Music Books

How race and blackness play out in operaBlackness in Opera critically examines the intersections of race and music in the multifaceted genre of opera. A diverse cross-section of scholars places well-known operas (Porgy and Bess, Aida, Treemonisha)...

The premier guide to the lives and work of bluegrass iconsThe Music of the Stanley Brothers brings together forty years of passionate research by scholar and record label owner Gary B. Reid. A leading authority on Carter and Ralph Stanley, Reid augments...

Engagingly written by a professional historian, Come Together recreates two decades of rock and rebellion, from the formation of the Beatles in 1960 to the assassination of John Lennon in 1980.

''A fine account of the development of jazz in New Orleans and Chicago from 1900 to 1960. . . . It should be in every jazz collection.'' - Choice

''A must for every individual who has an interest in the West and its people.'' -- American West ''The most pleasant, interesting, and utterly charming book I've read all year.'' -- Bluegrass Unlimited ''An excellent volume for folk music collections.''...

This book is the first full biography of George Szell, one of the greatest orchestra and opera conductors of the twentieth century. From child prodigy pianist and composer to world-renowned conductor, Szell's career spanned seven decades, and he led most...

Bean Blossom, Indiana - near Brown County State Park and the artist-colony town of Nashville, Indiana - is home to the annual Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival, founded in 1967 by Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass. Widely recognized as the oldest...

How to interpret identity, culture, and history in soundSonic Persuasion: Reading Sound in the Recorded Age critically analyzes a range of sounds on vocal and musical recordings, on the radio, in film, and in cartoons to show how sounds are used to...

As the official publication of the American Bach Society, Bach Perspectives has pioneered new areas of research in the life, times, and music of Bach since its first appearance in 1995. Volume 8 of Bach Perspectives emphasizes the place of Bach's...

Providing new insight into the Wesley family, the fundamental importance of music in the development of Methodism, and the history of art music in Britain, Music and the Wesleys examines more than 150 years of a rich music-making tradition in England...

A comprehensive guide to the texts and tunes of an American musical traditionThis authoritative reference work investigates the roots of the Sacred Harp, the central collection of the deeply influential and long-lived southern tradition of shape-note...

Gone to the Country chronicles the life and music of the New Lost City Ramblers, a trio of city-bred musicians who helped pioneer the resurgence of southern roots music during the folk revival of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Formed in 1958 by Mike...

In this book, Robert L. Stone follows the sound of steel guitar into the music-driven Pentecostal worship of two related churches: the House of God and the Church of the Living God. A rare outsider who has gained the trust of members and musicians inside...

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Both a beguiling portrait of the artist and an idiosyncratic self-portrait of the author, Mysterious Mozart is Philippe Sollers's alternately oblique and searingly direct interpretation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's oeuvre and lasting mystique,...

In Le Jazz, Matthew F. Jordan deftly blends textual analysis, critical theory, and cultural history in a wide-ranging and highly readable account of how jazz progressed from a foreign cultural innovation met with resistance by French traditionalists to a...

An analysis of black women's involvement in the ''women's music'' scene from the 1970s to todayDrawing on fieldwork conducted at eight women's music festivals, Eileen M. Hayes shows how studying these festivals--attended by predominately white...

An in-depth look at the career of Jean Aberbach, legendary founder of Hill and Range SongsRestless Giant is a fascinating account of the life and times of Jean Aberbach, the elusive music publishing legend who, with his brother Julian, built one of music...

The life of a masterful conductor who directed from the heartServing Genius tells the life story of Carlo Maria Giulini, one of the most renowned and beloved conductors of the twentieth century. Detailing Giulini's extraordinary professional career,...

As either observer or participant, radio deejay and political activist Richard E. Stamz witnessed every significant period in the history of blues and jazz in the last century. From performing first-hand as a minstrel in the 1920s to broadcasting Negro...

Mamie Smith's 1920 recording of ''Crazy Blues'' is commonly thought to signify the beginning of commercial attention to blues music and culture, but by that year more than 450 other blues titles had already appeared in sheet music and on recordings. In...

Attracting passionate fans primarily among African American listeners in the South, Southern Soul draws on such diverse influences as the blues, 1960s-era Deep Soul, contemporary R & B, neosoul, rap, hip-hop, and gospel. Aggressively danceable, lyrically...

During the final years of Bill Monroe's life, bluegrass fiddler Gene Lowinger took a series of on- and off-stage photographs of Monroe on the road--preparing for shows, performing, interacting with fans and audiences--and in informal settings with...

Framing timely and pressing questions concerning music and cultural rights, this collection illustrates the ways in which music--as a cultural practice, a commercial product, and an aesthetic form--has become enmeshed in debates about human rights,...

King of the Queen City is the first comprehensive history of King Records, one of the most influential independent record companies in the history of American music. Jon Hartley Fox tells the story of a small outsider record company in Cincinnati, Ohio,...

This first biography of Jimmy McHugh captures a lively and significant contributor to American songwriting. Creator of favorite tunes such as ''I'm in the Mood for Love'' and ''On the Sunny Side of the Street,'' McHugh was a one-man history of...

A musical practice used for centuries the world over, improvisation too often has been dismissed as either technically undissectible or inexplicably mysterious. Approaching musical improvisation from the fields of ethnomusicology, education, performance,...

Life Flows on in Endless Song explores American folk songs as a frame for the American experience. Robert V. Wells discusses how folk songs emerged from particular historical circumstances and evolved as they migrated from one region to another. Crafting...

In this eloquent and passionate volume, Bob Ostertag explores the common ground and points of friction among music, creativity, politics, culture, and technology. In terrain ranging from the guerrilla underground in El Salvador's civil war to the drag...

Few narratives in pop encompass Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Roxy Music, Madonna, Duran Duran, Diana Ross, Johnny Mathis and Led Zeppelin. This story is one of them. Chic, led by former Black Panther activist Nile Rodgers and down-home family man Bernard...

Vinyl was supposed to be dead - and we were all set to be curating our own Spotify playlists. But, as is clear from creaking-at-seams record-pressing plants in the Czech Republic to purveyors of beach-glass vinyl in Big Sur; things haven't quite panned...

Finished just weeks before his death, George Rochberg's eloquent memoir offers a detailed look at his fruitful life as a composer, publisher, and teacher of music. The volume traces a life immersed in music, with early study under George Szell and Gian...

Here is the story of how the Sex Pistols shocked and shamed EMI – the UK’s most revered and profitable record company – and ended up GBP40,000 the richer thanks to manager Malcolm McLaren’s cunning business strategy. Author Brian Southall is the former...

The Beatles. The Beach Boys. Blur, Bowie, Kylie Minogue, Kate Bush and Coldplay. EMI was one of the big four record companies, with some of the biggest names in the history of recorded music on its roster. Dominating the music industry for over 100...

The story of the night club impresario whose wildly successful interracial club, Cafe Society, changed the American artistic landscape forever.Set against the drama of the Great Depression, the conflict of American race relations, and the inquisitions of...

Songs for the Spirits is the first in-depth study of the Vietnamese practice of communing with spirits through music and performance. During rituals dedicated to a large pantheon of indigenous spirits, a band of musicians perform an elaborate sequence of...

Until recently, most scholarly work on Chinese music in both Chinese and Western languages has focused on genres, musical structure, and general history and concepts, rather than on the musicians themselves. This volume breaks new ground by focusing on...

The major historians of ancient Rome wrote their works in the firm belief that the exalted history of the Roman Empire provided plentiful lessons about individual behavior, inspiration for great souls, and warnings against evil ambitions, not to mention...

This volume is an encyclopedia of country music performers who have used comedy as a central component of their presentation. Loyal Jones offers a conversational and informative biographical sketch of each performer, often including a sample of the...

Between the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth century, technology transformed the entertainment industry as much as it did such heavy industries as coal and steel. Among those most directly affected were musicians, who had to adapt to successive...

A collection of essays exploring musical sounds and worship practices within Pentecostal Charismatic Christianity. Combines ethnographic case studies with theoretical reflection informed by social science, musicological, religious studies, and...

A collection of essays exploring musical sounds and worship practices within Pentecostal Charismatic Christianity. Combines ethnographic case studies with theoretical reflection informed by social science, musicological, religious studies, and...

To build a sustainable career in today's music industry, you need more than talent and passion - you need a plan. Make Music Your Business is a clear, no-nonsense roadmap for artists and music professionals who want to break through, stand out and...

Whether in Kraftwerk or as an acclaimed solo artist, Karl Bartos has had an extraordinary impact on electronic music. In The Sound of the Machine, Bartos' recollections include his childhood in postwar Germany, the early musical encounters that led him...

First published in 1992, this authorised Queen biography drew on exclusive interviews with the bandmembers, exploring every aspect of the group's career up to that point. Revised under the guidance of Brian May and Roger Taylor and including plenty of...

Whether in Kraftwerk or as an acclaimed solo artist, Karl Bartos has had an extraordinary impact on electronic music. In The Sound of the Machine, Bartos' recollections include his childhood in postwar Germany, the early musical encounters that led him...

First published in 1992, this authorised Queen biography drew on exclusive interviews with the bandmembers, exploring every aspect of the group's career up to that point. Revised under the guidance of Brian May and Roger Taylor and including plenty of...

One of Britains best-loved and most successful fanzines, Jamming! documented the musical landscape as it evolved between 1977 and 1986. Fully illustrated throughout, The Best of Jamming! includes numerous stand-out pieces from the zines impressive 36...