Description
Book SynopsisA bestselling music writer describes the roles of work songs in societies around the world, from prehistoric times to the present
Trade Review“In previous books, Ted Gioia proved himself one of our most incisive thinkers about jazz. Now he has integrated vast expanses of knowledge and recordings from cultures across the globe to shed valuable new light on work songs. A dazzling accomplishment.”—John Edward Hasse, Curator of American Music, National Museum of American History
“Ted Gioia enriches and makes real the powerful message that music is, and has always been, an integral part of the toolkit that ordinary humans have used to navigate life. He shows that, far from being a pastime to fill idle moments or a distraction from everyday preoccupations, music addresses fundamental issues of human existence, survival, and liberation. Gioia’s work offers hope to those who fear that the corporate mass media may have suffocated the age-old impulse of ordinary people to make music their own.”—John Sloboda, author of
Exploring the Musical Mind“This is a wonderful book.
Work Songs invites the reader into the best of two worlds—serious theory and fun content. It is written in a clear and easy style, sprinkled here and there with verbal wit and passionate eloquence.” -- Maura Kealey * Journal of Folklore Research *
"[A] stimulating and well researched journey right back to the dawn of music. . . . Gioia's handling of the material is exemplary, and although he has undertaken an impressive amount of research and condenses a tremendous amount of information, his writing moves along with a briskness and vitality. . . . The musical history
Work Songs powerfully details offers a glimpse of how we can re-establish a vital link between music and our everyday lives. . . ." -- Mike Barnes * The Wire *
"[A] volume to cherish for its documentary insights. . . .
Work Songs is alive with feeling and sensitivity. Though the subject may sound academic, this material is by no means dry. The pages burst with intensity and emotion. Many thanks to Gioia for a fine book, one that is both a scholar's delight and a reader's sweet dessert! Highly recommended."
-- Lee Prosser * JazzReview.com *
Table of ContentsPreface ix
Introduction: Why Work Songs? 1
1. The Hunter 13
2. The Cultivator 35
3. The Herder 63
4. Thread and Cloth 79
5. The New Rhythms of Work 99
6. Sea and Shore 115
7. The Lumberjack 137
8. Take This Hammer! 150
9. The Cowboy 169
10. The Miner 182
11. The Prisoner 200
12. The Labor Movement and Songs of Work 225
13. Music and the Modern Worker 242
Epologue: The Calling 256
Notes 261
Recommended Listening 305
Bibliography 313
Index 337
