Ramblin' on My Mind: New Perspectives on the Blues (African Amer Music in Global Perspective)
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Book Summary Information
Editor: David EvansEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-01-10
ISBN: 0252074483
Number of pages: 440
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Book Reviews of Ramblin' on My Mind: New Perspectives on the Blues (African Amer Music in Global Perspective)
Book Review: New Perspectives on Blues History
Summary: 4 Stars
This collection of articles is definitely written for readers with a solid background in the blues. Some of the stronger pieces are the entries on the east Texas roots of Zydeco, an in-depth study of blues players' nicknames, a rich analysis of Robert Johnson's "Rambling on My Mind," and a fine essay about the influence of vaudeville and the sheet music industry on early blues artists. I appreciated these essays because they were especially well written and explore a variety of topics. The more technical pieces, such as a thorough study of right-hand picking techniques used by blues guitarists and a highly sophisticated ethnomusicological analysis of musical systems used by blues players, require a fairly strong background in music theory, but the general conclusions in these articles can be understood by non-specialized readers. All-in-all, this compilation breaks new ground in blues scholarship, and the book features writing by some of the best contemporary blues researchers. The only thing that prevents me from giving it the full 5 stars is the lack of attention to contemporary blues artists. This omission seems curious, especially for a book that is subtitled "New Perspectives on the Blues." That overall approach tends to historicize blues as a pre-1970s form of music, and I'd like to see another volume like this book that also looks at contemporary blues scenes.
Summary of Ramblin' on My Mind: New Perspectives on the Blues (African Amer Music in Global Perspective)
This compilation of essays takes the study of the blues to a welcome new level. Distinguished scholars and well-established writers from such diverse backgrounds as musicology, anthropology, musicianship, and folklore join together to examine blues as literature, music, personal expression, and cultural product. Ramblin' on My Mind contains pieces on Ella Fitzgerald, Son House, and Robert Johnson; on the styles of vaudeville, solo guitar, and zydeco; on a comparison of blues and African music; on blues nicknames; and on lyric themes of disillusionment.
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Contributors are Lynn Abbott, James Bennighof, Katharine Cartwright, Andrew M. Cohen, David Evans, Bob Groom, Elliott Hurwitt, Gerhard Kubik, John Minton, Luigi Monge, and Doug Seroff.
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