Before Elvis

The Prehistory of Rock 'n' Roll

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Music, Music Styles, Jazz & Blues, Blues, Pop & Rock, Rock
Cover of the book Before Elvis by Larry Birnbaum, Scarecrow Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Larry Birnbaum ISBN: 9780810886292
Publisher: Scarecrow Press Publication: December 14, 2012
Imprint: Scarecrow Press Language: English
Author: Larry Birnbaum
ISBN: 9780810886292
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Publication: December 14, 2012
Imprint: Scarecrow Press
Language: English

An essential work for rock fans and scholars, Before Elvis: The Prehistory of Rock ‘n’ Roll surveys the origins of rock ’n’ roll from the minstrel era to the emergence of Bill Haley and Elvis Presley. Unlike other histories of rock, Before Elvis offers a far broader and deeper analysis of the influences on rock music. Dispelling common misconceptions, it examines rock’s origins in hokum songs and big-band boogies as well as Delta blues, detailing the embrace by white artists of African-American styles long before rock ’n’ roll appeared. This unique study ranges far and wide, highlighting not only the contributions of obscure but key precursors like Hardrock Gunter and Sam Theard but also the influence of celebrity performers like Gene Autry and Ella Fitzgerald.

Too often, rock historians treat the genesis of rock ’n’ roll as a bolt from the blue, an overnight revolution provoked by the bland pop music that immediately preceded it and created through the white appropriation of music till then played only by and for black audiences. In Before Elvis, Birnbaum daringly argues a more complicated history of rock’s evolution from a heady mix of ragtime, boogie-woogie, swing, country music, mainstream pop, and rhythm-and-blues—a melange that influenced one another along the way, from the absorption of blues and boogies into jazz and pop to the integration of country and Caribbean music into rhythm-and-blues.

Written in an easy style, Before Elvis presents a bold argument about rock’s origins and required reading for fans and scholars of rock ’n’ roll history.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

An essential work for rock fans and scholars, Before Elvis: The Prehistory of Rock ‘n’ Roll surveys the origins of rock ’n’ roll from the minstrel era to the emergence of Bill Haley and Elvis Presley. Unlike other histories of rock, Before Elvis offers a far broader and deeper analysis of the influences on rock music. Dispelling common misconceptions, it examines rock’s origins in hokum songs and big-band boogies as well as Delta blues, detailing the embrace by white artists of African-American styles long before rock ’n’ roll appeared. This unique study ranges far and wide, highlighting not only the contributions of obscure but key precursors like Hardrock Gunter and Sam Theard but also the influence of celebrity performers like Gene Autry and Ella Fitzgerald.

Too often, rock historians treat the genesis of rock ’n’ roll as a bolt from the blue, an overnight revolution provoked by the bland pop music that immediately preceded it and created through the white appropriation of music till then played only by and for black audiences. In Before Elvis, Birnbaum daringly argues a more complicated history of rock’s evolution from a heady mix of ragtime, boogie-woogie, swing, country music, mainstream pop, and rhythm-and-blues—a melange that influenced one another along the way, from the absorption of blues and boogies into jazz and pop to the integration of country and Caribbean music into rhythm-and-blues.

Written in an easy style, Before Elvis presents a bold argument about rock’s origins and required reading for fans and scholars of rock ’n’ roll history.

More books from Scarecrow Press

Cover of the book The Ziegfeld Follies by Larry Birnbaum
Cover of the book The Day Lincoln Was Almost Shot by Larry Birnbaum
Cover of the book The A to Z of Japanese Business by Larry Birnbaum
Cover of the book Emigration from the United Kingdom to America by Larry Birnbaum
Cover of the book The A to Z of the Shakers by Larry Birnbaum
Cover of the book Buster Keaton's Silent Shorts by Larry Birnbaum
Cover of the book The A to Z of the Russo-Japanese War by Larry Birnbaum
Cover of the book Adaptation Studies and Learning by Larry Birnbaum
Cover of the book The A to Z of Denmark by Larry Birnbaum
Cover of the book The Library-Classroom Partnership by Larry Birnbaum
Cover of the book The Singer's Repertoire, Part IV by Larry Birnbaum
Cover of the book From Crusade to Hazard by Larry Birnbaum
Cover of the book Historical Dictionary of United States Political Parties by Larry Birnbaum
Cover of the book Jazz Arranging and Performance Practice by Larry Birnbaum
Cover of the book Names and Naming in Young Adult Literature by Larry Birnbaum
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy