The Music of Black Americans: A History / Edition 3

by Eileen Southern

Overview

A new edition of the classic text on African American music.

Beginning with the arrival of the first Africans in the English colonies, Eileen Southern weaves a fascinating narrative of intense musical activity. As singers, players, and composers, black American musicians are fully chronicled in this landmark book. Now in the third edition, the author has brought the entire text up to date and has added a wealth of new material covering the latest developments in gospel, blues, jazz, classical, crossover, Broadway, and rap as they relate to African American music.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393971415
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	01/17/1997
Edition description:	Third Edition
Pages:	704
Sales rank:	302,121
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Eileen Southern, Professor Emerita of Music and Afro-American Studies at Harvard University, founded and edited the journal The Black Perspective in Music (1973—90). She lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

The third edition of Southern's (music and Afro-American studies, emerita, Harvard) scholarly work chronicles the development of African American music, from the arrival of the first Africans at the English colonies in 1619 to the present. The evolution of various genres, instrumentation, minstrelsy, dance, religious aspects, recording companies, and musical theater are all dealt with meticulously. A chronology of important events at the beginning of each chapter and extensive bibliographies and discographies help greatly in navigating the massive amount of material. An important addition to this edition is expanded coverage of women composers and performers. The only drawback is the minimal coverage of the modern era: rhythm and blues, soul, rock'n'roll, and disco are covered in just ten pages. The social, cultural, and historical importance of this book make it essential for all libraries.Dan Bogey, Clearfield Cty. P.L. Federation, Curwensville, Pa.

Library Journal