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Sto caricando le informazioni... Stomp and Swerve: American Music Gets Hot, 1843-1924di David Wondrich
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The early decades of American popular music--Stephen Foster, Scott Joplin, John Philip Sousa, Enrico Caruso--are, for most listeners, the dark ages. It wasn't until the mid-1920s that the full spectrum of this music--black and white, urban and rural, sophisticated and crude--made it onto records for all to hear. This book brings a forgotten music, hot music, to life by describing how it became the dominant American music--how it outlasted sentimental waltzes and parlor ballads, symphonic marches and Tin Pan Alley novelty numbers--and how it became rock 'n' roll. It reveals that the young men and women of that bygone era had the same musical instincts as their descendants Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, and even Ozzy Osbourne. In minstrelsy, ragtime, brass bands, early jazz and blues, fiddle music, and many other forms, there was as much stomping and swerving as can be found in the most exciting performances of hot jazz, funk, and rock. Along the way, it explains how the strange combination of African with Scotch and Irish influences made music in the United States vastly different from other African and Caribbean forms; shares terrific stories about minstrel shows, "coon" songs, whorehouses, knife fights, and other low-life phenomena; and showcases a motley collection of performers heretofore unknown to all but the most avid musicologists and collectors. Non sono state trovate descrizioni di biblioteche |
Discussioni correntiNessunoCopertine popolari
 Google Books — Sto caricando le informazioni...GeneriSistema Decimale Melvil (DDC)781.64The arts Music General principles and musical forms Traditions of music Western popular music {equally instrumental and vocal}Classificazione LCVotoMedia: (4)
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As an exploration of the development of minstrel music (by both blacks and whites), ragtime, jazz and blues; and how these eventually prevailed over the tamer American music of sentimental waltzs and parlor ballads is fascinating. A big plus is that the author cites by catalogue number the early recorded music, and its availability in CD anthologies. In these respects the book is excellent.
Now comes the "however," and it is directed to the author's writing style - which reads as if it were the product of adolescent testosterone or too much booze, or both. The ultimate effect I can only characterize as "cutsie hip," screaming look at me, me, me the totally knows-everything Mr. Cool, and relying heavily on often unnecessary terminology and neologisms for that effect. In fact, his entire style is effect, and it worked strongly against the presentation of content for me. Wondrich's authorial personality finally overwhelmed me about two-thirds of the way through and I gave the book a two week rest. I came back to it reluctantly - but I have to say, the content was too good to miss; and alternately I ploughed and raced through to the end.
The author writes books on "cocktails" the cover copy says, and you would never convince me that he hadn't had too many of said drinks before each session writing this book. A very big drawback, but if you are interested in African-American music and the origins of U.S. pop, take a deep breath and dive in, because on that level it is worth the pain. (