Seize the Beat: The Evolution of American Music

by Brian Q. Torff

Overview

The story of American popular music is steeped in social history, race, gender and class, its evolution driven by ephemeral connection to young audiences. From Benny Goodman to Sinatra to Elvis Presley to the Beatles, pop icons age out of the art form while new musical styles pass from relevance to nostalgia within a few years. At the same time, perennial forms like blues, jazz and folk are continually rediscovered by new audiences.

This book traces the development of American music from its African roots to the juke joint, club and concert hall, revealing a culture perpetually reinventing itself to suit the next generation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476648576
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	01/16/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	228
Sales rank:	109,137
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Brian Q. Torff is a bassist, composer, arranger, and a professor of music at Fairfield University in Connecticut.
Brian Q. Torff is a bassist, composer, arranger, and a professor of music at Fairfield University in Connecticut.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface
Prologue: Music for a Pandemic
 1. How We Listen
 2. Listen Up, Africa!
 3. Framing a Jazz and Blues Century
 4. The South, Elvis, and the Dawning of Rock and Roll
 5. Say It Loud: Black Music in the 1960s
 6. Bob Dylan and the American Voice
 7. Beatles, Stones, and Cultural Amnesia
 8. Pistols at Dawn: Janis, Jim, and Jimi
 9. Rebels: The Authentic Lives of Women in Music
10. No Time to Get Cute in the ’70s
11. ­Post-Authentic World: Your CEO Rock Star
12. The Music and Art Spirit
Epilogue
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Brian Q. Torff brings the rhythm of his bass to his writing and offers valuable lessons in how to listen to music and appreciate what you hear on multiple levels.”—Marc Myers, JazzWax.com

From the Publisher