A study of how jazz greats dazzled and enlivened coal towns during the Great Depression

The perfect introduction to the many strains of American-made music

Poets, teachers, and musicologists fusing studies of form, scansion, and musical creation to redefine the place of the American bard

A detailed history of an unsung recording studio and its lasting impact on rhythm and blues

A journey to the main public venue for the most vigorous American folk music tradition

A biography of the first solo folk musician to play Carnegie Hall and a staunch preserver of European styles

The first biography of a blues creator whose stylings influenced almost every form of twentieth-century popular music

A study of contemporary, grass roots musical creation happening in the Mississippi Delta

From parlor instrument to jazz electric, a study of musical evolution in America’s progressive era

The tribute to a musician whose career spans hillbilly, bluegrass, and sacred music

A compilation and analysis of the many blues and gospel songs written about the inspirational president

How a group of industry outsiders became popular music sensations

Essays analyzing the impact of African American music and its European reverberations

A history of the distinctive, US Capital sound that fuses hip-hop, funk, and soul

The definitive biography of the artist who created the template for Nashville’s modern country music sound

A deluxe, encyclopedic survey of the cultural scene that engendered the popular music of the twentieth century

How a mountain community and music harmonize in an old-time fiddle player from West Virginia

An exploration of the history and intent behind the words of a great American folk singer

A vibrant and varied look at African American songs and the history behind the lyrics