Southern Music/American Music

By David Stricklin and Bill C. Malone

Book Overview

The South--an inspiration for songwriters, a source of styles, and the birthplace of many of the nation's greatest musicians--plays a defining role in American musical history. It is impossible to think of American music of the past century without such southern-derived forms as ragtime, jazz, blues, country, bluegrass, gospel, rhythm and blues, Cajun, zydeco, Tejano, rock'n'roll, and even rap. Musicians and listeners around the world have made these vibrant styles their own.

Southern Music/American Music is the first book to investigate the facets of American music from the South and the many popular forms that emerged from it. In this substantially revised and updated edition, Bill C. Malone and David Stricklin bring this classic work into the twenty-first century, including new material on recent phenomena such as the huge success of the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? and the renewed popularity of Southern music, as well as important new artists Lucinda Williams, Alejandro Escovedo, and the Dixie Chicks, among others. Extensive bibliographic notes and a new suggested listening guide complete this essential study.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 081319055X
• ISBN13: 9780813190556
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.1"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Essential Reading on American Music

The updated version of this important study is a welcome addition to the history of American popular music. Each chapter is a thorough overview of various genres and eras of folk and popular music in America. The central claim that most of what we perceive to be American music is deeply rooted in the music of America's southland is a strong one, and it adds to our understanding of connections between regional culture and history. The excellent discography provides a terrific guide to important musicians and recordings, and the new information on Cajun, Zydeco, Norteno, and contemporary acoustic music update the earlier edition.