Musicians, singers, bands and groups Books

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Mandolin Man: The Bluegrass Life of Roland White tells of Roland White's musical life, from his youth as a member of a musical family through his days as a bluegrass band performer. The book successfully weaves together family, friendship, the bluegrass business and culture. The depiction of the life of Roland White and the descriptions of bluegrass players' constructed world combine to make Mandolin Man an important contribution to writing about bluegrass music." --Journal of Folklore Research Reviews"A warm and appreciative book that keeps White's presence alive." --No Depression"Black’s own relevant musical experience, alongside his interviews with White, his family, and country music icons such as Marty Stuart, make this biography a must-read for bluegrass aficionados. Although White may not be a household name to those outside the bluegrass scene, he richly deserves this long-awaited tribute." --Library Journal "Superb. . . . Bob Black has delivered another instant classic biography of one of bluegrass music’s most valuable, but perhaps under-appreciated, influencers and torch-bearers. If you read but one bluegrass history or biography this year, make it Mandolin Man: The Bluegrass Life of Roland White." --Bluegrass Unlimited​​"This book has many memorable stories and insights into the life of one of the most modest virtuosos you could ever meet. Kudos to Bob Black for shining a light on a great musician and even better person, and thanks to Roland White for all the great music. " --Nashville Musician"Roland White is bluegrass music royalty. He is, without question, the most dedicated soul I have ever known when it comes to playing and inspiring people to look into the beauty of the music Bill Monroe called 'the ancient tones.' Roland is especially gifted at encouraging young musicians to look deep into their hearts and play what they hear inside. He is a great professor. I know. He was mine. In reality, I owe my entire career to Roland White."--Marty Stuart, Congress of Country Music​"Bob Black tells how a musician of humble beginnings successfully rose to the top of the bluegrass music business. Roland White's story differs from other bluegrass biographies and autobiographies in its extended discussions of recordings, the deep historical era covered--from the postwar years to the present, and the depiction of a musician's working experiences."--Neil V. Rosenberg, author of Bluegrass Generation: A Memoir"In Mandolin Man: The Bluegrass Life of Roland White author and banjo player Bob Black gives us a book about a musician in which the music rings out--and is never drowned out." --Chapter 16 "Bluegrass is a musical genre, yes, but it is also a community, the beauty of which resides in the very details that Mr. Black, like any good storyteller, generously shares. Roland White picked his way through life with a singularity of purpose, not to mention a sense of timing and work ethic to match, that made him a colorful piece of the bluegrass community quilt. He was an accomplished, innovative musician, steady hand, and respected mentor." --NewCityLit

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An enjoyable read. . . On the Bus with Bill Monroe provides authoritative details and entertaining commentaries about the person known as the father of bluegrass music, and also about members of the Blue Grass Boys." --Journal of Folklore Research Reviews"A quick read that is sure to enlighten and entertain." --Fiddler Magazine "Mormon Women at the Crossroads blends personal stories with theological considerations of women’s roles in contemporary Mormonism." --Foreword Reviews"A rollicking ride down the bluegrass road with the Father of Bluegrass and his band, and Hembree serves as a truly entertaining tour guide." --No Depression​​"A book that feels fresh and welcome despite the familiarity of the subject — not because we finally come to understand Monroe in all his complexities, but because we meet a young, wide-eyed musician trying to find his way in the great man’s considerable shadow." --Chapter 16"[Hembree] delivers his account of that time with the sort of lively, telling detail that can come only from someone who is reporting on lived-through experience. His book is a ride well worth taking." --Bluegrass Unlimited"I look for it to be a hit in the bluegrass world and among musicologists, as it adds to what we know about Bill Monroe from a human relationship perspective. It has nuts and bolts but also some slipped wrenches and busted knuckles. . . . I salute Hembree and this book about life on the bus. In a very articulate and pleasant manner, Hembree manages to take us along for the ride with him through an important period of Bluegrass history." --Bluegrass Standard​​​​"Do we need one more book on Bill Monroe? Yes, if it is as honestly written as this one, and by a musician who shared the road with him for five years, covering thousands of miles and thousands of shows."--Bill C. Malone, coauthor of Country Music USA: 50th Anniversary Edition "Enthralling." --BookReporter.com "It paints a very, very, very true picture of life on the road, so much less glamorous than fans imagine--and the bus Monroe had when I was a Blue Grass Boy was even older and less reliable! I think this is an extremely valuable insight for those who have never lived this life. It also paints exquisite pictures of both Monroe and Kenny Baker--the men, not the performers--and this is as close a look as any who are curious will ever get."--Douglas B. (Ranger Doug) GreenTable of ContentsFalse Start Foreword xiAcknowledgments xiiiPART I. INTRODUCTIONS1. William Smith Monroe 32. Mark Gilbert Hembree 10PART II. “MULESKINNER BLUES”3. “You Just Might Have a Job” 154. “Shh! Shh! It’s Bill!” 185. Monroe Enterprises 196. The Blue Grass Boys 217. Getting My Bedclothes 278. Learning the Vernacular 289. The Crucible of Chatom 3110. Comfort Level 1 3411. A Gentle Side of Bill 3512. “Back Home Again in Indiana” 3713. Uncle Birch 3914. “Doghouse Blues” 4015. Proper Grooming and a Tip of the Hat 41PART III. “BREAKING IN A BRAND-NEW PAIR OF SHOES”16. Glory Is Fleeting 4717. The Eye 5018. More on the Bus 5119. Road Cuisine 5220. A Need-to-Know Bassist 5521. The Beer Taboo 5722. Hangover Management 5923. Road Journal, February 1980 6024. Who Is That Guy? 6325. No, Really, Who the Hell Is That Guy? 64PART IV. “HEAVY TRAFFIC AHEAD”26. Kentucky Fried Festival, Louisville 6927. Taking My Time Capsules 7128. John Duffey 7229. On to Pocatello! 7330. Rooms/No Rooms 7431. Of Gloves and Bananas 7632. Pushing the Bus up Cumberland Gap 77PART V. “MY LAST DAYS ON EARTH”33. Master of Bluegrass 8134. Back in the Saddle 8435. Monroe Hangs Tough, But It’s Tough 85PART VI. “ROCKY ROAD BLUES”36. The Accidental Road Manager 10137. West Coast Routing and Canadian Customs 10338. Road Burns and the Right Rock 106 39. Rich Comes Along for the Ride 10840. The Poker to End All Poker 11041. Bill on Dolly, Wayne on Bill 11242. Winning in Tahoe 11343. Monroe Pays the Piper 11444. The First Thing I’m Going to Do 11545. Bean Blossom International 11646. All Day at the Record Table 11847. Bluegrass Death Trip 12148. Bill Keeps Grinding 12249. Checking on Paycheck 12650. Mule Day, April 3, 1982, Columbia, Tennessee 12851. Opening the Knoxville World’s Fair, May 1, 1982 12952. Uncle Birch and Southern Funerary Traditions 131PART VII. “PRECIOUS MEMORIES”53. Taking the Gospel Shot 13554. July 24–27, 1982 13755. Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, via the Emergency Room 13956. A Record-Breaking Diss 14157. River Ranch Resort 14358. Bill’s Birthday in Louisville 14459. Country Hardball 14660. McClure via Coeburn 14961. Roll On Buddy 152PART VIII. “OVER THE WAVES”62. Hello, Ireland! 15763. Bill Gets His Encore 16064. A Wonderful School of Music 16265. The Blue Grass Goys in Israel 163PART IX. “LIVE AND LET LIVE”66. Pittsburgh, Unplugged 16967. Feats of Magic 17068. PTL: Pass The Loot 17269. Bluegrass and the Hippies 174PART X. “ON AND ON”70. Just Be Ready 17971. Serving Notice 18172. The Road Is Clear 18373. Grand Ole Après 185At Last, Thanks 187Further Reading 193Index 195

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Book SynopsisA pivotal twentieth-century composer, Samuel Barber earned a long list of honors and accolades that included two Pulitzer Prizes for Music and the public support of conductors like Arturo Toscanini, Serge Koussevitzky, and Leonard Bernstein. Barber’s works have since become standard concert repertoire and continue to flourish across high art and popular culture. Acclaimed biographer Howard Pollack (Aaron Copland, George Gershwin) offers a multifaceted account of Barber’s life and music while placing the artist in his social and cultural milieu. Born into a musical family, Barber pursued his artistic ambitions from childhood. Pollack follows Barber’s path from his precocious youth through a career where, from the start, the composer consistently received prizes, fellowships, and other recognition. Stylistic analyses of works like the Adagio for Strings, the Violin Concerto, Knoxville: Summer of 1915 for voice and orchestra, the Piano ConTrade Review"Howard Pollack's 'Samuel Barber: His Life and Legacy,' which continues his remarkable series of books on American composers and lyricists, may be the finest biography of an American classical musician since Anthony Tommasini's 'Virgil Thomson: Composer on the Aisle.'. . . Pollack is a master of writing about artistic creation without forbidding jargon, his explanations of Barber's music are just as arresting as the biographical passages." --Wall Street Journal"Will surely be the authoritative work on talented composer Barber for decades to come. This monumental book is both the account of a fascinating life and a detailed assessment of the composer's works." --Library Journal, starred review"Barber's music continues to be treasured for its melding of flawless craftsmanship and deep feeling. Barber himself was more complicated, as this fine biography reveals." --New Yorker"[Samuel Barber: His Life and Legacy] offers a more rounded picture of Barber the man, and doesn't shy away from shining the spotlight on his less admirable traits. . . . Pollack is [also] exceptionally conscientious in tracing the lives of Barber's musical works as well, discussing not only premieres, performances, recordings, and critical reactions but also the many ballets and dances that choreographers created to his work." --Gramophone“Richly detailed, beautifully written, and as humane as it is observant, Howard Pollack’s biography paints a convincing portrait not only of Samuel Barber himself, but of the unique milieu that shaped his music and character. Sam began as my mentor and later became my colleague and friend; I recognize him throughout this remarkable book.”--John Corigliano, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer“This critical biography will no doubt become a foundational text. Pollack humanizes Barber by providing new insights, information, and perspectives about him that include religious, political, social, and cultural issues, and details about his interactions with an array of artists, friends, and institutions. The author’s flowing style provides a meaty narrative for general readers while his use and interpretation of an exhaustive trove of sources will serve scholars for years to come.”--Sally Bick, author of Unsettled Scores: Politics, Hollywood, and the Film Music of Aaron Copland and Hanns EislerTable of ContentsIntroduction Samuel Barber and His Family A Musical Education Personal Matters: Early Years Other Formative Experiences Early Works Through 1932 More Adventures at Home and Abroad, 1933-1939 Music for a Scene from Shelley and One Day of Spring Songs and Choruses, 1934-1940 The First Symphony and the String Quartet Adagio for Strings and the First Essay The Violin Concerto and Second Essay In the Army The Second Symphony and Excursions Capricorn Concerto and the Cello Concerto Barber and His Contemporaries Medea Knoxville: Summer of 1915 and “Nuvoletta” The Piano Sonata and Mélodies passagères Personal Matters: Later Years A Composer’s Life Souvenirs and Hermit Songs Prayers of Kierkegaard, Adventure, and Summer Music Vanessa From the Nocturne to Die Natali The Piano Concerto and Andromache’s Farewell The Creation of Antony and Cleopatra Antony and Cleopatra in Performance From Chorale for Ascension Day to The Lovers From Fadograph of a Yestern Scene to the Canzonetta Epilogue and Conclusion Notes Index

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Book SynopsisIn Bound for America, Nicholas Temperley documents the lives, careers, and music of three British composers who emigrated from England in mid-career and became leaders in the musical life of the American Federal era.Trade Review"A fascinating account of what happens when minor musicians are transplanted from routine careers in their native land to a New World fertile with opportunities for music-making. . . . The value of Bound for America not only as a work of first-rate scholarship but also as 'a good read' is clear."--Music and Letter"Through fastidious research, a knack for objective and yet sympathetic criticism, and an intimate knowledge of the conventions of British as well as Federal-era American society, Temperley has drawn well-balanced and detailed profiles . . . . Selby, Taylor, and Jackson have thus become, somehow, more American."--Nineteenth-Century Music Review"Temperley's study demonstrates what can be accomplished when traditional scholarly methods are applied with creativity, restraint, and elegance. . . . Temperley's careful analysis of [the composers'] careers and their music tells us much about a relatively unexplored time in the history of American music."--Eighteenth-Century Music"A much-needed work, filled with detailed analysis and valuable insights on the changes in style, acceptance, and cultural milieu that early composers experienced when they crossed the Atlantic. This revealing book will be an invaluable contribution to the literature on American and British music."--Anne Dhu McLucas, past president of the Society for American Music

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Book SynopsisJohn 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 where the band played, a complete list of musicians, instrumentation of the band, program listings, and a discographyTrade ReviewReceived the 2007 Association for Recorded Sound Collections Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research, under the heading of “Best Discography.” "A remarkable array of carefully arranged and meticulously detailed data. . . . Bierley opens doors to new arenas of American music research. . . . With this remarkable book, Sousa research is now ready to really begin."--Nineteenth-Century Music Review "The premier Sousa authority, Bierley caps his forty-year career with this admirably comprehensive tome on his--and many Americans'--favorite subject. . . . Highly recommended."--Choice"Solidly researched, the book provides a view of music in American life not found in other studies of Sousa or the period. Highly recommended."--Library Journal "If your personal library is missing this book, you cannot have a complete music section."--Circus Fanfare"This is the first major scholarly work to minutely detail the four-decade-long existence of the greatest and most influential concert band ever. A magnificent resource brimming with intriguing and detailed information, it is one of the best books ever in the field of band scholarship."--Craig B. Parker, professor of music history, Kansas State University

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Book SynopsisA revealing portrait of a legend of American classical musicTrade Review"Thoroughly researched and accessible to the lay reader, the book will intrigue readers who wish to deepen their appreciation of this legendary composer."--Library Journal "The most complete picture of Carter's early life and career to date. Wierzbicki shows more clearly than anyone else how Carter's temporal techniques evolved over the course of his career."--Anne C. Shreffler, coeditor of Elliott Carter: A Centennial Portrait in Letters and Documents "A gratifying success. The story of Elliott Carter's life and work is succinctly told and is one that specialists and non-experts alike can read with great profit."--Arnold Whittall, author of Exploring Twentieth-Century Music: Tradition and InnovationTable of Contentsintroduction 1 1. Foundations (1908-45) 5 2. Three Seminal Works (1945-51) 32 3. Maturity (1950-80) 50 4. New Directions (1980-2010) 75 Epilogue 97 notes 101 index 117

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Book SynopsisThe first in-depth look at a highly innovative jazz iconTrade Review“Beal’s prose is often lyrical and always dynamic, she instantly finds the appropriate pacing for the narrative and, just as quickly, demonstrates deep knowledge of and affection for her subject.”--Popmatters "Amy C. Beal responds with alacrity and intellectual force to the challenge of contextualizing the work of this uniquely important, yet academically underexplored twentieth-century American composer-performer. An important and salutary work that greatly enriches the field of jazz studies."--George E. Lewis, author of A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Experimental Music"Accurate and kind, Carla Bley reveals with remarkable effectiveness the anatomy of the successive moments of Bley's musical life."--Clarin"Excellent."--New Yorker"Beal ... expertly contextualizes Bley's career within the landscapes of emergent avant-garde, free jazz, and experimental music while also exploring her creative relationships with the legendary Steve Swallow, Charlie Haden, and others. . . . Readers and researchers interested in women composers, American music history, music theory, or jazz from 1950 to the present will find this book invaluable."--Library Journal“Beal could have easily written a biography three or four times longer than the present volume. But it would be a mistake to consider Carla Bley something of a half-loaf, as it is more than enough to set the record straight.”--The Wire“Carla Bley is a marvel of concision, packing biography, musicology and cogent, descriptive analysis of her major work in barely 100 pages.”--Shepherd Express "An intelligent and sensitive compositional history of Carla Bley's music. Amy C. Beal honors Bley's famous humor and autodidactism without compromising a serious analysis of Bley's compositions over a very long and distinguished career."--Sherrie Tucker, coeditor of Big Ears: Listening for Gender in Jazz StudiesTable of ContentsList of Figures; Acknowledgements Introduction: "Like a Mockingbird"; 1. Walking Woman: Oakland, New York, Los Angeles, New York; 2. Sing Me Softly of the Blues: Early Short Pieces and Songs Without Words; 3. Social Studies: The Jazz Composers Guild and The Jazz Composers Orchestra; 4. "Mad at Jazz": A Genuine Tong Funeral; 5. Escalator Over the Hill: Jazz Opera as Fusion; 6. Copyright Royalties: New Music Distribution Service; 7: Big Band Theory: The Carla Bley Band and Other Projects; 8: The Lone Arranger: History and Hilarity; 9: End of Vienna: Fancy Chamber Music; 10. Dreams So Real: "Jazz is Where My Heart Now Lies" Notes; Suggested Listening; Sources; Index

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Book SynopsisRepresenting a historical cross-section of performance and training in Western music since the seventeenth century, this book brings to light the private and performance lives of five remarkable women musicians and composers.Trade Review"A welcome contribution to the literature on women in music. Richly contextualized and engagingly written, Porter's book offers portraits of five women who lived lives full of music and whose music should enliven our concert halls more."--Anne MacNeil, author of Music and Women of the Commedia dell'Arte in the Late Sixteenth Century"An engaging book that draws readers into deep consideration of the complexities facing women—then and now—who forge careers in music. Highly recommended."--Choice

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Book SynopsisA member of Muddy Waters'' legendary late 1940s-1950s band, Jimmy Rogers pioneered a blues guitar style that made him one of the most revered sidemen of all time. Rogers also had a significant if star-crossed career as a singer and solo artist for Chess Records, releasing the classic singles 'That''s All Right' and 'Walking By Myself.' In Blues All Day Long, Wayne Everett Goins mines seventy-five hours of interviews with Rogers'' family, collaborators, and peers to follow a life spent in the blues. Goins'' account takes Rogers from recording Chess classics and barnstorming across the South to a late-in-life renaissance that included new music, entry into the Blues Hall of Fame, and high profile tours with Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones. Informed and definitive, Blues All Day Long fills a gap in twentieth century music history with the story of one of the blues'' eminent figures and one of the genre''s seminal bands.Trade ReviewBest Blues Book of the Year, Readers' Poll, Living Blues magazine, 2015. Certificate of Merit, Awards for Excellence, Historical Research in Blues, Gospel, or R&B, Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC), 2015. "Wayne Everett Goins hasn't simply written a long-overdue biographical portrait of one of modern blues' most influential and gifted stylists; he's given us the context as well, with vivid, indelibly limned vignettes. . . . It brings to life not just musical history, but the feel, flavor and emotional resonance of the times during which this history was lived."--Living Blues“Blues All Day Long is suffused with the same spirit as Rogers’ style of guitar-playing: tasteful, relaxed and stylish. . . . A mature and worthy biography."--De Blueskrant "Great work. Long, long overdue."--Taj Mahal"For blues aficionados, Goins provides a wealth of information on one of the underacknowledged masters of the Chicago sound."--Kirkus"Goins gleans fresh facts and vivid memories from dozens of lively interviews to capture the energy and struggles of the Chicago Blues scene, from Maxwell Street to the Chess Records studios. . . . engrossing."--Booklist"Blues All Day Long is a compelling study of an artist whose trajectory went from informal networks in the black community to the rigid and grueling strictures of the music industry." --Journal of Folklore Research"A great read. I loved it. What a nice tribute to the great Jimmy Rogers."--Charlie Musselwhite"Jimmy Rogers was the most under-appreciated of all the postwar Chicago blues pioneers--until now. Deep, heartfelt, and immaculately researched, Blues All Day Long sets the record straight. A major contribution to blues lore."--Jas Obrecht, former editor, Guitar Player magazine "Blues All Day Long bestows Jimmy Rogers with all the respect and attention he has long deserved for his integral role in the development of classic Chicago blues. Author Wayne Goins is uniquely qualified to tell the story of the man and his music, not only because of his expertise as an academic and as a guitarist, but because of the cultural pride he carries as a native of the same vibrant South Side Chicago turf that was the home of Jimmy Rogers."--Jim O'Neal, blues producer and co-founder of Living Blues magazine and co-editor of The Voice of the Blues "Jimmy Rogers' life and music are critical parts of blues history. He was an affirmation of the beauty of true ensemble playing and the enduring power of simplicity and directness, and his repertoire has become central to the canon. Wayne Goins has done an exhaustive, diligent, and discerning job of shedding light on the contributions of a man who helped define Chicago blues. Both the subject and the treatment are worthy of celebration."--Dick Shurman, blues producer and historian "Since Paul Oliver established the accepted template for blues in regard to timeline, genre, and geographic location, the real work left to blues writers/researchers has been to profile the lives and careers of the individuals who played and sang the blues and those that recorded and distributed the music. With his book Blues All Day Long, Goins adds another valuable tile to the overall mosaic of postwar Chicago blues."--Steve Cushing, host of Blues before Sunrise and author of Pioneers of the Blues Revival

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Book SynopsisBrings together forty years of passionate research by scholar and record label owner. This book provides fans and scholars alike with a guide for immersion in the long career and breathtaking repertoire of two legendary American musicians.Trade ReviewBest Discography, Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC), 2016. Bluegrass Print/Media Person of the Year, International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), 2015. "Authoritative. With its publication, Music of the Stanley Brothers becomes one of the most important sources about one of history's most important bluegrass groups."--Journal of Folklore Research"An important link in bluegrass history. The amount of information is staggering, and this will be the encyclopedia of the Stanley Brothers, the best source of information about their musical legacy."--Country Standard Time"An excellent reference for anyone interested in the Stanley Brothers years."--The Lonesome Road Review"This book is a must for any Stanley Brothers fan. You've cast light into what was a dark place of much-needed information. Thanks for your research. Long live the Stanley Brothers!!!"--Ricky Skaggs"Say hello to the Boyhood of bluegrass music journalism, a book that has taken Gary Reid some 40 years to piece together. . . . As an all-encompassing guide to their music, this is indispensable."--Mojo"Reid has amassed, and shared, a massive number of facts which is testimony to the depth of his research and knowledge. . . . It appears as if nothing escapes Reid's attention."--Bluegrass Today"The Music of the Stanley Brothers is an essential entry in the work of chronicling the history of bluegrass and its practitioners."--Music Tomes"Gary Reid's Music of the Stanley Brothers brings together a lot of information about one of the most important first-generation bluegrass groups. The level of detail and completeness of the discography make the listings authoritative. . . . With its publication, Music of the Stanley Brothers becomes one of the most important sources about one of history's most important bluegrass groups."--Journal of Folklore Research "This session-by-session examination of the Stanley Brothers recorded output is, therefore, the result of more than 40 years of research and faultless in its attention to detail. . . . The definitive work."--Country Music People "The present fact-filled book offers a complete discography and discusses every recording session and every recording the Stanleys made. . . . contributing to the history of bluegrass on record during the genre’s first 20 years. Recommended"--Choice "The Music of the Stanley Brothers handily accomplishes its goal, greatly expanding the historical accuracy of and context behind this group's acclaimed legacy of commercial recordings. It represents an indispensable reference for any scholar or enthusiast interested in bluegrass music history and culture."--Indiana Magazine of History "Gary Reid has written as thorough a history of the Stanley Brothers' recording and touring career as anyone could want. Complete with an exhaustive discography and a colorful narrative, this addition to the University of Illinois Press's Music in American Life series will delight any fan of the Stanleys, and prove useful to any researcher interested in the band's musical activities and significance to the bluegrass music."--Notes "Likely to become the definitive work on the music made by this pioneering bluegrass band. An enjoyable work for any Stanley Brothers fan, and absolutely essential for everyone who desires to understand the development of bluegrass." --Thomas A. Adler, author of Bean Blossom: The Brown County Jamboree and Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Festivals "The Stanleys recorded in many different places, their supporting musicians changed frequently, and . . . the sources of their material can be a bewildering labyrinth. Gary Reid has untangled this labyrinth and everything else connected with it with admirable dexterity, though one cannot say he has done it easily: his book is the result of decades of hard work. . . . A splendid work of scholarship."--John Wright, author of Traveling the High Way Home: Ralph Stanley and the World of Traditional Bluegrass Music

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Book SynopsisFocuses on the critics, composers, performers, and scholars whose contributions were most influential in shaping the critical discourse on Ives, many of them marquee names of American musical culture themselves, including Henry Cowell, Aaron Copland, Elliott Carter, and Leonard Bernstein.Trade ReviewA Choice Outstanding Title, 2013. "An engaging and comprehensive account of the reception history of Charles Edward Ives. . . .The book will undoubtedly become an essential tool for the study of Ives."-- Choice"David Paul's interest lies with how Ives's reflection is colored by the viewpoints of other Americans. He has written the first book-length reception history of the composer since his relatively recent passing in 1954… He asks his readers to embrace and even celebrate subjectivity, both in their understanding of Ives as a historical figure and universally in history at large."--Notes "The depth of Paul's historical perspective speaks for itself."--Gramophone“Paul has crafted an ambitious intellectual history, putting Ives at the centre of diverse forces, including the history of twentieth-century composition, the legacy of transcendentalism, the cultural marketing of the Cold War and the rise of American Studies and American Musicology. This is not a book about Ives’s music or his life, but rather a meta history that focuses on the composer’s advocates, critics and chroniclers. Essentially, it probes the complex ways in which a gifted creative artist achieves broad-based fame, and then, in a sense, becomes public property—a figure to be reviled or adored or forgotten as time marches on.”—Times Literary Supplement"By virtue of its depth of insight, its wide remit, and its succinct yet highly detailed presentation, this remarkable book is a considerable addition to the existing scholarship on this most fascinating of musical figures."--David Nicholls, author of John Cage"An outstanding work. Until now no one has created, in a single narrative, the story of how Charles Ives' music moved from the far outer fringes to the central core of American musical culture, and David Paul has done this in an exemplary manner. It is a tour-de-force in both its breadth and its insights."--Michael Broyles, author of Beethoven in America

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Accessible and engaging, this fresh view of Mancini's oeuvre and influence will delight and inform fans of film and popular music."--Turner Classic Movies"Caps' assiduously research study of Mancini's life and career ... is detailed and insightful. . . . It will be enjoyed both by film buffs and music lovers."--Allaboutjazz.com "Will satisfy musically experienced readers as well as laypeople. It deserves a place in every film and popular music collection."--Library Journal"A stimulating chronicle of the life and works of film and television composer Henry Mancini. Consistently thorough and detailed, this book contains a considerable wealth of information and insight into this extremely popular composer."--James Wierzbicki, author of Film Music: A History and Elliott Carter "A well-researched study of a musical career. . . Film by film, the book reveals how Mancini negotiated and compromised to become the computer of many a moviemaker's dreams."--Booklist"An important book, and, in many ways, a crucial one, too, it's chief value resting in Caps' articulate championing of one of the most singular compositional talents to emerge from Hollywood's film factory."--Classical Music"In this lively, syncopated survey of Mancini's movie music, Caps offers a comprehensive critique of the composer's film/TV scores and hit albums."--Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewBelmont Country Music Book of the Year Award, 2013."A detailed account of the life and career of country music superstar Marty Robbins. Anyone interested in Robbins or the country music world of his long era will enjoy Diane Diekman's refreshing, compelling narrative." --Ronnie Pugh, author of Ernest Tubb: The Texas Troubadour"A well-told and informative biography of a great but over looked country star."--Country Music People"A top country & western artist who crossed over to the pop charts, Marty Robbins deserves this well-written, well-researched account of his life and music. Diekman's expert history is a welcome addition to the oeuvre of classic country music biography."--Holly George-Warren, author of Public Cowboy No. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry"Diekman propels the narrative with impressive detail and energy, leaving the reader with an impression that can only echo the admiration and respect of those who knew him."--The Austin Chronicle"In her excellent new, 2012 biography, Diane Diekman explores the personal, more nuanced side of this unique and gifted talent and explains how he was painfully shy by nature."--American Cowboy

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Book SynopsisGeorge Gershwin lived with purpose and gusto, but with melancholy as well, for he was unable to make a place for himself--no family of his own and no real home in music. He and his siblings received little love from their mother and no direction from their father. Older brother and lyricist Ira managed to create a home when he married Leonore Strunsky, a hard-edged woman who lived for wealth and status. The closest George came to domesticity was through his longtime relationship with Kay Swift. She was his lover, musical confidante, and fellow composer. But she remained married to another man while he went endlessly from woman to woman. Only in the final hours of his life, when they were separated by a continent, did he realize how much he needed her. Fatally ill, unprotected by (and perhaps estranged from) Ira, he was exiled by Leonore from the house she and the brothers shared, and he died horribly and alone at the age of thirty-eight.Nor was Gershwin able to find a satisfyTrade Review"More thorough biographies than Mr. Rimler's slender volume exist ... but for those of us interested less in the technical details of Gershwin's music and its performance than in the comet called George Gershwin that blazed briefly across American skies, Mr. Rimler is the astronomer of choice."The Wall Street Journal"Compact in length and voluminous in its details, Walter Rimler's study of Gershwin is freighted with melancholy—an appropriate parallel with Gershwin's own life."--TLS "An engrossing, well-written look at Gershwin, the composer and the man, with emphasis on the man."--Choice"For those of us interested less in the technical details of Gershwin's music and its performance than in the comet called George Gershwin that blazed briefly across American skies, Mr. Rimler is the astronomer of choice."--Wall Street Journal"Rimler shines in weaving together anecdotes, correspondence and a wealth of interviews with the composer and his contemporaries to create a vibrant, flesh-and-blood picture of the man and his music in a readable and enjoyable book."--Jerusalem Post"Engagingly written, lavishly illustrated. . . . With this volume, we get a focused portrait of George Gershwin, a genius plagued by self-doubt and a wandering eye."--Opera News"A dynamic, fast-paced biography of George Gershwin that has the verve and staccato drive of a book the composer himself might have written. Rimler gives us a fuller, more complex, more humorous, and more vulnerable picture of Gershwin than has yet appeared in print."--Philip Furia, coauthor of The Poets of Tin Pan Alley: A History of America's Great Lyricists"A hugely enjoyable read, this neat, polished package is a skillful condensation of the vast literature on Gershwin but also offers a new critical angle on the composer's achievement."--Stephen Banfield, author of Jerome Kern

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewCertificate of Merit for Best Discography, Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC), 2017 "Recommended."--Choice"As part of the 'Music in American Life' series, this book is an essential introduction and study of the music of one of the greatest American composers of the twentieth century." --The Journal of American Culture"Is there a need for a book like this, a compendium of essays by scholars and experts in musicology, music history and sundry ancillary specialties? The answer is an emphatic yes… To return to Irving Berlin, 'ya don’t need any larning' to appreciate this most sophisticated and well educated of American songwriters, but the huge amount of detail and analysis packed into this book enhances that appreciation."--The Washington Times"A Cole Porter Companion is an important addition to scholarship on American musical theatre and popular music. . . . This is a good introduction to scholarly examinations of the work of one of the most beloved American composers."--Indiana Magazine if History"Though centered on one person and his undeniable talents, the compilation explores many different avenues and subtopics, keeping the subject fresh and enjoyable throughout."--Notes"A Cole Porter Companion is simply an indispensable, unadulterated joy of a book--required reading for anyone who loves music, lyrics, the theater, and of course the inimitable Cole Porter--from the non-music-reading fan to the most sophisticated and scholarly musicologist. A landmark volume, bridging the gap between academe and the general listener with a bubbly élan worthy of the master himself."--Maury Yeston"Anything goes?--not in the ruthless world of Tin Pan Alley. Of all the great American Songbook composers, Cole Porter is perhaps the hardest to fit into Broadway's 'Golden Age.' This fine guide suggests how best to do it."--Tim Carter, author of Oklahoma! The Making of an American Musical

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewCertificate of Merit for Best Historical Research in Recorded Country Music, Association for Recorded Sound Collections Awards (ARSC), 2017 Named Bluegrass Print/Media Person of the Year from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), 2016 "A front row seat to bluegrass history."--Charlotte News & Observer "What emerges from Parsons' narrative is a fascinating life of a performer who deserves to be well known to all scholars and fans of bluegrass music."--ARSC Journal"Those who are interested in the history of bluegrass and old country music must by and read this wonderful book."--Bluegrass Today"Let us shower Penny Parsons and Curly Seckler with roses for their wonderful collaboration on Foggy Mountain Troubadour . Curly Seckler is one of the most beloved and revered of all the first generation country and bluegrass music pioneers. Ms. Parsons not only illuminates Mr. Seckler's storied life but also reports rarified accounts that offer us insight into the humanity that underscored the people, songs, live performances, recordings, and travels surrounding what is now considered to be one of the most mythical bands ever to play: Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and the Foggy Mountain Boys. Penny Parsons is not only an authentic biographer, she is also a first-rate musical detective."--Marty Stuart"Anyone who has followed the life and career of Curly Seckler will have a hard time putting this book down. . . . [Penny Parsons] has done an amazing and masterful job in documenting the life of one of the great sidemen in Bluegrass."--Country Sales Newsletter"A must read for anyone who would like a window into the world of the American South, the rise of our country music and its early stars, and especially to gain an appreciation for an American musical treasure--Curly Seckler."--Randall Franks, Southern Style"Foggy Mountain Troubadour offers a fascinating look at a long and storied life in music. Bluegrass is one of America's defining art forms, and Parsons uses spirited prose and anecdotes drawn from her adept research to illustrate how Seckler witnessed and helped shape it from the beginning."--Greensboro News & Record"Penny Parsons's well-mined research and articulate journalistic style reveal never-before-documented history that should be of interest to all fans of country and bluegrass music's golden era. Written with Mr. Seckler's full cooperation, this educational and entertaining biography explores the compelling journey of a legendary musical statesman. Along the way, he endured both triumph and tragedy with determination, unshakable faith, kindness, generosity, and humor. This book truly does justice to his amazing legacy."--Eddie Stubbs, WSM Grand Ole Opry announcer "This carefully researched and richly detailed account of Seckler's life and career provides a new perspective on the work of his primary employers--Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. Parsons's labor of love has produced a good read and an invaluable reference."--Jay Orr, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An ambitious collection of essays on women singers by leading scholars in ethnomusicology and related fields. The volume will be welcomed by students of a variety of disciplines including ethnomusicology and women's studies."--Anne K. Rasmussen, author of Women, the Recited Qur'an, and Islamic Music in Indonesia "An intellectually stimulating overview of how such musicians manage dynamically to present themselves with their own cultures. Highly recommended."--Choice "Each chapter engages with multiple contexts, demonstrating the ways in which women from various backgrounds mediate performance and gendered expectations inside and outside their home communities... Impactful intersections of different identity categories--gender, class, profession, or avocation ("singer"), location, age, sexuality, education, race, and marital and familial status--emerge as central to the work"--Ethnomusicology "The first ethnographic collection to focus on individual female singers. . . . The range of the essays is impressive, featuring women of different generations from five continents. . . . this volume will be valuable to scholars interested in a variety of aspects related to biography and performance."--Journal of Singing

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Book SynopsisJohn Philip Sousa''s mature career as the indomitable leader of his own touring band is well known, but the years leading up to his emergence as a celebrity have escaped serious attention. In this revealing biography, Patrick Warfield explains how the March King came to be by documenting Sousa''s early life and career. Covering the period 1854 to 1893, this study focuses on the community and training that created Sousa, exploring the musical life of late nineteenth-century Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia as a context for Sousa''s development. Warfield examines Sousa''s wide-ranging experience composing, conducting, and performing in the theater, opera house, concert hall, and salons, as well as his leadership of the United States Marine Band and the later Sousa Band, early twentieth-century America''s most famous and successful ensemble. Sousa composed not only marches during this period but also parlor, minstrel, and art songs; parade, concert, and medley marches; schottisches, Trade Review"Making the March King is chock full of fresh and previously unpublished details about John Philip Sousa's early years, his influences, his formative experiences, and his strategies for promoting his career and reputation. Recommended for anyone interested in music history and the full story of one of the giants of early American popular culture."--Thomas L. Riis, author of Frank Loesser"Thorough, engaging and fun. Musicians interested in the evolution of music in the US will be riveted by this study of one of America's most beloved musical icons. Highly recommended."--Choice"An engaging book, easy to read, full of facts and footnotes."--American Record Guide"Warfield has brilliantly illuminated how Sousa managed his nascent career to become the March King, providing readers with a remarkable look at how an artist can shape his or her career."--American Music"Like Sousa's musical programs, the book is both educational and entertaining."--Washington History"A terrific new book on the early life and times of a composer who has long been as enigmatic as he is familiar."--Kenneth R. Kreitner, author of Discoursing Sweet Music: Brass Bands and Community Life in Turn-of-the-Century Pennsylvania

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Excellently researched, beautifully organized, and entertainingly written. Presents a sensitive, wonderfully collaborative portrait of an ‘exuberant,’ highly productive, and driven woman who dealt with all the turbulence, social change, and musical vicissitudes of her social and musical worlds.”--Ellen Koskoff, author of A Feminist Ethnomusicology: Writings on Music and Gender“A scholarly contribution of great importance. Fills in some of the gaps of a leading female composer of our time. Von Glahn’s ‘collaboration’ with Libby Larsen is surely a positive factor in ensuring an unprecedented level of detail.”--Kay Kaufman Shelemay, author of Soundscapes: Exploring Music in a Changing World"Undoubtedly, Von Glahn's scholarship and the insight with which she has framed her research are immensely valuable, and as a first biography of the master composer, her book holds even more significance. Anyone, musical or not, who wants to learn about Libby Larsen should read Von Glahn's well-researched and thorough portrayal of her subject." --Women and Music"Recommended for anyone who wishes to study the fascinating life of Larsen, her compositions, and her presence in American compositional life." --Choral Journal"Libby Larsen: Composing an American Life is a welcome addition to the growing number of biographies about women composers." --NOTES

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewPraise for Lilian Terry: “Lilian Terry is of the music and for the music and she has the talent to use what she has learned in telling a story. There are a mess of wannabees who try so hard to be hip that they end up in the corn field. The bonafides are few and far between. Lil is the real deal."--Ira GitlerPraise for Dizzy, Duke, Brother Ray, and Friends: “Lively, well-written, and engaging. Lilian Terry has written nuanced portraits gained from the affection and trust these artists placed in her personally, as a professional in her field, as well as being a talented jazz singer. These writings uniformly go beyond these artists as stars to what makes them human. There is a lot of jazz history here."--Tad Hershorn, author of Norman Granz: The Man Who Used Jazz for Justice“Terry’s book illuminates the artistic outlooks and personal values of well-known jazz musicians. Much of this book’s uniqueness and appeal comes from the author’s trusted relationships with her subjects. They opened up to her in ways that they did not to conventional interviewers.”--Carl Woideck, author of Charlie Parker: His Music and Life"This book contains a great deal of fascinating information, much of which has never been available elsewhere. Researchers of the seven subjects will find it very useful as yet another source that can be consulted and integrated into more focused projects. When the stores told are indeed each one-of-a-kind, they are priceless." --ARSC Journal"A jaunty memoir."--New York City Jazz Record"Dizzy, Duke, Brother Ray and Friends offers a positive glimpse into the world of beloved jazz artist personalities with amusing anecdotes. From Ellington’s poetry to conversations with Roach, Charles, Silver, and Gillespie, Terry’s shared experiences and interviews present a captivating look into the world of jazz and its private moments."--DownBeat

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"For the protraction of my musical education and the great pleasure of their company, I am truly grateful to the family Romero."--Sir Neville Marriner, from the foreword"We are taken on a beautiful journey starting in the hills of southern Spain and traveling across the world in an exquisite poetic narrative that evokes the magic of the musical life of the Romero family. Their amazing guitar playing is central to this adventure, as they shared their passion with their audiences. The author gives us a wonderful insight into their lives and the enormous contribution they have made to the world of music."--David Russell, classical guitarist"It is impossible to overestimate the impact that the Romeros have had on the world of the classical guitar. They’ve enthralled millions of listeners and inspired generations of players with their brilliant technique, phenomenal musicianship, and joyous stage artistry. The LAGQ feels blessed to be part of their grand legacy, and we applaud the poetry and beauty that the author brings to this fascinating subject."--The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (John Dearman, Matthew Greif, William Kanengiser and Scott Tennant) "To see Los Romeros play is to witness them making love to an instrument that, in their hands, is transformed into the most beautiful human voice."--Jesús López Cobos, from the foreword"All the Romeros form a very close family that has bestowed on our guitar honors, nobility, and the best music. This book tells their story in a fashion worthy of them."--Manolo Sanlúcar, flamenco guitarist

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Book SynopsisOne of the earliest performers on WSM in Nashville, Uncle Dave Macon became the Grand Ole Opry''s first superstar. His old-time music and energetic stage shows made him a national sensation and fueled a thirty-year run as one of America''s most beloved entertainers. Michael D. Doubler tells the amazing story of the Dixie Dewdrop, a country music icon. Born in 1870, David Harrison Macon learned the banjo from musicians passing through his parents'' Nashville hotel. After playing local shows in Middle Tennessee for decades, a big break led Macon to Vaudeville, the earliest of his two hundred-plus recordings and eventually to national stardom. Uncle Dave--clad in his trademark plug hat and gates-ajar collar--soon became the face of the Opry itself with his spirited singing, humor, and array of banjo picking styles. For the rest of his life, he defied age to tour and record prolifically, manage his business affairs, mentor up-and-comers like David Stringbean Akeman, and play with the Trade Review"Doubler does a wonderful job of telling Uncle Dave Macon’s story in a way that is interesting, entertaining, informative, and enjoyable." --Bluegrass Unlimited"Providing deep insights into Uncle Dave Macon, his family, and his music, this important biography traces the life of a pioneering American musician whose career spanned vaudeville, radio, recording, and film. Essential reading for anyone interested in American entertainment."--John W. Rumble, Senior Historian, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum​“Drawing skillfully on historical research and family lore, Doubler reveals the many sides of Uncle Dave Macon—performer, recording artist, star of the Grand Ole Opry, mentor, husband, and father. This is an affectionate and absorbing account of a profoundly important early country musician.”--Tony Russell, author of Country Music Originals: The Legends and the Lost"Dixie Dewdrop is a valuable book, one that country music historians and Uncle Dave's many fans will welcome." --ARSC Journal"Michael D. Doubler has given us a rich and highly nuanced portrait of the complex, highly gifted man who helped put country music on the map. As Macon's great-grandson, Doubler was able to draw on family archives and reminiscences that might otherwise be unavailable, and his excellent writing skills have allowed him to weave this material together into a compelling and entertaining narrative. " --Journal of Folklore Research"An eminently readable chronicle." --Rambles.Net

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Book SynopsisEthnomusicologists have journeyed from Bali to Morocco to the depths of Amazonia to chronicle humanity's relationship with music. Margaret Sarkissian and Ted Solis guide us into the field's last great undiscovered country: ethnomusicology itself. Drawing on fieldwork based on person-to-person interaction, the authors provide a first-ever ethnography of the discipline. The unique collaborations produce an ambitious exploration of ethnomusicology's formation, evolution, practice, and unique identity. In particular, the subjects discuss their early lives and influences and trace their varied career trajectories. They also draw on their own experiences to offer reflections on all aspects of the field. Pursuing practitioners not only from diverse backgrounds and specialties but from different eras, Sarkissian and Solis illuminate the many trails ethnomusicologists have blazed in the pursuit of knowledge. A bountiful resource on history and practice, Living Ethnomusicology is an enlighteningTrade Review"Living Ethnomusicology is unlike any book in its field to date. . . . Solis and Sarkissian offer an insightful ethnography of some of ethnomusicology's ethnographers, allowing readers to understand the history and nature of the discipline through a more three-dimensional, biographical lens." --Western Folklore"It is appropriate and logical that Margaret Sarkissian and Ted Solis used interviews to create Living Ethnomusicology, a sweeping and celebratory survey of the discipline." --Oral History Review"Living Ethnomusicology: Paths and Practices is ultimately an interesting and unique contribution to the discipline." --Journal of Folklore Research "I’ve had to admit that probably the world of ethnomusicologists--not a very large world at that--in their backgrounds, their education, and even their activities of research and teaching, are probably more diverse than members of other academic endeavors. It’s to these very questions, 'who are the ethnomusicologists,' and 'what are they like,' that this book, Living Ethnomusicology, provides answers in a unique and comprehensive way. And for this reason it is one of the most important books to have appeared in a long time--it identifies and defines us in a concrete way."--Bruno Nettl, from the foreword "This is a brilliant and original idea for a volume. The book focuses on nearly all aspects of the field, including most of the possible careers. As such, it is extraordinary and makes conclusive statements about what ethnomusicology is and who ethnomusicologists are."--David Harnish, author of Bridges to the Ancestors: Music, Myth, and Cultural Politics at an Indonesian Festival

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Katherine Baber is to be commended for her careful research and deep analysis in Leonard Bernstein and the Language of Jazz . . . the patient and careful reader will discover that the challenge is a satisfying and rewarding one." --Jazz and Culture "Remarkable . . . Baber's work is a unique and important contribution to Bernstein scholarship, and can serve as a model for how to approach musical signification through style in a nuanced and thorough manner that considers wider cultural phenomena." --Music Reference Services Quarterly "While jazz has been discussed as a component in Bernstein's musical style before, Baber's focus is more on the potential meanings of Bernstein's use of that jazz, both in what it might have meant for Bernstein and for the audiences listening to the music. A strong contribution to the field."--Paul Laird, author of Leonard Bernstein: A Guide to ResearchTable of ContentsCoverTitleCopyrightContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Bernstein’s Philosophy and the Language of Jazz2. Trading Fours: Bernstein, Copland, Gershwin, and Jazz3. A Jazz-Shaped America: Swing Styles in Fancy Free and On the Town4. Jazz as a Rhetoric of Conflict in Symphony no. 2: The Age of Anxiety5. West Side Story, Modern Jazz, and Musical Commitment6. “Red, White and Blues”: Bernstein’s Blues and the American SoulConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The book proves to be well worth the wait. Thoroughly documented and beautifully written, it tells the fascinating story of a woman who survived--and thrived--in the professional music world of New York City in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s." --Notes "Peggy Glanville-Hicks: Composer and Critic is strongly recommended for all collections, academic and public. It is accessible to all." --Fontes Artis Musicae "Engaging and exceptionally well-written . . . Recommended." --ChoiceTable of ContentsCoverTitleCopyrightContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPART ONE1. Family and Childhood (1912–29)2. At the Albert Street Conservatorium (1930–32)3. At the Royal College of Music (1932–36)4. Vienna and Paris (1936–38)5. Mrs. Stanley Bate( 1938–41)PART TWO6. New York, New York!(1941–44)7. Paul Bowles (1944–47)8. At the New York Herald Tribune (1947–48)9. Virgil Thomson (1949–50)10. Rafael da Costa (1951–52)11. Letters from Morocco (1952–53)12. Hideaway in Jamaica (1953–54)13. Guggenheim Fellow (1955–56)14. The Transposed Heads in New York (1956–58)PART THREE15. Greece (1958–60)16. Nausicaa at the Athens Festival (1960–61)17. Mykonos (1961–63)18. Sappho (1963–66)19. A Season in Hell (1966–70)20. Farewell to Greece (1970–75)PART FOUR21. Sydney (1975–81)22. Honors (1981–90)AfterwordNotesSelected BibliographyGeneral IndexIndex of Glanville-Hicks’s WorksBack cover

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Book SynopsisChicago blues musicians parlayed a genius for innovation and emotional honesty into a music revered around the world. As the blues evolves, it continues to provide a soundtrack to, and a dynamic commentary on, the African American experience: the legacy of slavery; historic promises and betrayals; opportunity and disenfranchisement; the ongoing struggle for freedom. Through it all, the blues remains steeped in survivorship and triumph, a music that dares to stare down life in all its injustice and iniquity and still laugh--and dance--in its face. David Whiteis delves into how the current and upcoming Chicago blues generations carry on this legacy. Drawing on in-person interviews, Whiteis places the artists within the ongoing social and cultural reality their work reflects and helps create. Beginning with James Cotton, Eddie Shaw, and other bequeathers, he moves through an all-star council of elders like Otis Rush and Buddy Guy and on to inheritors and today''s heirs apparent like RoTrade Review"[Whiteis's] spot-on assessments of the social and economic forces . . . are as essential as his encyclopedic knowledge of the artists’ backgrounds and discographies."--DownBeat"Whiteis's book offers a lively tour of the music that grew out of the streets and churches and clubs of Chicago and that continues to evolve and shape roots music around the world." --No Depression"Whiteis’ knowledge of and love for his subject is strong and unquestionable and the reader is sure to feel and share the author’s hope that the legacy continues." --Living Blues"Appealing to serious jazz fans, Whiteis’s history serves as a handy reference to Chicago blues." --Publishers Weekly"Whiteis understands the art of keeping readers engaged while he adds to their understanding of the current Chicago blues community. . . . A book well-worth reading." --Blues Blast Magazine"David Whiteis’ writing pulls you in exactly as sounds spilling out of a blues club on a summer night would pull you off the sidewalk to listen. He doesn’t divorce himself from the narrative, which gives this work an intimacy, never letting it dissolve into an academic assignment." --NewCity Lit"Even if you’ve previously read articles or heard interviews with the blues musicians profiled in Blues Legacy before, you are guaranteed to learn something new and interesting about them while reading this well-written and fastidiously researched book by Mr. Whiteis." --Chicago Blues Guide"It captures the changes that have confronted the Chicago blues community but also shows the continuity and affirmation of a viable, dynamic blues tradition. Whiteis remains one of the premier documentarians of the Chicago scene."--Barry Lee Pearson, author of Jook Right On: Blues Stories and Blues Storytellers "In his latest history on Chicago blues, Whiteis is as usual informative and stimulating, while addressing some considerably contentious issues. The author has long demonstrated that he is one of the best writers on blues. He has a way with words that can paint a vivid portrait of his subject or scene."--Robert Pruter, author of Chicago Soul "Whiteis' tale mirrors what fans and blues musicians alike have experienced. That hypnotic calling of the blues. These profiles are essential for all fans to understand the universal calling that these musicians felt." --Blues Music Magazine

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Book SynopsisBorn into folk music''s first family, Peggy Seeger has blazed her own trail artistically and personally. Jean Freedman draws on a wealth of research and conversations with Seeger to tell the life story of one of music''s most charismatic performers and tireless advocates. Here is the story of Seeger''s multifaceted career, from her youth to her pivotal role in the American and British folk revivals, from her instrumental virtuosity to her tireless work on behalf of environmental and feminist causes, from wry reflections on the U.K. folk scene to decades as a songwriter. Freedman also delves into Seeger''s fruitful partnership with Ewan MacColl and a multitude of contributions which include creating the renowned Festivals of Fools, founding Blackthorne Records, masterminding the legendary Radio Ballads documentaries, and mentoring performers in the often-fraught atmosphere of The Critics Group. Bracingly candid and as passionate as its subject, Peggy Seeger is the first bookTrade Review”Peggy Seeger has lived her life at the sharp end of folk music. Jean Freedman tells the story of this free-spirited artist and agitator.”—Billy Bragg”Freedman, a professional folklorist, is the perfect biographer for the incomparable Peggy Seeger. She skillfully weaves together insights from the many interviews she conducted with family, friends, and Peggy herself, with her own expert observations about the musical gifts and accomplishments of the folk music icon. Those of us for whom Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl were living legends will especially savor this book, but everyone will be fascinated and moved by the life of a uniquely talented musician who bridged so many divides: classical and folk music, the British and American folk scenes, and her roots in one of America’s great musical families to the several lives she created in the UK and the US.”—Deborah Tannen, author of You Just Don't Understand and You're Wearing THAT?”O, how I love this book! It gives me everything I wanted to know about my friend, the salty and sweet Peggy Seeger and her unique and prolific family. All the pain is there, but so are the achievements and the joys. This book goes on my shelf next to The Mayor of MacDougal Street, and I can offer no higher praise than that.”—Tom Paxton”Freedman illuminates Seeger's life and career, creating a powerful, in-depth portrait of the woman, artist, activist, and champion of the folk music genre. . . . A must.”—Library Journal”An elaborately detailed investigation of Seeger's enduring musical legacy.”—Booklist"Jean R. Freedman's thoroughly researched book is the definitive biography--a masterpiece."--FolkWorks"This biography is at its best in evoking what it must have felt like to be Peggy Seeger, developing a political, feminist, consciousness while realizing her own loving and artistic self within a formidable family and political community. Recommended."--Choice"Her account will be welcomed by Seeger's perennial fan base while providing a fair, thoughtful introduction to new admirers."--Bookreporter

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Book SynopsisWomen performers played a vital role in the development of American and transatlantic entertainment, celebrity culture, and gender ideology. Sara E. Lampert examines the lives, careers, and fame of overlooked figures from Europe and the United States whose work in melodrama, ballet, and other stage shows shocked and excited early U.S. audiences. These women lived and performed the tensions and contradictions of nineteenth-century gender roles, sparking debates about women''s place in public life. Yet even their unprecedented wealth and prominence failed to break the patriarchal family structures that governed their lives and conditioned their careers. Inevitable contradictions arose. The burgeoning celebrity culture of the time forced women stage stars to don the costumes of domestic femininity even as the unsettled nature of life in the theater defied these ideals.A revealing foray into a lost time, Starring Women returns a generation of performers to their central placTrade Review"Starring Women: Celebrity, Patriarchy, and American Theater, 1790-1850 engagingly straddles celebrity theory and theater history research." --Journal of American Culture"As Sara A. Lampert ably shows, the most prominent female actors often outmatched their male peers in fame, reputation, and--most importantly--income. . . . Starring Women takes a deeply researched look at the lives and careers of the major actresses of the first half of the nineteenth century, most forgotten, even by theater historians. . . . This is a fascinating book." --Journal of American History"Highly recommended." --Choice​"Sara E. Lampert offers a valuable new study of women performers on the early American stage that brings the concerns of women's history to bear on histories of theater and drama in the early United States. . . . The insights of this fine work of scholarship open exciting new avenues in nineteenth-century theater history." --American Nineteenth Century History "Starring Women builds on much-needed expansion of the role women played in the development of North American theatre. These works all call for further examination of women and their role in early American theatre." --Theatre Survey​​"An excellent intervention in women's history and theater history, with significant new insights into the precarious gender politics that accompanied star female actors' appearance and the ways the economic underpinnings of the business of theater colored those politics. This is an important book."--Carolyn Eastman, author of A Nation of Speechifiers: Making an American Public after the Revolution"Starring Women illuminates how female celebrity culture bloomed within the newly forming middle-class structures of patriarchal America. With vivid prose and a keen sense of theory, Lampert establishes how early female stars employed 'public intimacy' to assert domestic femininity in the midst of what was an undeniably male world of entertainment. Lampert's book should be required reading for anyone interested in gender, early American history, celebrity, and the nineteenth-century stage."--Renée M. Sentilles, author of American Tomboys, 1850–1915Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1. Between Stock and Star: Theater and Touring in the United States, 1790-1830 Chapter 2. Dis/Obedient Daughters and Devoted Wives: The Family Politics of Stock and Star Chapter 3. The Promise and Limits of Female Stage Celebrity: Fanny Kemble in America, 1832-1835 Chapter 4. Bringing Female Spectacle to the “Western Country,” 1835-1840 Chapter 5. Danger, Desire, and the Celebrity “Mania”: Fanny Elssler in America, 1840-1842 Chapter 6. The American Actress’ Starring Playbook, 1831-1857 Conclusion Notes Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Lydia Hamessley's book Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton offers a welcome addition to the scholarly discussion of Parton's oeuvre." --Journal of American Folklore"Dolly Parton herself has said numerous times that she wants to be taken seriously for her music, and this book, well written by a musical expert with academic credentials provides convincing proof that she deserves to be. . . . Not one of those puff pieces." --Visual Parables"Hamessley focuses on Dolly Parton's songwriting, paying specific attention to the music. . . . Unlikely Angel is a unique look at a globally iconic figure. . . . An in-depth discussion of songwriting and thematic analysis." --Journal of Appalachian Studies​"Recommended." --Choice​"Parton's world-class skills as a songwriter have never been the subject of such a precise and unique analysis as this. . . . Hats off to Hamessley for shining a light on the less familiar but perhaps most important aspects of the timeless artistry of Dolly Parton." --The Nashville Musician"I’m so excited about the book Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton spotlighting Dolly's unmatched gift as a songwriter. Always honoring and forgiving, Dolly shines only the best light on circumstances that would've taken the rest of us out. She's the hero who continues to encourage those who wanted change or wished to go back, bringing to life a part of the country and an existence most of us didn't know or understand, all while making hard living seem like heaven on earth. Her magical combination of heart and genius is a most awe inspiring thing to witness, having a beauty and delivery like no other. Dolly's tales of family, faith, and romance have created an American treasure who has continued to enrapture the world for decades. What a gift for us to see life through hers." --Alison Krauss​​​​"A dazzling close reading of Parton's songs and identity as a songwriter." --No Depression​​"Hamessley is especially attuned to the subtle ways in which Ms. Parton interweaves old and new musical strands—for instance, by ornamenting her verses with archaic flourishes and stock phrases from centuries-old ballads." –Wall Street Journal "A persuasive argument for taking Dolly Parton seriously as an artist. For folk and country music scholars, musicians, and fans." --Library Journal ​"Serious Dolly Parton fans and country music aficionados will be delighted by this in-depth gander into an icon's creative process. " --Booklist "By examining [Dolly] thoroughly through her musical creations, author and music professor Lydia R. Hamessley gives a dynamic view of this remarkable star." --Bookreporter.com "Meticulously researched . . . The fine, affectionate attention Hamessley pays to Parton's music offers all sorts of revelations: the old-world strangeness of Parton's lyrical diction, the Appalachian roots of the stirringly beautiful chest voice she employs on her 2002 song 'These Old Bones,' or how much more eerie her critically maligned tearjerker 'Me and Little Andy' becomes when you consider it within the tradition of the ghost story." --Lindsay Zoladz, Bookforum "Detailed and savvy analysis of Parton's songwriting." --KCTV5 "What Hamessley adds to the current Dolly Parton cultural boom is a page-turning deep dive into Parton’s artistry, borne out in her choices as a composer and performer. Unlikely Angel insists on her complexity and seriousness as a songwriter, celebrating an indelible body of work." --Chapter 16 “Lydia Hamessley invites us on a deep dive into the world of Dolly Parton as songwriter. The book weaves together insightful analyses of the musical forms, cultural roots, and meanings found in Parton’s vast catalog, with Parton’s own accounts of her music. Hamessley unveils these songs as the heart and substance of Parton’s contributions to popular culture, and will inspire every reader to take yet another listen.”--Jocelyn R. Neal, author of Country Music: A Cultural and Stylistic HistoryTable of ContentsForeword by Steve Buckingham Preface and Acknowledgments Introduction: Hello, I’m Dolly 1. “In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)”--Dolly’s Musical Life 2. “Coat of Many Colors”--Dolly’s Songwriting Workshop 3. “My Tennessee Mountain Home”--Dolly’s Appalachian Musical Heritage 4. “These Old Bones”--Dolly’s Mountain Identity and Voice 5. “I Will Always Love You”--Songs about Love 6. “Just Because I’m a Woman”--Songs about Women’s Lives 7. “Me and Little Andy”--Songs of Tragedy 8. “Light of a Clear Blue Morning”--Songs of Inspiration 9. “There’ll Always Be Music”--Final Thoughts Appendix A: Song List Appendix B: Timeline Appendix C: On Modes Appendix D: “Wayfaring Stranger” and Dolly’s Compositional Voice: A Case Study Notes Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Chen Yi is a remarkable addition to biographies of living women composers essential for any library's collection. The book's appeal to a variety of readers and its uses from score study to music appreciation present a wealth of musical, cultural, and personal context about the composer's life and artistic voice." --Music Reference Services Quarterly"The publication of Chen Yi, an illuminating book by American scholars Leta E. Miller and J. Michele Edwards, is by no means a small accomplishment. . . . Chen Yi presents a captivating narrative of the composer's career and highlights her unique musical identity through concise and insightful readings of nearly thirty selected works. . . . Miller and Edward's examination of Chen Yi's life journey and compositional strategies is quite informative and revealing, drawing on current scholarship, the authors' own research and analysis, and their own extensive interviews with Chen Yi conducted in 2015 and 2016." --Notes"Leta E. Miller and J. Michele Edwards's book Chen Yi is a much-needed study of the composer's music and provides an excellent guide for those interested in programming and engaging in further research on her work." --Bulletin of the Society for American Music"To say that Chen Yi is the definitive guide to the life and works of Chen Yi is to say something true but not nearly enough. Not only is it a fascinating and insightful account of the journey of one extraordinary woman composer and her music, but it is also a primer on the history of twentieth-century China, a resource on Chinese music, and a volume to which readers will return again and again for both its utility as a reference book and the pleasure of a good read." --International Alliance of Women in Music"Chen Yi is a remarkable addition to biographies of living women composers and is essential to any library's collection. The book's appeal to a variety of readers and its uses from score study to music appreciation present a wealth of musical, cultural, and personal context about the composer's life and artistic voice." --Music Reference Service Quarterly"An intimate picture of Chen’s life and music. The incredible details, nuanced discussion, and dynamic analyses have made Chen Yi an invaluable resource for scholars, students, and enthusiasts of contemporary music." --Kapralova Society Journal“This welcome contribution to UIP’s landmark series chronicles Chen Yi’s inspiring journey from her childhood in Guangzhou and Shimen to her musical studies in Beijing and New York to her position as an internationally renowned composer and educator. A touching portrait of a remarkable person and a worthy guide to her incomparable music.”--Ellie M. Hisama, author of Gendering Musical Modernism: The Music of Ruth Crawford, Marion Bauer, and Miriam GideonTable of ContentsChapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. Biography and Framework Chapter 3. Compositional Processes Chapter 4. Solo and Chamber Music Works Chapter 5. Works for Large Instrumental Ensembles Chapter 6. Choral and Solo Vocal Works Chapter 7. Issues Glossary List of Works Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewDottie Dodgion was honored during the "In Memoriam" segment of the Grammy Awards 2022 "Dodgion had a fascinating story to relate. She and Enstice produced a book that flows naturally and always maintains the reader's interest." --Jersey Jazz"This highly readable history says much about the demands upon someone determined to be a performer. . . . This book also contains an audio companion illustrating Dodgion's insufficiently celebrated playing, and she certainly knows how to tell a story, musically and verbally. " --Jazzwise"The Lady Swings undulates as much with dynamic rhythm as it does with delicious drama and laugh-out-loud storylines." --JazzTimes"Written in a breathtaking, breezy narrative that takes the reader on a musical journey that is reflected as if in the mirror of Ms Dodgion’s life itself. . . . This is what makes the book so exciting: the mere fact that you will discover a musician who gave – and continues to give – her life to the music she fell in love with as a child and one who remains its guardian, keeping the flame aglow even in the sunset of her life." --JazzdaGama"A pioneering woman in jazz and swinging drummer, Dottie Dodgion played with some of the great musicians of her time. She has a unique story to tell."--Quincy Jones​​"When I first caught Dottie Dodgion in action I was bowled over. I didn’t hear a great female drummer but a truly great jazz drummer, period, able, as you’ll be happy to learn from the story she tells with such insight, humor and complete honesty, to please both Charles Mingus and Wild Bill Davison. The lady's words swing as hard as her ride cymbal, and will keep your foot tapping all the way through."--Dan Morgenstern, Director Emeritus, Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University​​​"Dottie Dodgion not only takes you on a dizzying ride through her incredible life, she teaches you some of the great secrets of jazz and unmasks the archaic attitudes toward female musicians that have marginalized great talents like hers. What a wonderful journey she’s had. What a wonderful book this is!"--Judy Chaikin, director and cowriter of The Girls in the Band“A unique and important contribution to the history of jazz."--Dee Spencer, composer, performer, educator ​​"An interesting book about an eventful life in music." --New York City Jazz Record "The Lady Swings belongs on the short list of essential jazz autobiographies." --All About Jazz "The Lady Swings is an entertaining and informative book, one that is easily recommended." --Syncopated Times "A full portrait of the obstacles American women faced in the 20th century jazz scene . . . Dodgion's pull-no-punches style and determination in the face of daunting situations bring an obscure figure to vivid life." --Library Journal "A compelling tale of a groundbreaking person from a memorable time in American cultural history." --FraNoi "A swinging tale that is more than a fascinating footnote in the annals of jazz." --Kirkus Finalist, Book of the Year About Jazz: Biography and Autobiography, Jazz Journalists Association (JJA), 2022 Table of ContentsForeword Acknowledgments Prefatory Notes Introduction Part I. The California Years Scene One: On the Road Scene Two: Spot Behind The Scenes One: The Giaimos Scene Three: Eleanor Powell’s Shoes Behind The Scenes Two: The Tiptons Scene Four: The Eight-Day Clock Scene Five: Polio Scene Six: Jail Bait Scene Seven: TD&L Scene Eight: Mingus Scene Nine: Apple Pie, Apple Pie, Apple Pie Scene Ten: A Little Help from My Friends Scene Eleven: The Drummer Was Always Late Scene Twelve: Monty Scene Thirteen: Jerry Scene Fourteen: 176 Steps Behind The Scenes Three: Eugene’s Lessons Scene Fifteen: First Time in Vegas Scene Sixteen: Followed by Myself in the Moonlight Scene Seventeen: The IT Club Scene Eighteen: Thunderbird Part II. The New York and East Coast Years Scene Nineteen: 14 Drummers Scene Twenty: Mount Airy Lodge Scene Twenty-One: Strollers Scene Twenty-Two: The Village Stompers Scene Twenty-Three: Eddie Condon’s Behind The Scenes Four: Pearls to Swine Scene Twenty-Four: Park Ridge Scene Twenty-Five: Piano Party Behind The Scenes Five: Ruby Scene Twenty-Six: Suburban Housewife Scene Twenty-Seven: In the Middle of the Brook Scene Twenty-Eight: Harold’s Rogue and Jar Scene Twenty-Nine: Melba Liston And Company Scene Thirty: Fazee Cakes Part III. California Redux Scene Thirty-One: The Best Kept Secret in Town Scene Thirty-Two: A Leader at Sixty-Five Scene Thirty-Three: Pacific Grove Scene Thirty-Four: Octogenarian Postscript Notes Discography Inde

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Book SynopsisFirst time in paperback and e-book! The jazz musician-composer-arranger Mary Lou Williams spent her sixty-year career working in—and stretching beyond—a dizzying range of musical styles. Her integration of classical music into her works helped expand jazz''s compositional language. Her generosity made her a valued friend and mentor to the likes of Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie. Her late-in-life flowering of faith saw her embrace a spiritual jazz oriented toward advancing the civil rights struggle and helping wounded souls. Tammy L. Kernodle details Williams''s life in music against the backdrop of controversies over women''s place in jazz and bitter arguments over the music''s evolution. Williams repeatedly asserted her artistic and personal independence to carve out a place despite widespread bafflement that a woman exhibited such genius. Embracing Williams''s contradictions and complexities, Kernodle also explores a personal liTrade Review"Recommended." --Choice "Diligently chronicles the life and times of the extraordinary innovator."--Jazz Times "Kernodle’s Soul on Soul serves as an essential text, working to set the record straight on one of the genre’s most significant—and conspicuously ignored—composers." --DownBeatTable of ContentsCoverTitleCopyrightContentsList of illustrationsAcknowledgmentsPrefae to the New EditionIntroduction1. I Dream a World2. Take Me to Froggy Bottom: The Early Musical Years3. From East Liberty (Pittsburgh) to Beale Street (Memphis) to Eighteenth and Vine (Kansas City)4. Until the Real Thing Comes Along: The Andy Kirk Years (1931– 42)5. How Do You Keep the Music Playing?6. Love on a Two-Way Street: Barney Josephson and Moe Asch7. Under the Signs of the Zodiac8. The Calm before the Storm9. The Crossroads10. The Long Journey Back Home11. What a Difference a Day Makes12. A Season of Change13. The Fruits of One’s LaborNotesBibliographySelected DiscographyIndexBack cover

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Book SynopsisServing 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, Thomas D. Saler also chronicles Giulini's personal life, including his musical awakening while growing up amid the spectacular beauty of the Dolomite mountains, his years as a student in Rome's Academy of St. Cecilia, his conscription into the Italian army during World War II, his nine months in hiding for his anti-fascist and pacifist beliefs, and his selfless devotion to his wife, Marcella. A humble master who shunned the limelight, Giulini took a deeply emotional and subjective approach to making music. Saler provides uniquely detailed analysis of Giulini's nuanced musicianship and the way he conveyed that musicianship to the orchestra through physical gestures. Meditating on the very art of conducting at which Giulini excelled, Saler discusses each of the conductor's major musical appointments, iTrade Review"A thorough, balanced and illuminating portrait of the charismatic Italian as man and maestro."--Chicago Tribune"It was wonderful to get to know the man we have met so often in his music-making."--American Record Guide"A fascinating full account."--Los Angeles Times"[A] highly illuminating biography."--The Spectator"Highly readable and musically substantive. Strongly recommended."--Classical.Net"This engaging and extensive biography shows why Carlo Maria Giulini stood apart from other maestri, and above the fray: because of his gentle humanity, his spiritual resonance with music, and his uncompromising seriousness of purpose. This is certainly a book I will recommend to all the conductors I encounter, as well as others because it captures the essence of an uncommonly inspired and inspiring human being."--Kenneth Kiesler, conductor, director of orchestras at the University of Michigan, and director of the Conductors Retreat at Medomak and Conductors Programme at the National Arts Centre of Canada"Thomas D. Saler's biography of the conductor Carlo Maria Giulini is worthy of the noble, deceptively complex subject. Saler paints an extraodinarily sensitive, comprehensive and illuminating portrait of an artist who was selflessly dedicated to his art. The author's enthusiasm is palpable, his reportage elevated by rare knowledge and passion."--Martin Bernheimer, 1982 Pulitzer Prize Winner for CriticismTable of ContentsPreface — ix Acknowledgments — xiii Abbreviations — xv 1. Beauty and Betrayal — 1 2. Mastering the Melodrama — 15 3. Prometheus in London — 33 4. Amore: The Chicago Years — 52 5. Molto, Molto, Espressivo — 87 6. Out of Eden — 117 7. Peace, Love, and Pleated Pants — 126 8. Days of Wine and Roses — 139 9. Wearing the Garment of Tragedy — 173 Notes — 189 Interview List — 213 Index — 215 Illustrations follow page — 86

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Book SynopsisFrom tent revivals to radio and records with a gospel music innovator Homer Rodeheaver merged evangelical hymns and African American spirituals with popular music to create a potent gospel style. Kevin Mungons and Douglas Yeo examine his enormous influence on gospel music against the backdrop of Christian music history and Rodeheaver's impact as a cultural and business figure. Rodeheaver rose to fame as the trombone-playing song leader for evangelist Billy Sunday. As revivalism declined after World War I, Rodeheaver leveraged his place in America's newborn celebrity culture to start the first gospel record label and launch a nationwide radio program. His groundbreaking combination of hymnal publishing and recording technology helped define the early Christian music industry. In his later years, he influenced figures like Billy Graham and witnessed the music's split into southern gospel and black gospel. Clear-eyed and revealing, Homer Rodeheaver and the Rise of the Gospel Music IndustTrade Review"Well-written, thoroughly researched, and altogether engaging. . . Homer Rodeheaver and the Rise of the Gospel Music Industry is a work of substantial scholarship, which will come as no surprise to those familiar with Yeo's previous work." --Historic Brass Society "Well-written, thoroughly researched, and all together engaging. . . Homer Rodeheaver and the Rise of the Gospel Music Industry is a work of substantial scholarship, which will come as no surprise to those familiar with Yeo's previous work." --Historic Brass Society Journal "Mungons and Yeo's book, Homer Rodeheaver and the Rise of the Gospel Music Industry, combines painstaking research with insightful sociological and musicological analysis. Although co-authored, the book has a unified narrative. . . . Even if one has only marginal interest in Home Rodeheaver as a person, this scholarly description of American society at the turn of the 20th century proves fascinating and illuminating." --International Trombone Association "Refreshingly free of academic speak. . . . Homer Rodeheaver and the Rise of the Gospel Music Industry is more than a tale about the emergence of gospel singing and revivalism, it's a quintessentially American story about a quintessential American." --ARSC Journal "Like virtually all books in the University of Illinois's much-honored Music in American Life series, Homer Rodeheaver and the Rise of the Gospel Music Industry fills in significant blanks in our understanding of different aspects of music history. Mungons and Yeo elevate their contribution with meticulous detail and research; a penchant for finding fascinating, revealing stories and anecdotes; and a sparkling, highly readable prose style that's all too rare in most academic books. " --Robert Darden, Christianity Today"Kevin Mungons and Douglas Yeo’s biography of Homer Rodeheaver brightens an important corner of gospel music history that has gone unexplored for far too long. What they reveal in their remarkable portrait of 'Reverend Trombone' is a man both of his time and ahead of his time. It’s more than a tale of the emergence of gospel singing and revivalism, it’s a quintessentially American story about a quintessential American."--Robert Marovich, author of A City Called Heaven: Chicago and the Birth of Gospel Music"I am truly taken by the book. It is good, informative, comprehensive, and free of the usual assortment of clichés, academic hems and haws, and over-spiritualization. It takes the often over-simplified view of music and revivalism and exposes it to a fascinating cross-weave of thought, content, and context which, to my embarrassment, I thought I had already had a handle on. I recommend it without reservation. There is no doubt in my mind that general readers and specialists alike will benefit from reading this book."--Harold Best, emeritus professor of music and dean emeritus of the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music"Mungons and Yeo have rescued a former icon of American religious life from undeserved historical obscurity, placing Homer Rodeheaver in the complex context of his times. . . . If you care about the Christian music industry and an era largely lost to history, you’ll want to read this book." --Stan Guthrie

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Book SynopsisAcclaimed composer, sought-after conductor, esteemed educator, tireless advocate for the arts--Tania León's achievements encompass but also stretch far beyond contemporary classical music. Alejandro L. Madrid draws on oral history, archival work, and ethnography to offer the first in-depth biography of the artist. Breaking from a chronological account, Madrid looks at León through the issues that have informed and defined moments in her life and her professional works. León's words become a starting ground--but also a counterpoint--to the accounts of the people in her orbit. What emerges is more than an extraordinary portrait of an artist''s journey. It is a story of how a human being reacts to the challenges thrown at her by history itself, be it the Cuban revolution or the struggle for civil and individual rights. Nuanced and multifaceted, Tania León''s Stride looks at the life, legacy, and milieu that created and sustained one of the most important figures in American clasTrade Review"This books is well conceived, well written, and a great companion text to Robin Moore's books on Cuban music. . . . A major contribution to the scholarship of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Latin women composers and musicians, but also transcends these categories by showing how a woman of color navigated exile and migration to make a new life while maintaining her identity and growing personally and artistically." --New West Indian GuideWinner of the Bronze Medal in the category of Best Biography in English at the 2022 International Latin Book Awards "The story Madrid tells is not only coherent, but also captivating, opening new avenues of scholarly inquiry about Léon's life, work, and the worlds she has inhabited. I look forward to seeing those kernels sprout in different and unexpected directions and develop into still more fascinating narratives." --Journal for the International Alliance of Women in Music"Madrid's biographical counterpoint masterfully portrays the polyrhythmic life of Tania León. His use of photos and personal interviews vividly tells León's life story. The prevalence of this intimacy adds flavor -- a taste of memoir -- inviting readers to devour the book like linear notes. The juxtaposition of firsthand accounts with historical context and political drama creates a page turner -- a biography containing strides that many outside of music will find illuminating." --Notes"Highly recommended." --Choice"There is incredible beauty and power in the way this book attends to aesthetics and artists with rigor and care. What sets it apart are Madrid's stunning interviews conducted over several years with León and her family, peers, and students. An essential document about an extraordinary artist."--Alexandra T. Vazquez, author of Listening in Detail: Performances of Cuban MusicTable of ContentsList of Figures ix List of Music Examples xiAcknowledgments xiiiIntroductionNotes on a Biographical Counterpoint 1Chapter 1 Tonic: The House on Salud Street 11Chapter 2 Modulation and Displacement: cubana de adentro . . . cubana de afuera 33Chapter 3 Syncopation and Color: Adapting to New Life Rhythms 59Chapter 4 Direction: Leading in Music, Leading in Life 93Chapter 5 Voice: Style and Idea in the Music of Tania León 126Chapter 6 Canon: Representation, Identity, and Legacy 166Epilogue Tania León’s Stride: An Echo that Reaches Our Ears 181Appendix A List of Works 185Appendix B Tania León’s Life 193Notes 203Bibliography 229Index 241

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Book SynopsisIn 1921, insurance executive Charles Ives sent out copies of a piano sonata to two hundred strangers. Laden with dissonant chords, complex rhythm, and a seemingly chaotic structure, the so-called Concord Sonata confounded the recipients, as did the accompanying book, Essays before a Sonata. Kyle Gann merges exhaustive research with his own experience as a composer to reveal the Concord Sonata and the essays in full. Diffracting the twinned works into their essential aspects, Gann lays out the historical context that produced Ives''s masterpiece and illuminates the arguments Ives himself explored in the Essays. Gann also provides a movement-by-movement analysis of the work''s harmonic structure and compositional technique; connects the sonata to Ives works that share parts of its material; and compares the 1921 version of the Concord with its 1947 revision to reveal important aspects of Ives''s creative process.A tour de force of critical, thTrade Review"Goes far beyond any existing literature in this domain. It's possibly the best analytical writing about a major Ives composition that I've seen."--William Brooks, University of York"It is refreshing to read such a passionate description of a major work of art which is so profoundly meaningful to the author. Practically every page is informative, or contains new insight into the work. By far the best work ever done on the subject."--Neely Bruce, Wesleyan University"Not only an important addition to the thinking about Ives, but a moving companion to the artist and the Concord." * Wire *"This is a book which no Ives scholar or enthusiast can be without. It is quite indispensable, a glowing and lasting monument to the forty years which Gann has spent loving and working on his subject." * Journal of Experimental Music Studies *"This is an interesting and important book. . . . Highly recommended." * Choice *"In Charles Ives's Concord: Essays After a Sonata Gann's analysis takes the form of a kind of biblical exegesis, where canonical texts are pored over by ever-new generations. He achieves a balance between writing for Ives specialists and delivering a text that is compulsively readable. . . . This is a book to savor with headphones." * Times Literary Supplement *"A major work gets a major analysis: a masterpiece gets a masterpiece." * Do the M@th *"A treatise on past and future performance practice for the 'Concord' Sonata. This is an absolutely essential reading for performers interested in this work." * Notes *"Gann's passionate survey of the Concord Sonata and its various offshoots and progeny is and should remain an indispensable contribution to Ives studies and twentieth-century keyboard literature." * American Music *

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Book SynopsisA No Depression Most Memorable Music Book of 2022 Roland White’s long career has taken him from membership in Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys and Lester Flatt’s Nashville Grass to success with his own Roland White Band. A master of the mandolin and acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, White has mentored a host of bluegrass musicians and inspired countless others. Bob Black draws on extensive interviews with White and his peers and friends to provide the first in-depth biography of the pioneering bluegrass figure. Born into a musical family, White found early success with the Kentucky Colonels during the 1960s folk revival. The many stops and collaborations that marked White''s subsequent musical journey trace the history of modern bluegrass. But Black also delves into the seldom-told tale of White''s life as a working musician, one who endured professional and music industry ups-and-downs to become a legendary artist and beloved teacherTrade Review"Mandolin Man: The Bluegrass Life of Roland White tells of Roland White's musical life, from his youth as a member of a musical family through his days as a bluegrass band performer. The book successfully weaves together family, friendship, the bluegrass business and culture. The depiction of the life of Roland White and the descriptions of bluegrass players' constructed world combine to make Mandolin Man an important contribution to writing about bluegrass music." --Journal of Folklore Research Reviews"A warm and appreciative book that keeps White's presence alive." --No Depression"Black’s own relevant musical experience, alongside his interviews with White, his family, and country music icons such as Marty Stuart, make this biography a must-read for bluegrass aficionados. Although White may not be a household name to those outside the bluegrass scene, he richly deserves this long-awaited tribute." --Library Journal "Superb. . . . Bob Black has delivered another instant classic biography of one of bluegrass music’s most valuable, but perhaps under-appreciated, influencers and torch-bearers. If you read but one bluegrass history or biography this year, make it Mandolin Man: The Bluegrass Life of Roland White." --Bluegrass Unlimited​​"This book has many memorable stories and insights into the life of one of the most modest virtuosos you could ever meet. Kudos to Bob Black for shining a light on a great musician and even better person, and thanks to Roland White for all the great music. " --Nashville Musician"Roland White is bluegrass music royalty. He is, without question, the most dedicated soul I have ever known when it comes to playing and inspiring people to look into the beauty of the music Bill Monroe called 'the ancient tones.' Roland is especially gifted at encouraging young musicians to look deep into their hearts and play what they hear inside. He is a great professor. I know. He was mine. In reality, I owe my entire career to Roland White."--Marty Stuart, Congress of Country Music​"Bob Black tells how a musician of humble beginnings successfully rose to the top of the bluegrass music business. Roland White's story differs from other bluegrass biographies and autobiographies in its extended discussions of recordings, the deep historical era covered--from the postwar years to the present, and the depiction of a musician's working experiences."--Neil V. Rosenberg, author of Bluegrass Generation: A Memoir"In Mandolin Man: The Bluegrass Life of Roland White author and banjo player Bob Black gives us a book about a musician in which the music rings out--and is never drowned out." --Chapter 16 "Bluegrass is a musical genre, yes, but it is also a community, the beauty of which resides in the very details that Mr. Black, like any good storyteller, generously shares. Roland White picked his way through life with a singularity of purpose, not to mention a sense of timing and work ethic to match, that made him a colorful piece of the bluegrass community quilt. He was an accomplished, innovative musician, steady hand, and respected mentor." --NewCityLit

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Book SynopsisNow available in paperback, William C. Banfield’s acclaimed collection of interviews delves into the lives and work of forty-one Black composers. Each of the profiled artists offers a candid self-portrait that explores areas from training and compositional techniques to working in a exclusive canon that has existed for a very long time. At the same time, Banfield draws on sociology, Western concepts of art and taste, and vernacular musical forms like blues and jazz to provide a frame for the artists’ achievements and help to illuminate the ongoing progress and struggles against industry barriers. Expanded illustrations and a new preface by the author provide invaluable added context, making this new edition an essential companion for anyone interested in Black composers or contemporary classical music. Composers featured: Michael Abels, H. Leslie Adams, Lettie Beckon Alston, Thomas J. Anderson, Dwight Andrews, Regina Harris Baiocchi, David Baker, William C. Ban?eld, YsayTrade Review"If you are intrigued by the mystery of artistic creativity, this is your book. If you want to know where these musicians believe they stand among their white peers, read on. If you are curious about how non-commercial composers and performers thrive or survive in our warped economy, there is much here to consider." --On the Seawall"Traversing a richly diverse gamut of Black culture and heritage across classical and jazz-- which many here agree is in effect ‘the classical music of America’—the crucial contribution of Black composers in and far beyond the US becomes clear. Wise, moving, and thought-provoking, it's a timely reiteration of the continued need for their wider acknowledgment." --BBC Music Magazine“A valuable guide to the repertoire.”--Times Union"While some composers are familiar (including Herbie Hancock and Bobby McFerrin), the overwhelming impression is how many unsung Black composers have contributed so much pleasure to music lovers. It’s abundantly clear their work has enriched and expanded the world’s musical palette. . . . A book that should be in every music lover’s library." --Library Journal, Starred ReviewTable of ContentsDedication Foreword Preface: Black Beethovens: Essential Conversations with American Composers In Loving Memory Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1: Laying the Foundations Part 2: The Arrived and the Acknowledged, Part 1 (1922–1936) H. Leslie Adams Thomas J. Anderson David Baker Noel DaCosta George Russell Hale Smith Frederick C. Tillis George Walker Part 3: The Arrived and the Acknowledged, Part 2 (1937–1945) Adolphus Hailstork Wendell Logan Dorothy Rudd Moore Olly Wilson Part 4: Perspectives on Spirituality, Jazz, and Contemporary Popular Languages Dwight Andrews Ysaye Maria Barnwell Billy Childs George Duke Jester Hairston Herbie Hancock Stephen Newby Michael Powell Billy Taylor Tony Williams Michael Woods Part 5: The Composer as Conductor and Composer Leslie Dunner Bobby McFerrin Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson Patrice Rushen Kevin Scott Julius Williams Part 6: Generation X and Beyond (1950–1965) Michael Abels Lettie Beckon Alston William C. Banfield Regina Harris Baiocchi Anthony Davis Donal Fox Jonathan Holland Anthony Kelley Jeffrey Mumford Gary Powell Nash Evelyn Simpson-Curenton James Kimo Williams Postlude: Extensions of the Tradition—Linkages and Canon Index About the Author

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Book SynopsisA traveling salesman with little formal education, Max Hunter gravitated to song catching and ballad hunting while on business trips in the Ozarks. Hunter recorded nearly 1600 traditional songs by more than 200 singers from the mid-1950s through the mid-1970s, all the while focused on preserving the music in its unaltered form. Sarah Jane Nelson chronicles Hunter’s song collecting adventures alongside portraits of the singers and mentors he met along the way. The guitar-strumming Hunter picked up the recording habit to expand his repertoire but almost immediately embraced the role of song preservationist. Being a local allowed Hunter to merge his native Ozark earthiness with sharp observational skills to connect--often more than once--with his singers. Hunter’s own ability to be present added to that sense of connection. Despite his painstaking approach, ballad collecting was also a source of pleasure for Hunter. Ultimately, his dedication to capturing Ozarks song culturTrade Review"Hunter recorded nearly 1600 songs from more than 200 singers over a period of several decades. Because he was not directly connected to academia or to the publishing world, his work might not be as familiar as are the works of other Ozark folklorists, but we learn through the determined research of Sarah Jane Nelson that his life as a collector was rich with stories of fascinating musicians, folkloristic debates, shifting attitudes, and relationships with folklorists and folklore-related institutions throughout the country." --OzarksWatch"Vividly illuminates the efforts of a remarkable ballad-hunter, festival impresario, and personality, while offering attention to nationwide folksong currents intersecting with the Ozarks. There is an audience of scholars, folksong performers and enthusiasts, and Ozarks residents and aficionados awaiting this book."--James P. Leary, author of Folklores of Another America: Field Recordings from the Upper Midwest, 1937–1946"I appreciate that Ms. Nelson took the time and energy to write about Max Hunter's life, his quest for ballads, and the family and singers who helped him along the way. Her writing style is clean and unpretentious." --Missouri Historical ReviewTable of ContentsForeword: The Singer in Me Robert CochranPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Max Hunter and the Ballad Field Singing on the Way to Church A Traveling Salesman in Eureka<> Rules of Collecting and How Hunter Got His Songs The Child Ballads and Other Bounty Singing Grandmas and the Musical Tribes of Stone County Circle of Friends The Importance of Columbia More Than a Hobby Max Hunter’s Map of the Ozarks Max Hunter and the Festival Circuit One Eye on the Past and One on the Future Notes Selected BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisAn accessible introduction to the dean of African American composersTrade Review"This exemplary introduction to African American musician William Grant Still will appeal to both students and laypersons. . . . Recommended."--Choice"This book will be the standard work on William Grant Still for at least twenty years. Smith provides a brilliant narrative of Still's active career, his cooperation with Carl Van Vechten, and his prestige as an American composer. A useful introduction to Still's life, career, music, and sociological importance."--Wayne D. Shirley, emeritus senior music specialist, Library of Congress"A superb general reference to the life and career of William Grant Still. Smith does an excellent job of placing the composer within the context of African American life of his day. She is at her best in narrating Still's professional career in New York, Boston, and Los Angeles."--Josephine Wright, editor of New Perspectives on Music: Essays in Honor of Eileen SouthernTable of ContentsPREFACE ix A NOTE ON RESEARCH xi 1. An Uncertain Ovation 1 2. Still's Arkansas Childhood 4 3. An Ohio Apprenticeship 14 4. New York City 25 5. Making His Mark 38 6. Still's Instrumental Music 47 7. Los Angeles, 1934- 55 8. Troubled Island 68 9. Moscow's "Subtle but Effective Hand" 80 10. After the Storm 87 NOTES 95 SELECTED WORKS 103 FOR FURTHER READING 107 SUGGESTED LISTENING 109 INDEX 111

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Book SynopsisThe artist’s impact on country music and how his death changed the genre A beloved member of the country music community, David “Stringbean” Akeman found nationwide fame as a cast member of Hee Haw. The 1973 murder of Stringbean and his wife forever changed Nashville’s sense of itself. Millions of others mourned not only the slain couple but the passing of the way of life that country music had long represented. Taylor Hagood merges the story of Stringbean’s life with an account of murder and courtroom drama. Mentored by Uncle Dave Macon and Bill Monroe, Stringbean was a bridge to country’s early days. His instrumental savvy and old-time singing style drew upon a deep love for traditional country music that, along with his humor and humanity, won him the reverence of younger artists and made his violent death all the more shocking. Hagood delves into the unexpected questions and uneasy resolutions raised by the atmosphere of Trade Review"The story about the life of the man and the details of his life's tragic end is expertly covered in this new book. . . . After reading this book, I feel as though I got to know David "Stringbean" Akeman and his story very well. Highly recommended!" --Dan Miller, Bluegrass Unlimited“Stringbean was one of the very first friends Doolittle, my husband, and I made when we first came to Nashville in 1960. He and his wife Estelle were some of the nicest folks you could find anywhere. . . . It was heartbreaking when we lost him and his wife.”--Loretta Lynn“Stringbean and Estelle would be like your favorite aunt and uncle, or your favorite cousin. Any time we had a celebration, they were always there, and most of the time cooked for everybody. Those were precious times.”--Lulu Roman, Hee Haw star"This tale will appeal to readers curious about the formative years of the United States' country-music scene." --Library Journal"Get your orders in! You will like this book. Thanks, Taylor Hagood, for filling in so many blanks, even those you filled in from your remote closeness to the gentle and genuine spirit of Stringbean. Stringbean is still a vital part of our music. Stringbean shows us that." --Bluegrass Standard"Stringbean: The Life and Murder of a Country Legend by Talyor Hagood, not only serves to remind and establish Stringbean’s often overlooked musical legacy, but also serves as a true crime thriller with a highly detailed account of the murder and ensuing trial. Hagood expertly details Stringbean’s long career and gives new meaning to both him and his music." --Americana UK"Hagood, who writes with an appealingly loose and earnest style, has genuine affection for Stringbean. Perhaps the most moving passages are those in which Hagood reflects on the symbiotic relationship between the man and his trusty Vega No. 9 Tubaphone banjo. " --NewCity "Almost as soon as I picked up Taylor Hagood's biography of David Akeman, I knew I could put aside my instinct to find fault in order to luxuriate in a well-documented, carefully constructed combination of biography and true crime story. . . . I highly recommend this well-researched and highly readable book." --Ted Lehmann “It was always a rare treat to get to see the hat flipping, banjo picking man from ole Kentucky on the television or old video tape. Stringbean was one of my first musical heroes as a kid while learning to play the banjo. I'm very excited to get this book! I can never get enough of Ole String! Thank you, Taylor!”--Leroy Troy, Grand Ole Opry star and 1996 National Old-Time Banjo Champion "Taylor Hagood is a gifted writer, and I'm truly pleased with the book he wrote about my uncle, David Akemon."--Phillip AkemonTable of ContentsA Note on Names Prologue. Short Life and Trouble: November 11, 1973 Chapter 1. Way Back in the Hills of Old Kentucky: 1915-1935 Chapter 2. Stringbean and His Banjo: 1935-1942 Chapter 3. Goin’ to the Grand Ole Opry to Make Myself a Name: 1942-1945 Chapter 4. Big Ball in Nashville: 1945-1952 Chapter 5. Herdin’ Cattle in a Cadillac Coupe de Ville: 1953-1959 Chapter 6. Pretty Polly: 1960-1965 Chapter 7. Me and My Old Crow (Got a Good Thing Going): 1966-1973 Interlude. Goodbye Sweet Thing: Stringbean’s Final Day of Life, November 10, 1973 Chapter 8. Sinner Man, Where You Gonna Hide: November 1973, January 1974 Chapter 9. You Can’t Do Wrong and Get By: January, November 1974 Epilogue. Forgetting to Forget You: 1975-2014 Acknowledgments Notes Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisExplores the relationship between listening and musical composition focusing on nine American women composers inspired by the sounds of the natural worldTrade ReviewThe book will appeal to students and professionals who want to explore a connection between music and nature through a study of selected works by notable female composers. . . .Recommended. * Choice *Music and the Skillful Listener . . . offers evocative descriptions of compositions influenced or inspired by nature by nine North American women. It is a very readable book that is appropriate for and will likely appeal to undergraduates and general readers with music-reading skills. * Notes *Music and the Skillful Listener is an engrossing study of an important topic that scholars working in a broad array of fields—including American music, music and place, ecomusicology, ecocriticism, gender and music, and many more—will find enriching and illuminating. . . . Scholars pursuing research in these areas or in other related fields will find this book an invaluable resource. * Women and Music *Whether to nature itself, to the compositions of these women, or to the words written by Von Glahn, we must stop and listen. Music and the Skillful Listener invites us all to participate and even delight in the undertaking. * Journal of the Society for American Music *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. A Context for Composers: Within the Nature-Writing TraditionI. Nature as a Summer Home 2. Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (Mrs. H. H. A. Beach)3. Marion Bauer4. Louise TalmaII. Nature all Around Us5. Pauline Oliveros6. Joan Tower 7. Ellen Taaffe ZwilichIII. Beyond the EPA and Earth Day8. Victoria Bond9. Libby Larsen 10. Emily DoolittleConclusions: The Repercussions of ListeningBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisNot only the life story of a jazz musician and spokesman but also a commentary on racism and jazz as a social forceTrade ReviewThe Jazz Life of Dr. Billy Taylor . . . does his high esteem justice. Without sacrificing the man's integrity, the book captures Dr. Taylor's wide-eyed enthusiasm for jazz and for his missions to further the music's tradition and expand its audience. * JazzTimes *...Those of us who had the privilege of hearing him speak will recognize how accurately Reed captures his spirit and his enthusiasm for the music to which he dedicated his life. * NPR *This must-read collaboration weaves not only the story of a highly esteemed jazz great and genre ambassador, but it is also a narrative on racism and the social influence of jazz. * Smooth Jazz News *This book (including Dr. Teresa L. Reed's eloquent introduction) captures with great clarity and accuracy the character of this man. Taylor not only always aspired to excellence, he was also humble and generous of word and deed. The Jazz Life of Dr. Billy Taylor provides the backstory of why he must be remembered as one of the major leading lights of America's classical music. * New York City Jazz Record *[C]o-author Reed has done an exemlary job of making the story flow in Taylor's own words. * Jazzwise *Table of ContentsIntroductionChronology of the Life of William Edward Taylor Jr.1. Beginnings: 1921–19382. College Years: 1938–19423. Making Waves: 1943–19464. The Subject Is Jazz: 1946–19585. From "Tobacco Tags" to the Urban Airwaves: 1959–19686. How It Feels to Be Free: 1969–19907. ReflectionsDiscographySelected Publications Authored by Dr. Billy TaylorIndex

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Book SynopsisDiscusses the band's influence on popular culture and why many consider Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play to be two of the greatest concept albums in rock history.Trade Review[D]elves deep into the past in this new work to bring us the story of these two albums as well as a painstaking analysis that allows us to see not only the particular genius of Tull but the important role both records played in shaping '70s rock. . . . Smolko's passion for the subject matter and ability to wax enthusiastic about the smallest details makes this volume worth reading. . . . A volume that excites with its intelligence and sense of observation, two of the many qualities that will actually find you giv[ing] this book more than one read. * PopMatters *[R]ather than offering yet another biography, Smolko takes a musicological—as well as a cultural— approach to just two of Tull's albums [] an endorsement from such a notebale authority [as Adrian Stone-Mason] surely makes this worth reading for those of a scholarly bent. * Rock n' Reel *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgements1: Providing a Context for Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play2: Galliards and Lute Songs: The Influence of Early Music in Jethro Tull3: Geared Toward the Exceptional Rather than the Average: The Album Cover and Lyrics of Thick as a Brick4: The Music of Thick as a Brick: Form and Thematic Development5: The Music of Thick as a Brick: Other Features6: The Château d'Isaster Tapes and the Album Cover and Lyrics of A Passion Play7: The Music of A Passion Play8: Monty Python, Reception, and Live VersionsConclusionsEpilogue: Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock?Appendix 1: The Complete Lyrics to Thick as a BrickAppendix 2: The Complete Lyrics to A Passion PlayAppendix 3: Analysis of the Instrumental PassagesNotesBibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBrings new insights to the study of text-music relationships and the song cycle.Trade ReviewSuurpää's book is a highly valuable addition to the literature on Winterreise, while also being one that develops innovative approaches to the analysis of vocal music in general. It would be most interesting to apply the same methodology to the first thirteen songs of the cycle (or indeed to other songs and song cycles) to find out whether the combination of Schenker and Greimas works equally well there. For now, we have to praise Lauri Suurpää for opening up new insights into Schubert, the analysis of vocal music and, last but not least, the engagement with death through music. * Journal of the Society for Musicology in Ireland *[This] book will doubtless give professional analysts plenty of fodder to chew over. Those with a less analytical bent should certainly not be put off; the chapters teem with helpful summations and thorough cross-referencing. The chapters on the nature of cycles and the relationship between music and text are highly informative, and worth reading in their own right. . . . this book cannot but help deepen a peformer's understanding of the cycle. * Early Music Review *Death in Winterreise presents a unique and captivating study of Schubert's cycle, exposing us to new musico-poetic relationships between Müller's poems and the composer's text-settings. * Music Theory Online *Suurpää's book offers scholars, analysts, and performers a path through Winterreise and constructs a valuable theoretical system for analyzing musico-poetic relationships. Its eclectic analytical approach, paradoxically, reveals unity behind Winterreise's familiar story. . . . Suurpää's psychologically compelling interpretation and deep musical insights will be warmly received by anyone wishing to discover yet further meanings in Schubert's challenging cycle. * Notes *Lauri Suurpää's book is a significant contribution to Schenkerian studies. * Music Theory and Analysis *Death in Winterreise is a wide-ranging study of Schubert's winter songs, one that navigates gracefully between the intricate rigors of Greimassian semiotics and Schenkerian analysis, the intersection of which offers a systematic approach to the study of text-music relationships in song. Surpaa's explanation of his methodology is remarkably clear in the early chapters and well executed in the analytical chapters. The book offers a new methodology for the study of musico-poetic associations in song . . . . The book will be of immediate value to those interested in the study of textmusic relationships in song, the study of Schenkerian analysis, especially close readings of individual songs, the study of Winterreise in particular, and the study of musical meaning in general. * Journal of Schenkerian Studies *Lauri Suurpaa's Death in Winterreise is a welcome addition to the literature on Schubert's second song cycle. * Music Analysis *Notwithstanding the substantial contribution to textual analysis provided by Death in Winterreise, the book's ultimate value lies in its detailed engagement with the music of this song cycle, and the author's facility for vivid analytical elucidation. Just as Müller draws us towards the innermost thoughts and despairs of his wanderer, so Suurpää conveys his reader inwards towards a deeper, more profound appreciation of these songs and their musicopoetic associations. * Music and Letters *Suurpää's Death in Winterreise is a collection of nuanced and musically sensitive analyses that are a welcome addition to Lieder analysis. . . . Suurpää's innovative combination of methodologies, his astute interpretation of textual and tonal relations across the second half of the cycle, and his consistently clear communication of musical insights create an analytical journey well worth following. * Music Theory Spectrum *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgementsNote on the Translations of the PoemsPart I: Background1. Genesis and Narrative of Winterreise2. Winterreise in Context3. Text-Music Relationships: Five Propositions4. Musico-Poetic Associations: Principles of AnalysisPart II: Songs5. The Emergence of Death as a Positive Option: "Der greise Kopf"6. Death Contemplated: "Die Krähe"7. From Hope for the Past to Hope for the Future: "Letzte Hoffnung"8. Reflecting Lost Hope: "Im Dorfe," "Der stürmische Morgen," and "Täuschung"9. Choosing Death: "Der Wegweiser"10. Death Eludes the Wanderer: "Das Wirtshaus"11. Reflecting on the Inability to Find Death: "Mut," "Die Nebensonnen," and "Der Leiermann"Part III: Cycle12. The Song Cycle as a Genre: Some Recent Views13. Winterreise as a Cycle14. Epilogue: The Meaning of Death in WinterreiseNotesReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisArgues that the influence of Emerson and Thoreau on Charles Ives' compositional style freed the composer from ordinary ideas of time and chronology, allowing him to recuperate the past as he reached for the musical unknown.Trade ReviewMcDonald's work is always stimulating and never dull, consistently enriching the experience of the music. Ultimately, it also deepens our understanding of Ives the person, weaving together threads of art and biography. * Music Theory Spectrum *Overall, McDonald's book is a useful contribution to Ives scholarship . . . the book lays a solid foundation for further investigations of temporality in Ives's music. * Journal of the Society for American Music *McDonald investigates both the temporal and spatial effects of multidirectional motion, as well as its ramifications for understanding some of the larger philosophical issues that are raised in Ives's music.May 2015 * Music & Letters *McDonald brings together analytic and personal factors to sharpen the image of the composer in convincing ways. . . . This book . . . deserves a close reading. The bibliography provides a select list of scores and recordings as well as articles, books, catalogues, and unpublished commentaries. This book is recommended for college and university libraries and for readers with a music theory background. * Music Reference Services Quarterly *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgementsIntroduction: Ives and TimePart I: Three Dualities1. God/Man: I Come to Thee and Psalm 142. Community/individual: Sonata No. 1 for Piano and String Quartet No. 23. Intuition/expression: "Nov. 2, 1920" and "Grantchester"Part II: Contexts and Methodologies4. Elements of Narrative: The Unanswered Question5. Ives and the Now: "The Things Our Fathers Loved"6. Cumulative Composition: Ives's Emerson MusicNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisIn Italy during the late cinquecento, printed music could be found not only in the homes of the wealthy or the music professional, but in lay homes, courts, and academies as well. This book examines these new musical forms through a study of the music books of Italian priest, poet, and composer, Orazio Vecchi.Trade Review[This] very well written and researched book illuminates the repertory of an individual composer and expands our understanding of what game-playing could have meant for Italian recreational singers in the last decades of the 16th century. * Early Music *Singing Games in Early Modern Italy is a brilliant work that helps us to broaden our understanding of the dynamics—both social and individual—that dominated music in early modern Italy. * Fontes Artis Musicae *Elegantly written and illustrated with many, though not excessive, examples and tables, Schleuse's monograph is an important contribution to scholarship on late sixteenth-century music. It sheds light on the work of one of the most notable—if underestimated—authors of this period, Orazio Vecchi, and, most importantly, it restores the centrality of recreational singing, placing it in the context of the fascinating early modern discourse on games and entertainment. It is strongly recommended to anyone with an interest in the music and culture of early modern Italy. * Notes *The wide range of avenues for further study opened by Paul Schleuse's volume is a testimony to its impressive depth and richness. Singing Games in Early Modern Italy is a well-argued, well-written work that offers new understandings of the music of one of the most important composers of the early modern era. * Music and Letters *[T]he author's purpose is to separate Vecchi's importance as a precursor to early opera and illustrate his success as an experimental composer who had control over the printing, dissemination, and understanding of his own works, as well as his innovations in relation to the cultural focus on social play and drama in his music.5/21/16 * Music Reference Services Quarterly *Table of ContentsIntroduction1. The Four-Voice Canzonetta as (and in) Recreational Polyphony2. Intertextuality in Vecchi's Canzonettas and Madrigals, 1583-15903. Forest and Feast: The Music Book as Metaphor4. L'Amfiparnaso: Picturing Theatre & The Problem of the "Madrigal Comedy"5. Competition and Conversation: Games as Music6. Representation and Identity in Musical PerformanceAppendix: Vecchi, L'hore di recreatione from Madrigali a sei (1583).NotesWorks CitedIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIn the last 20 years, scholarly research on opera has encompassed cultural, media, gender, psychoanalytic, and literary theories. With this book, Everett makes an important, impressive contribution to that scholarship. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *[O]ne of the most satisfying aspects of Reconfiguring Myth is Everett's sensitive attention to the way different productions articulate an opera as historical drama, allegory, and myth; such case studies set a new standard in our understanding of contemporary opera as not only a multi-dimensional, but also a constantly changing theatrical experience. * Music and Letters *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsList of Abbreviations1. Toward a Multimodal Discourse on Opera2. Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar: A Myth of "Wounded" Freedom3. Kaija Saariaho's Adriana Mater: A Narrative of Trauma and Ambivalence4. John Adams' Doctor Atomic: A Faustian Parable for the Modern Age?5. The Anti-hero in Tan Dun's The First EmperorEpilogue: Opera as Myth in the Global AgeGlossaryNotesBibliographyIndex

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