The Blues:A Very Short Introduction

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Music, Pop & Rock, Popular, Music Styles
Cover of the book The Blues:A Very Short Introduction by Elijah Wald, Oxford University Press, USA
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Elijah Wald ISBN: 9780199752874
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA Publication: July 8, 2010
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Elijah Wald
ISBN: 9780199752874
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Publication: July 8, 2010
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

Praised as "suave, soulful, ebullient" (Tom Waits) and "a meticulous researcher, a graceful writer, and a committed contrarian" (New York Times Book Review), Elijah Wald is one of the leading popular music critics of his generation. In The Blues, Wald surveys a genre at the heart of American culture. It is not an easy thing to pin down. As Howlin' Wolf once described it, "When you ain't got no money and can't pay your house rent and can't buy you no food, you've damn sure got the blues." It has been defined by lyrical structure, or as a progression of chords, or as a set of practices reflecting West African "tonal and rhythmic approaches," using a five-note "blues scale." Wald sees blues less as a style than as a broad musical tradition within a constantly evolving pop culture. He traces its roots in work and praise songs, and shows how it was transformed by such professional performers as W. C. Handy, who first popularized the blues a century ago. He follows its evolution from Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith through Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix; identifies the impact of rural field recordings of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charley Patton and others; explores the role of blues in the development of both country music and jazz; and looks at the popular rhythm and blues trends of the 1940s and 1950s, from the uptown West Coast style of T-Bone Walker to the "down home" Chicago sound of Muddy Waters. Wald brings the story up to the present, touching on the effects of blues on American poetry, and its connection to modern styles such as rap. As with all of Oxford's Very Short Introductions, The Blues tells you--with insight, clarity, and wit--everything you need to know to understand this quintessentially American musical genre.

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

Praised as "suave, soulful, ebullient" (Tom Waits) and "a meticulous researcher, a graceful writer, and a committed contrarian" (New York Times Book Review), Elijah Wald is one of the leading popular music critics of his generation. In The Blues, Wald surveys a genre at the heart of American culture. It is not an easy thing to pin down. As Howlin' Wolf once described it, "When you ain't got no money and can't pay your house rent and can't buy you no food, you've damn sure got the blues." It has been defined by lyrical structure, or as a progression of chords, or as a set of practices reflecting West African "tonal and rhythmic approaches," using a five-note "blues scale." Wald sees blues less as a style than as a broad musical tradition within a constantly evolving pop culture. He traces its roots in work and praise songs, and shows how it was transformed by such professional performers as W. C. Handy, who first popularized the blues a century ago. He follows its evolution from Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith through Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix; identifies the impact of rural field recordings of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charley Patton and others; explores the role of blues in the development of both country music and jazz; and looks at the popular rhythm and blues trends of the 1940s and 1950s, from the uptown West Coast style of T-Bone Walker to the "down home" Chicago sound of Muddy Waters. Wald brings the story up to the present, touching on the effects of blues on American poetry, and its connection to modern styles such as rap. As with all of Oxford's Very Short Introductions, The Blues tells you--with insight, clarity, and wit--everything you need to know to understand this quintessentially American musical genre.

More books from Oxford University Press, USA

Cover of the book El Libertador:Writings of Simon Bolivar by Elijah Wald
Cover of the book The Conquistadors: A Very Short Introduction by Elijah Wald
Cover of the book The Oxford Companion To The History Of Modern Science by Elijah Wald
Cover of the book The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture:The Effect of Early Christological Controversies on the Text of the New Testament by Elijah Wald
Cover of the book Do You Really Need Back Surgery?: A Surgeon's Guide to Neck and Back Pain and How to Choose Your Treatment by Elijah Wald
Cover of the book Cleopatra:A Biography by Elijah Wald
Cover of the book Crossroads of Freedom : Antietam by Elijah Wald
Cover of the book Beyond Talent : Creating a Successful Career in Music by Elijah Wald
Cover of the book The Third Globalization: Can Wealthy Nations Stay Rich in the Twenty-First Century? by Elijah Wald
Cover of the book The Great War: A Combat History of the First World War by Elijah Wald
Cover of the book The Bible and the Believer:How to Read the Bible Critically and Religiously by Elijah Wald
Cover of the book White Supremacy : A Comparative Study of American and South African History by Elijah Wald
Cover of the book The Invisible Constitution by Elijah Wald
Cover of the book Unbecoming British : How Revolutionary America Became a Postcolonial Nation by Elijah Wald
Cover of the book Modern Music and After by Elijah Wald
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