R & B reading

[bakeostrin]

I would add two books which focus on Los Angeles:

Tom Reed "A Black Music History of Los Angeles" (privately published; there are at least four editions; it's a good photo collection; author's reminiscences mainly)

Bette Cox "Central Avenue It's Rise and Fall" (privately published; you can find inexpensive copies; Cox was a local librarian, at UCLA, I think)

[jostber]

These two biographies on these major artists has been quite recently released:

Bobby Blue Bland - Soul Of The Man

http://www.upress.state.ms.us/books/1378

Little Willie John - Fever: Little Willie John's Fast Life, Mysterious Death and the Birth of Soul

http://titanbooks.com/fever-little-willie-...biography-5253/

[Pete C]

Unfortunately, this fabulous TV documentary never made it to DVD.

http://www.amazon.com/Rhythm-Those-Blues-American-Experience/dp/B000RJV2RO

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1177200/

Synopsis

The African-American music known as rhythm and blues helped break down the racial barriers of segregation at a time when Jim Crow laws were the norm in the United States. Directed by George T. Nierenberg, this documentary aired as an episode of the Emmy award-winning PBS television series The American Experience. As shown here, R&B music had grown out of the traditional blues and gospel. Nierenberg traces the increase in popularity of the genre. In the 1940s, R&B spread through live performances because white-owned radio stations refused to play the music. Yet, eventually, whites embraced the style and its dances. Highlights include archival footage of the famed Apollo Theatre in Harlem, as well as profiles of numerous R&B pioneers, including Ruth Brown and Charles Brown. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi

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

In that case, is it readable, or is it bogged down by "theory"?

[Big Beat Steve]

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

In that case, is it readable, or is it bogged down by "theory"?

That book has been quoted from elsewhere so often that it must be quite readable, informative and well-written. I must admit I've never had a thorough look at it because once you get into that 50s music really deeply this kind of general overview will be a bit superficial for you and will not add much new, especially since every facet of those "early years" and of the evoution up to the beginning of the "British Invasion" have been covered from almost every angle imaginable elsewhere in the years since this book was originally written. Besides, it does dwell too much on the post-"r'n'r era" music up to 1970 for my taste.

But you can check the contents through the Amazon preview function here, for example, for yourself:

http://www.amazon.com/Sound-City-Rise-Rock-Roll/dp/0306806835/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318316936&sr=8-1#reader_0306806835

Edited October 11, 2011 by Big Beat Steve

[king ubu]

Everyboy talkin' to clem up there but he pulled a disappearing act... how awfully sorryfully lame... (the board would certainly have a function that disallows regular members to delete posts older than... a day or something?

But on topic: anyone has read either of these two books on the Apollo Theatre and can recommend them (or one of them), or anything else on that topic?

Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment, eds. Richard Carlin & Kinshasha Holman Conwill

Book Description

Series: Entertainment | Publication Date: April 27, 2010

Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment celebrates the seventy-five year history of the Apollo Theater, Harlem's landmark performing arts space and the iconic showplace for the best in jazz, blues, dance, comedy, gospel, R & B, hip-hop, and more since it opened its doors in 1934. This beautifully illustrated book is the companion volume to an exhibition of the same name, organized by the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture in collaboration with the Apollo Theater Foundation. It offers a sweeping panorama of American cultural achievement from the Harlem Renaissance to the present through the compelling story of a single institution.

Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing brings together a diverse group of twenty-four writers to discuss the theater's history and its intersection with larger social and political issues within Harlem and the nation. Featuring more than 300 photographs, this volume brings to life the groundbreaking entertainers in music, dance, and comedy—Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, James Brown, Moms Mabley, Redd Foxx, Honi Coles, and Savion Glover, to name a few—who made the Apollo the icon that it is today. The Apollo Theater has been the setting for soaring achievement and creativity in the face of enormous challenges. In telling this truly American story, Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing is a celebration of the lasting contributions of African Americans to the nation's cultural life.

Ted Fox: Showtime at the Apollo: The Story of Harlem's World Famous Theater

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2003

This is the only full scale history of the world famous Apollo Theatre. Still presenting top black stars from P. Diddy to Chris Rock -- since the Apollo has probably exerted a greater influence upon popular culture than any other entertainment venue in the world. A classic text, newly updated, Showtime at the Apollo has over photos interspersed throughout.

From the Publisher

A night out at the Apollo was something special and enjoyable and more – the Apollo was home. Nearly every black performer interviewed for Ted Fox's "Showtime at the Apollo: The Story of Harlem's World Famous Theatre" used the word "home" to describe what the Apollo meant to them. It was home to all the performers who along with the audience comprised the Apollo family. It was a family that often scrapped, a family of sibling love and rivalry, but one bound together by shared experiences, hopes and ambitions. Although for performers the work was terribly difficult, and the theatre, like Harlem itself, was always rough, everyone looked forward to coming home to the Apollo. As Dionne Warwick says in the book, "The theatre was terrible: drafty, dirty, smelly – awful; and we loved every minute of it."

While the Apollo is now re-inventing itself and once again burnishing the legend – it nearly died in the 1970s and was forced to close its doors. As the civil rights movement began to alter the nation’s consciousness, other areas of opportunity became available at last to black performers. The system the Apollo was forced to work within for so many years began to collapse. The general acceptance of black culture into American popular culture was the beginning of something brand new, but it was also the beginning of the end for the Apollo Theatre. For it is the final irony that the ultimate casualty of this revolution was the Apollo itself.

Today, the Apollo Theatre remains at the heart of the African-American community – the place that legends still call home – as it’s been since 1934… James Brown, Smokey Robinson and George Clinton come back …Top black pop stars including Mary J. Blige and P.Diddy, trod the Apollo stage, following in the footsteps of Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis and Dionne Warwick … Hip-hop group, The Roots, bring the sounds of the street into the theatre like the Orioles in their day… The Apollo’s "Latin Nites" series continues the vibrant tradition of Tito Puente and Mongo Santamaria …Wynton Marsalis carries the jazz standard of Dizzy Gillespie …On his 1999 HBO special, Chris Rock shocked and slayed the Apollo crowd summoning memories of Redd Foxx … Debuting her first tour in a decade at the theatre, Whoopi Goldberg, after enjoying mass stardom, paid homage to the Apollo much as Bill Cosby once did… Anxious neophytes continue flocking to Amateur Night in hopes of making it big by touching The Tree of Hope …Through good times and bad, changes in time, taste and technologies it will always be Showtime at the Apollo.

(blurbs from amazon-links)

Edited December 13, 2011 by king ubu

[Big Beat Steve]

Haven't read them but would like to hear from those who have too.

Actually I had heard about "Showtime At The Apollo" on several occasions and though the subject (at least as far as the "golden years" up to and including the 50s and probably a bit beyond are concerned) really holds my attention I've never taken the plunge. Something in what I've read about the book must have made me shy away - but for the life of it I cannot remember what it was.

As for the other one, I admit descriptions like this,

"Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing brings together a diverse group of twenty-four writers to discuss the theater's history and its intersection with larger social and political issues within Harlem and the nation" make me feel rather uneasy.

Not that I would mind approaching music history from a larger societal point of view (I've actually read several books dealing with the swing era, for example, from that angle and found them quite enlightening), but I feel there are too many writers out there who have preconceived notions of what they are out to prove with the benefit of hindsight and have their own political, sociological, feminist or whatever (non-musical) agendas that tend to crowd out everything else, and some of these books too fast read like the author primarily is conecerned with setting forth his own ideas and then tries to make the history of the music, its actors and venues and the historical facts fit his (or her) own agendas. Tedious, to put it mildly ...

After all, those who lived through that era and listened to the music and visited the venues for the most part were not trying to change society at large but were out to have fun, enjoy themselves and idolize their musical stars of those days within the framework of their everday lives that they just lived like we live ours. Maybe putting things into perspective and adjusting one's priorities at least a wee bit in accordance with this state of affairs would help SOME of those sociology-minded authors (and their readers ... ).

Of course my fears may be unfounded in the case of this book but I'd first like to hear about it from those who are in a position to judge ...

[king ubu]

Guess I won't be the one to tell you... found what I might have needed them for has to be finished too soon to get and read them in time. But if anyone has some insight about either of the books, I'd still be interested!

Fox' book has appeared in various editions over the years - but then that needn't be a good sign, necessarily.

[mjzee]

James Brown Said It Loud

It seems like a home run, right? The life of James Brown—golden material, a huge fan base, a killer soundtrack. And R.J. Smith's "The One" is the first comprehensive biography published since Brown's death in 2006, so there's no competition.

But there are obstacles. For to nail Brown's story is to master the nuances of Georgialina and Affrilachia, of queer black tent-show culture, the cape in shamanistic ritual, the 1960s indie record business, Black Power, Nixon-era race relations and some weird stuff, too, like how it feels to surge on angel dust at age 57.

So the challenge is as steep as the enticement sweet—to get one last hit out of James Brown.

Continued here:

WSJ

[JSngry]

NYT Review here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/books/the-one-james-brown-biography-by-r-j-smith.html?_r=2

I'll take a hit of it, yeah.

Still recommended:

[phunkey]

Another brilliant and extremely well written book (yet with a stronger academic leaning) is Brian Ward's "Just My Soul Responding: Rhythm and Blues, Black Consciousness and Race Relations Since 1945". Ward isn't only a scholar of African American History but a true connaisseur of R&B and black music, who writes with passion, wit and eloquence. This book and Guralnick's "Sweet Soul Music" are probably the best you'll find for this particular topic and era. I haven't read Preston Lauterbach's "Chitlin' Circuit" yet but heard very good things about it.

Edited March 14, 2012 by phunkey

[Big Beat Steve]

I haven't read Preston Lauterbach's "Chitlin' Circuit" yet but heard very good things about it.

I'm about to finish reading it. The "introduction" that sets the scene is a bit long-winding and the details on the Ferguson brothers and their "numbers game" shtick, etc. take a while for the reader to grasp their importance to the overall picture but once you're through that you really are into it. Overall it's very interesting and gives you a highly insightful picture of the way things were. Best read in conjunction with books like "Honkers & Shouters" or "Record Makers & Breakers" (so you get an even better picture of Don Robey, for example).

And THANK GOODNESS it is not overly "scholarly".

[Pete C]

Another brilliant and extremely well written book (yet with a stronger academic leaning) is Brian Ward's "Just My Soul Responding: Rhythm and Blues, Black Consciousness and Race Relations Since 1945". Ward isn't only a scholar of African American History but a true connaisseur of R&B and black music, who writes with passion, wit and eloquence. This book and Guralnick's "Sweet Soul Music" are probably the best you'll find for this particular topic and era. I haven't read Preston Lauterbach's "Chitlin' Circuit" yet but heard very good things about it.

Nelson Goerge's Motown book has been mentioned, but I'd add his Death of Rhythm and Blues.