| Abstract |
From cottonfields to international festivals, from Mamie Smith and her 1920 recording of "Crazy Blues" to such rising young stars as Robert Cray, Jo Louis Walker, and Kenny Neal, the growth of the musical tradition known as "the blues" has been long and varied. Born out of shared uncertainties of the ambiguous freedom thrust upon succeeding generations of African-Americans during Reconstruction, this musical genre born in America has grown to rival the jazz it resembles and has given birth, in turn, to rock-and-roll. Containing hundreds of entries with detailed examinations of the instruments, trends, recordings, producers, and performers who have helped to popularize the blues and to introduce it to an ever-widening audience, this book is an indispensable reference for all readers and musicians involved with or intrigued by the music. Complete with a selected discography, the Encyclopedia is a clear and comprehensive guide to a truly American art form. |
