer, who writes and speaks about music with eloquence and charm. Maximum Clarity and Other Writings on Music spans forty years and brings together forty-one of...
Described by New York Times critic John Rockwell as one of the best non-famous composers this country has to offer, Ben Johnston reconceives familiar ...
Spanning over 1,000 separate performances, The Music of Bill Monroe presents a complete chronological list of all of Bill Monroe's commercially released sound and visual recordings. Each chapter begins with a narrative describing Monroe's life and career at that point, bringing in producers, sidemen, and others as they become part of the story. The narratives read like a "who's who" of bluegrass, connecting Monroe to the music's larger history and containing many fascinating stories. The second part of each chapter presents the discography. Information here includes the session's place, date,...
Spanning over 1,000 separate performances, The Music of Bill Monroe presents a complete chronological list of all of Bill Monroe's commercially releas...
John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) is an American icon. Most famous for his military marches, the composer-bandmaster led a disciplined group of devoted musicians on numerous American tours and around the world, shaping a new cultural landscape. Paul E. Bierley documents every aspect of the "March King's" band: its history, its star performers, its appearances on recordings and radio, and the problems they faced on their 1911 trip around the world. Enhanced by more than 120 images and photographs, "The Incredible Band of John Philip Sousa" also contains six statistical appendixes detailing...
John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) is an American icon. Most famous for his military marches, the composer-bandmaster led a disciplined group of devoted...
The tragicomic life story of one of America's best-known country entertainers, told with warmth and honesty
This book recounts the fascinating life of Roni Stoneman, the youngest daughter of the pioneering country music family, and a girl who, in spite of poverty and abusive husbands, eventually became "The First Lady of Banjo," a fixture on the Nashville scene, and, as "Hee Haw"'s Ironing Board Lady, a comedienne beloved by millions of Americans nationwide.
Drawn from over seventy-five hours of recorded interviews, "Pressing On" reveals that Roni is also a master storyteller. In her own...
The tragicomic life story of one of America's best-known country entertainers, told with warmth and honesty
A compelling account of contemporary Sacred Harp singing, "Traveling Home" describes how this vibrant musical tradition brings together Americans of widely divergent religious and political beliefs. Named after the most popular of the nineteenth-century shape-note tunebooks--which employed an innovative notation system to teach singers to read music--Sacred Harp singing has been part of rural Southern life for more than 150 years.In the wake of the folk revival of the 1950s and '60s, this participatory musical tradition attracted new singers from all over America. All-day "singings" from...
A compelling account of contemporary Sacred Harp singing, "Traveling Home" describes how this vibrant musical tradition brings together Americans o...
Started by the National Life and Accident Insurance Company in 1925, WSM became one of the most influential and exceptional radio stations in the history of broadcasting and country music. WSM gave Nashville the moniker Music City USA as well as a rich tradition of music, news, and broad-based entertainment. With the rise of country music broadcasting and recording between the 1920s and 50s, WSM, Nashville, and country music became inseparable, stemming from WSM s launch of the "Grand Ole Opry," popular daily shows like "Noontime Neighbors," and early morning artist-driven shows such as Hank...
Started by the National Life and Accident Insurance Company in 1925, WSM became one of the most influential and exceptional radio stations in the hist...
What does it mean to be "Californian"? "California Polyphony: Ethnic Voices, Musical Crossroads" suggests an answer that lies at the intersection of musicology, cultural history, and politics. Consisting of a series of musical case studies of major ethnic groups in California, this book approaches the notion of Californian identity from diverse perspectives, each nuanced by class, gender, and sexuality.
In the early twentieth century, the concept of the Pacific Rim and an orientalist fascination with Asian music and culture dominated the popular imagination of white Californians,...
What does it mean to be "Californian"? "California Polyphony: Ethnic Voices, Musical Crossroads" suggests an answer that lies at the intersection o...
