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Charlie Gillett's excellent The Sound of the City (third edition, published 1996) not only deals with the rise of rock 'n' roll (1954-1961), but it also with rhythm & blues (1945-1956) and soul (1958-1971). Recommended!

Other books of interest are:

Charlie Gillett - Making Tracks: The Story of Atlantic Records (published 1974, 1988)

John Broven - Walking to New Orleans: The Story of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues (published 1974)

Jeff Hannusch - I Hear You Knockin': The Sound of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues (published 1985)

Edited by J.A.W.
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Yeah, I'd vote for Charlie Gillett as well. Wonderfully knowledgeable guy who used to do a great mix-em-up radio show (RnB, Ska, Country, just about anything). I think he's been doing a world music show for years now (also very good, but not so much to my taste). Runs a record label (Oval). He once ran a talent contest on one of his radio shows - Dire Straits won it with "Sultans of Swing" (which "made" them).

I believe "Sound of the City" was based on a phd he did.

Simon Weil

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Be sure and get "Sweet Soul Music," a hugely informative and entertaining read. It is probably the greatest book by Peter Guralnick, which is saying quite a lot.

"Central Avenue Sounds," the book of interviews on the L.A. Central Avenue scene (jazz and R&B), is quite nice.

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No one who actually wants to understand R&B should ignore Motown; it simply don't make any sense without the monetary, social and musical ambition that fueled Motown. Motown and Stax were like ying and yang...

Depends on what kind of R&B you're talking about. The focus here is on "classic", pre-Motown R&B, 1940s-mid 1950s.

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perhaps I should specify that I'm more interested in R&B from the 1940's and 1950's until the rise od Rock'n'Roll.

If that's the case, you may want to read Rock Mr. Blues: The Life and Music of Wynonie Harris (Big Nickel) by Tony Collins. Even though the book is a biography of one performer, it gives a pretty fair look at the r&b scene of the late forties to mid fifties.

Going to Cincinnati (U. of Illinois) by Steve Tracy is a history of Cincinnati blues and r&b musicians. Two chapters are devoted to King Records and H Bomb Ferguson, and cover the era that you're interested in.

Both are worth reading, but if I had to recommend one, I'd say try Rock Mr. Blues.

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I was (over)reacting to Clem's post, which I still find quite objectionable for, oh, so many reasons...but to try to stay on topic and not troll, I do think that understanding Motown throws as much light backwards as forwards, or sideways. (See T.S Eliiot's "Tradition & the Individual Talent" re how this chronilogically paradoxical phenomina can be possible) As for writing dealing with the earlier period of R&B, I would suggest looking not so much to stand alone books (although the rec's above are all good, just not great), but to the liner notes for various box sets, e.g. anthologies for labels like Specialty, Alladin, King, Swingtime, etc. and stylistic collections like Rhino's Doo Wop I & II. The late '40s & v. early '50s are an interesting, and somewhat forgotten, period - not just in music but otherwise too, but y'all probably don't need to hear my rant on the demise of the American independant auto makers (Hudson, Packard, Kaiser, etc.).

Love, Dana

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Be sure and get "Sweet Soul Music," a hugely informative and entertaining read. It is probably the greatest book by Peter Guralnick, which is saying quite a lot.

"Central Avenue Sounds," the book of interviews on the L.A. Central Avenue scene (jazz and R&B), is quite nice.

:tup:tup:tup I found it hard to put down, well written and packed with the inside info on thet period and style.
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Here we go. We have the makings of a genuine southern soul versus northern soul battle here. But we have to get the Britts involved.

I recall the first time that I heard about the British "Northern Soul Scene." I thought, what is that? Is it Britts who dig soul from the northern part of the United States, or is it Britts from the nothern part of England who dig American soul.

Answer: both. Now that is some scary shit. :g:g

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Clem,

Perhaps I read too much into "skip Motown", etc., perhaps not. Other readers can judge for themselves. I have no personal thing for Motown. I just think that to understand R&B of any era you need to see the big picture and that Motown is an important part of that picture. i'm sure others are as tired of this exchange as I am by now... Hopefully, given the opportunity, we could find some music to enjoy together.

dana

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Clem,

I really wasn't trying to call you out. As a matter of fact I was rather enjoying your debate. Chalk up my remark, to a rather warped sense of humor brought on by sleep deprivation. What can I say, I get a little punchy sometimes. :D

Hey, I'm pretty much with you, Southern Soul/R&B is "where it's at". That being said, I do enjoy the pop craftmenship and the highly stylized approach that was the "Motown Sound". By all means gentlemen, resume your discussion.

Otis, My Man!

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  • 3 weeks later...

In addition to the other worthy titles mentioned here (particularly the Guralnick and CENTRAL AVENUE SOUNDS), you might want to take a gander at Rick Kennedy's LITTLE LABELS, BIG SOUND. Kennedy wrote a very good book about Gennett (JELLY ROLL, BIX & HOAGY); here's the Publishers' Weekly description of LITTLE LABELS:

Beginning with Henry Gennett, whose modest Midwestern record company, a piano dealership spinoff, helped launch the careers of jazz immortals King Oliver and Louis Armstrong, Kennedy (Jelly Roll, Bix, and Hoagy) and McNutt (We Wanna Boogie) tell how 10 independent record labels shaped the course of American popular music. Predictably, Sam Phillipss Sun Records, perhaps the most celebrated little label in music history, merits a chapter. More interesting, though, are profiles of less familiar independents such as Don Robeys gospel-oriented Peacock Records and John Vincents pioneering rhythm-and-blues label, Ace. The authors skillfully lay out the complex racial politics of their story, showing, for example, how a shared interest in profits and fresh sounds could bring together personalities as diverse as Soul Brother Number One, James Brown, and Syd Nathan, the feisty Jewish entrepreneur whose Cincinnati-based King Records made Brown a million-seller. The book includes scores of fascinating label-artist dramas, some well known (Dial and Charlie Parker; Riverside and Thelonious Monk), others long forgotten (Peacock and white soul singer Roy Head; Sun and rockabilly visionary Billy Lee Riley). An invaluable guide to the businesspeople, musicians and hangers-on who transformed regional musical styles into a national soundtrack, this book belongs on the same shelf as Peter Guralnicks Sweet Soul Music and Alan Lomaxs The Land Where the Blues Began. B&w photos.

And Maxwell Davis rules! :tup

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  • 7 years later...

So is Honkers and Shouters regarded as a worthwhile read? I stumbled across a copy at Gerosa's records in Brookfield CT last week and decided to go for that instead of a used LP - I ended up putting back a clean copy of Houston Person's Very Person-al in the mistaken belief that I already owned it so I hope I made the right choice on the book since I f-ed up on the LP.

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Yes, I read it recently. It's a hearty tome; a bit of Shaw patting Shaw's back at times, but he was at a lot of places, so it ended up fine by me.

Also out there to read:

Nervous Man Nervous: Big Jay McNeely and the Rise of the Honking Tenor Sax, by Jim Dawson (but out of print)

Upside Your Head! Rhythm and Blues on Central Avenue, by Johnny Otis

Listen to the Lambs, by Johnny Otis

Midnight at the Barrelhouse, by George Lipsitz (a bio of Johnny Otis - seemed a bit more introductory than some of Lipsitz's other writings)

Brand new, not read but sitting here, is

The Chitlin' Circuit and the Road to Rock 'N' Roll, by Preston Lauterbach

Also more on LA but with a healthy amount of R&B discussion:

The Great Black Way: L.A. in the 1940s and the Lost African American Renaissance, by R.J. Smith

Edited by Adam
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For Detroit "Jump Blues" history, Before Motown has a decent survey, and a detailed bio of pianist Todd Rhodes is available at http://www2.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=6580.

What I love about those jump bands is that many pre-eminent 'modern' saxmen cut their teeth in those groups; fer instance, Billy Mitchell played in King Porter's band in Detroit around 1948, three years later he's leading the finest modern jazz band in town over at the Blue Bird Inn.

And let's not forget that Trane worked with Gay Crosse...

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For Detroit "Jump Blues" history, Before Motown has a decent survey,

What I love about those jump bands is that many pre-eminent 'modern' saxmen cut their teeth in those groups; fer instance, Billy Mitchell played in King Porter's band in Detroit around 1948, three years later he's leading the finest modern jazz band in town over at the Blue Bird Inn.

And let's not forget that Trane worked with Gay Crosse...

Second the "Before Motown" book above! Though I would not only call it "decent", but in fact very thorough.

BTW, speaking of Billy Mitchell and looking at the cover pic (and the pic inside that identifies the persons), is it only me or is there indeed a striking resemblance betwen Billy Mitchell and Wynton Marsalis?? :crazy:

Yes, I read it recently. It's a hearty tome; a bit of Shaw patting Shaw's back at times, but he was at a lot of places, so it ended up fine by me.

Also out there to read:

Nervous Man Nervous: Big Jay McNeely and the Rise of the Honking Tenor Sax, by Jim Dawson (but out of print)

Upside Your Head! Rhythm and Blues on Central Avenue, by Johnny Otis

Listen to the Lambs, by Johnny Otis

Midnight at the Barrelhouse, by George Lipsitz (a bio of Johnny Otis - seemed a bit more introductory than some of Lipsitz's other writings)

Brand new, not read but sitting here, is

The Chitlin' Circuit and the Road to Rock 'N' Roll, by Preston Lauterbach

Also more on LA but with a healthy amount of R&B discussion:

The Great Black Way: L.A. in the 1940s and the Lost African American Renaissance, by R.J. Smith

Second "Honkers and Shouters", "Nervous Man Nervous" and "Upside your Head" too (haven't had a closer read of Lipsitz' book yet.

And thanks for making us aware of the "Chitlin' Circuit" book. Looks like one to check out ...

Edited by Big Beat Steve
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