That Devlin' Music

[medjuck]

I've finished listening to all 36 cds in these excellent box sets. Allan Lowe (and anyone else), you up for discussing/answering questions about the project?

Edited March 15, 2007 by medjuck

[medjuck]

Allen: I see you've posted in the last couple of days so I thought I'd up this.

[AllenLowe]

hi - sorry so slow - I'd be happy top entertain questions/comments - where's Scott Yanow when we need him?

[medjuck]

Great. My first question is: Do you collect '78s? Where did you find all that early material and how much did you reject because it wasn't good music? (You spend a lot of space putting down one ragtime player-- sorry I don't have the notes here and can't remember his name-- but don't include an example of his work, presumably because you wan't to maintian the quality of the cds.)

[Stefan Wood]

Still halfway through the first box........ gotta get it going!

[jazzbo]

I've spun all the discs. . . some more than once. . . but can't say yet that I really "know" the sets. . . . But I do know that this was one helluva labor of love and devotion.

As I said elsewhere, these should be "Grammy'd"!

I haven't read enough of the booklets. . . need to make that a priority.

[AllenLowe]

1) Do you collect '78s?

a relative few - maybe 200 - I used LPs, CDs and a network of collectors (though mostly LPs and CDs, and LOTS of LPs) - also found a few things at Rutgers -

2) Where did you find all that early material and how much did you reject because it wasn't good music? (You spend a lot of space putting down one ragtime player-- sorry I don't have the notes here and can't remember his name-- but don't include an example of his work, presumably because you wan't to maintian the quality of the cds.)

I listened obsessively for about 5 years - early Folkways rag collections, a lot of obscure LPs found by haunting record stores from Maine to NYC, some CD reissues (there are not a lot of CDs of pre-1920s music), a few good internet sources; collectors (Mike Kieffer, David Sager and Tim Gracyk) supplied some tapes - I spoke to people like Dick Spottswood, a brilliant historian who now lives in FLorida - read things like the 78 Quarterly; contacted some Europeans -

I'm not sure who you are referring to, though you are probably correct in your assumption - let me know if you come up with the name - I'll take a look tonight - I basically listened and rejected things if they were poorly done or sometimes really bad sources or if I had enough of that particular musician or if I thought a recoring was available everywhere else; or sometimes I just had to make a cut to keep within a reasonable amount of CDs (if you call 36 reasonable) -

Edited March 20, 2007 by AllenLowe

[medjuck]

It was Mike Bernard. (You used his example for-- what I thought-- was a gratuitous attack on poor old Oscar Peterson.)

BTW I thought on the very first disc there was a one great unknown (to me at least) cut that deserves to be considered a classic: May Irwin singing: "When You Ain't Got No Money You Needn't Come Around" from 1907!

I can see that song being revived by some savvy contemporary singer.

[Big Beat Steve]

O.K., I’ll just chime in and add my 2c – though I guess this might be frowned upon (and yes, Allen, your replacement shipping arrived OK and safely once I was able to pry it out of the hands of the customs people... )

I can only comment on Vol. 3 and 4, and to sum up my overall impressions:

A really fascinating selection of tunes that adds something new and welcome to the way jazz history is commonly presented. The selections prove there was a lot of jazz happening off the beaten tracks of what was considered „mainstream“ jazz at any given time. I especially like the inclusion of Western Swing samples and related but often overlooked jazzier genres here and there (long overdue in my view).

The story of jazz as related in the booklets makes for quite insightful reading that should broaden the horizons of quite a few as it expands beyond what is often written about these periods (or just go the other way round, read the booklets and take the CDs as musical examples to illustrate „one man’s jazz history“ - which is just as valid IMO).

All in all great value for money.

Yet I must admit that as much as the selection of the tunes clearly is a labor of love, there are a few things that leave you scratching your head after having read both booklets (at least a good deal of both).

Call it nitpicking if you want, but seeing how other reissues have been commented upon here and elsewhere some clarification might be in order anyhow:

- What’s so special about the „Moonglow“ version by the Mississippi Mud Steppers that would warrant it being included TWICE in the box set? (Vol. 3, discs 1 and 2)

- Cliff Bruner & his Texas Wanderers never were „falling DOWN“, what they recorded (on April 8, 1940, to be exact ) was the „New Falling RAIN Blues“ (Vol. 3, disc 6).

- Is the recording date of Maxine Sullivan’s „Nice Work If You Can Get It“ (Vol. 3, disc 3) correct? Rust and Bruyninckx give it as Oct. 22, 1937. Could it be that the date given here is actually a repeat listing of the Charlie Christian entry that precedes it?

- Interesting as the booklet texts are, what I find somewhat irritating is that the periods covered by the music in the respective box sets and by the accompanying booklet texts do not quite coincide. A good deal of the booklet text (including quoted musical examples) of Vol. 3 relates to the discs of Vol. 2, and to read up to the end of the period covered by Vol. 3 you have to go to Vol. 4 and read the first part of the booklet there. A bit strange if the liner notes are intended to illustrate the music of any given box set (or vice versa, in fact).

- I realize with the amount of music of each box set it would have been difficult to include full session details, but if those are (regrettably but understandably) omitted it would have helped a lot for those who feel like cross-checking the details elsewhere if the artist credits had been given more accurately throughout. For ex. just listing Ivie Anderson doing „Oh Baby Maybe Someday“ (Vol. 3) is confusing, seeing that she did in fact record under her own name. „Duke Ellington Orch. feat. Ivie Anderson“ would have been more like it. Overly abbreviated credits like „Berigan/Waller/Dorsey“ are a bit odd too, IMHO. And in the case of more obscure recordings, artist details would indeed have been very welcome, e.g. for Lester Young’s jam session/airshot recording of „Benny’s Bugle“.

- The 2nd pic showing Charlie Barnet as per the caption (Vol. 3, p. 25) looks suspiciously like Benny Carter to me, and the 2nd pic credited to Maxine Sullivan (Vol. 3, p. 67) reminds me more of a very elderly Gil Evans.

- Speaking of the photographs, I wonder why Lee Konitz rates a picture entry in Vol. 3. This period (1934-45) isn’t exactly the prime period that he left his mark in. The same goes for Cecil Taylor and Ornette Coleman in Vol. 4 (which ends in 1951 after all). Surely there must have been a lot of jazz personalities (famous or obscure) from the periods covered by the music that would have warranted a pic instead. And speaking of the pic of June Christy (Vol. 4, p. 54), what a pity this particular one is only half the actual pic so the story that this pic tells is totally lost (see W. Gottlieb’s „Golden Age of Jazz“ book where I guess this pic came from).

- The author of „The Making of Jazz“ (and others) who apparently does not meet with unanimity is called JAMES Lincoln Collier, not John ...

- Valaida Snow definitely never was imprisoned by the German occupants in Sweden. This happened in Denmark, not Sweden. Sweden stayed strictly neutral throughout the entire war. I realize from a U.S. point of view this may be but a minor slipup like speaking of North Carolina when you mean South Carolina, but to Europeans the difference was considerable. Ask any Swede about it ...

- By 1944 Sonny Berman, though he died young, luckily had a bit more than „less than one year“ (Vol. 4, p. 28) left to live, or else we never would have heard a good deal of his great solos in Woody’s Herd.

- I also wonder about the recording date for the Georgie Auld recording of „Short Circuit“ quoted in connection with Sonny Berman on disc 9 of Vol. 3. This track sounds very much like the recording previously released on Hep LP 27. Discographies give its recording date as March 28, 1944 (this date figures in the tracklist alongside the subsequent track – Don Byas‘ „1944 Stomp“ which according to all sources was waxed on Aug. 17, 1944, however). The date of Feb. 16, 1944 given for the Auld track in the tracklist, on the other hand, seems to belong to the previous one in the list, to Coleman Hawkins‘ „Woody’n you“. Seems like the track and recording date listings got out of sync ...

- Finally, I wonder how those numerous misspellings of artists‘ names throughout the booklets of both volumes came about. Surely that’s something easy to avoid...

O.K., enough of this, and again, call it nitpicking of you want to, and yes – IMHO the box sets still offer great value for money, but judging by Allen Lowe’s CV in the booklets I feel sure that as a jazz historian, in particular, he will already have made a point of getting errors like this straightened out in second pressings/printings.

[AllenLowe]

hmmm...trouble, eh? well, let's see:

1) "What’s so special about the „Moonglow“ version by the Mississippi Mud Steppers that would warrant it being included TWICE in the box set? (Vol. 3, discs 1 and 2)"

- yes, a mastering mistake; realize that this project was done by myself over a five year period, accumulating all recordings and doing all gathering, sequenciong, restoration and mastering as well as writing; I had no outside support or assistance, so was working my day gig at the same tiume. Not an excuse, only an expanation for some of the deficits herein and some of the project's limitation

-2) "Cliff Bruner & his Texas Wanderers never were „falling DOWN“, what they recorded (on April 8, 1940, to be exact ) was the „New Falling RAIN Blues“ (Vol. 3, disc 6)."

- not sure what this means, so you see it's easy to make typographical mistakes

-3) "Is the recording date of Maxine Sullivan’s „Nice Work If You Can Get It“ (Vol. 3, disc 3) correct? Rust and Bruyninckx give it as Oct. 22, 1937. Could it be that the date given here is actually a repeat listing of the Charlie Christian entry that precedes it?"

- could be; I know that I goofed on the Chrtistian Tea for Two; would have to check

4)"Interesting as the booklet texts are, what I find somewhat irritating is that the periods covered by the music in the respective box sets and by the accompanying booklet texts do not quite coincide. A good deal of the booklet text (including quoted musical examples) of Vol. 3 relates to the discs of Vol. 2, and to read up to the end of the period covered by Vol. 3 you have to go to Vol. 4 and read the first part of the booklet there. A bit strange if the liner notes are intended to illustrate the music of any given box set (or vice versa, in fact). "

-they are not intended as such, and are simply an accompanying narrative; they mention most of the tracks in the set, but you are correct that, without an index, as there is in the book, it can be hard to follow. BUT, I think the narrative style of the project works better than a track-by-track breakdown. The book was written first and had to be excerpted to fit the breakdown into four sections. Not perfect, but I think it's a good deal to get the entire text with the CD sets. And in reality this was a seat-of-the-pants project, written and mastered by me without an iota of outside financial support, so I had to do what could reasonably be done -

5) "I realize with the amount of music of each box set it would have been difficult to include full session details, but if those are (regrettably but understandably) omitted it would have helped a lot for those who feel like cross-checking the details elsewhere if the artist credits had been given more accurately throughout. For ex. just listing Ivie Anderson doing „Oh Baby Maybe Someday“ (Vol. 3) is confusing, seeing that she did in fact record under her own name. „Duke Ellington Orch. feat. Ivie Anderson“ would have been more like it. Overly abbreviated credits like „Berigan/Waller/Dorsey“ are a bit odd too, IMHO. And in the case of more obscure recordings, artist details would indeed have been very welcome, e.g. for Lester Young’s jam session/airshot recording of „Benny’s Bugle“."

-well, see above; yes, it would have been nice, though I did try to mention relevant soloists in the text and added their names to the track listing, as you mentioned. Just could not be done without an NEH grant and/or a trust fund -

6) "The 2nd pic showing Charlie Barnet as per the caption (Vol. 3, p. 25) looks suspiciously like Benny Carter to me, and the 2nd pic credited to Maxine Sullivan (Vol. 3, p. 67) reminds me more of a very elderly Gil Evans. "

-actually those are all drawings....

not....

I had nothing to do, unfortunately, with booklet design and was not allowed a chance to proofread. And few people know this, but Maxine Sullivan and Gil Evans were separated at birth...

7) " Speaking of the photographs, I wonder why Lee Konitz rates a picture entry in Vol. 3. This period (1934-45) isn’t exactly the prime period that he left his mark in. The same goes for Cecil Taylor and Ornette Coleman in Vol. 4 (which ends in 1951 after all). Surely there must have been a lot of jazz personalities (famous or obscure) from the periods covered by the music that would have warranted a pic instead. And speaking of the pic of June Christy (Vol. 4, p. 54), what a pity this particular one is only half the actual pic so the story that this pic tells is totally lost (see W. Gottlieb’s „Golden Age of Jazz“ book where I guess this pic came from)."

-yeah yeah, see above.

8) "The author of „The Making of Jazz“ (and others) who apparently does not meet with unanimity is called JAMES Lincoln Collier, not John .

"

-yes, but I think John is a much nicer name

9) "Valaida Snow definitely never was imprisoned by the German occupants in Sweden. This happened in Denmark, not Sweden. Sweden stayed strictly neutral throughout the entire war. I realize from a U.S. point of view this may be but a minor slipup like speaking of North Carolina when you mean South Carolina, but to Europeans the difference was considerable. Ask any Swede about it ... "

-this was based on erroneous info from some liner notes, I believe; I do know the difference between those two countries (I think the women are taller in Sweden) -

10) "By 1944 Sonny Berman, though he died young, luckily had a bit more than „less than one year“ (Vol. 4, p. 28) left to live, or else we never would have heard a good deal of his great solos in Woody’s Herd."

-will have to check dates; don't remember

11) "I also wonder about the recording date for the Georgie Auld recording of „Short Circuit“ quoted in connection with Sonny Berman on disc 9 of Vol. 3. This track sounds very much like the recording previously released on Hep LP 27. Discographies give its recording date as March 28, 1944 (this date figures in the tracklist alongside the subsequent track – Don Byas‘ „1944 Stomp“ which according to all sources was waxed on Aug. 17, 1944, however). The date of Feb. 16, 1944 given for the Auld track in the tracklist, on the other hand, seems to belong to the previous one in the list, to Coleman Hawkins‘ „Woody’n you“. Seems like the track and recording date listings got out of sync ... "

-could be, though I likely took the Auld date off of an LP;

12)" finally, I wonder how those numerous misspellings of artists‘ names throughout the booklets of both volumes came about. Surely that’s something easy to avoid..."

-without confirmation I might question "numerous" - I'm certain that there are some, would have to get a list for correction -

13) "O.K., enough of this, and again, call it nitpicking of you want to, and yes – IMHO the box sets still offer great value for money, but judging by Allen Lowe’s CV in the booklets I feel sure that as a jazz historian, in particular, he will already have made a point of getting errors like this straightened out in second pressings/printings. "

-unlikely to ever see another pressing of this, unfortunately; no time or money - someone else will have to take the keys to this particular kingdom -

Edited March 21, 2007 by AllenLowe

[Big Beat Steve]

Thanks for this background info; I am shocked at the fact that you were not involved in the booklet design and indeed did not get a chance to proofread.

I cannot see the good sense of such an approach but I realize the blame apparently lies over there, then, for a good deal of what I've mentioned.

Anyway, it's a real pity because the music and the booklets just belong together to complement each other IMO.

Re- the Georgie Auld recording date I assume to be correct was given like this on the Hep 27 LP and is listed accordingly in the Bruyninckx discography. Anybody out there got the more recent Hep CD27 CD reissue of Georgie Auld's 1944-46 material to check if the date was changed there?

My comment on that mistitled Cliff Bruner recording was (maybe ineptly) meant to be tongue in cheek. This "New Falling Rain Blues" immediately brought to mind that late 70s "Stompin' At The Honky Tonk" compilation LP released on the String label that you probably took this track from (hence the recording date being given only as 1940, as in the liner notes of the String LP? - the Cliff Bruner box on Bear Family Records - compiled and researched by Kevin Coffey - has the exact recording date I quoted).

Anyway ... very rewarding listening, those sets!

Edited March 21, 2007 by Big Beat Steve

[AllenLowe]

thanks - that is probably where I got the Bruner though I honestly cannot remember. After finishing this project I developed some kind of amnesia - sort of repressed memory - it was so difficult and all encompassing that I think I was unable to listen to a recorded jazz performance for about a year. In looking back at it I'm honestly not sure how I did it and would likely never try anything of this scope again. On the other hand, I'm glad I did it, as it was a way of preserving certain music in a very permanent way.

It would have been nice to proofread the booklets, but this project was done over a span of about 3,000 miles and took so long to get out (I finished the mastering in 2001) that I was just happy to have the thing printed and distributed -

Medjuck - it was Mike Bernard, that's right, and I do find his playing annoying, like OP, but I won't belabor ol' Oscar here.

[kenny weir]

I'm a bit late to this party but having a ball. I have played the first set three times through - every time I get to the end I start again. I have No.4, but am letting that sit while I await Nos.2 & 3.

A couple of random thoughts:

*I reckon these sets are simply amazing, despite the (minor) flaws, and will likey become a cornertstone of my collection and radio show.

*Given there was no proofreading, the number of literals and so on is tiny.

*In some ways I actually find the absence of full personnel details liberating, although if I had a computer at home I'd surely be Googling artist and track title every time. Maybe I'll do some of that at work in due course.

*I've actually spent several years - and much money - buying records by quite a few of the more obscure artists on Vol.1, and have had many of the better known names (Morton, Oliver and so on) for many more years. But the richness and pleasure is in the stuff I haven't heard before. And in the way the whole thing flows from year to year like an extremely hip juke box. Or like those "R&B Hits of 1956"-type compilations done by the likes of Bear Family. This seems the best way to hear this stuff. It doesn't belittle the contributions of the "great men"; if anything it enhances them by putting them in the context of what all else was going on at the time.

****

A couple of questions for Allen if he has the time:

*Is the book still available? The type size on the booklets in pretty hard going for my poor, old eyes, and I think I'd really like to have an index to help me look up references to particular artists and tracks as I'm listening to them.

*Can you give us any sort of breakdown of how the sales have gone? What percentage, for instance, have come through organissimo, radio, interviews, magazine reviews, online retailers and so on. Just curious.

*How many sales have gone outside the US? How many to Australia/ NZ?

I suspect this is the kind of project for which online activity of one sort or another has been crucial.

*Given the inclusion of various western swingers, I'm wondering if you considered a wider representation of jazzyish countryish artsists - e.g. Jimmie Rodgers, Bill Monroe just before Flatt & Scruggs joined, Uncle Dave Macon and so on? And to complement the pianists, why not the likes of Jimmy Yancey or Little Brother Montgomery?

*What has been the most surprising, unlikely or humourous response to the project?

*****

Anyway, thanks fot these - I, too, can get jaded at times after decades of listening, but these have put a skip in my step for sure. Looking forward to the rock 'n' roll book.

Edited May 29, 2007 by kenny weir

[rostasi]

I wanted, too, to thank Allen for these great sets!

I've had these on both my desktop and on the iPod for car listening

and after many months, they still bring smiles and utter delight.

Thanks again for taking the time to do these.

I think they should've been recognized in some

official awards capacity - maybe they still can be?

Rod

[Alexander]

i've still got to get vols 3 and 4.

[ghost of miles]

i've still got to get vols 3 and 4.

Allen still might have one or two on the cheap.

I have that Auld Hep CD reissue & will try to remember to check the date.

[AllenLowe]

yes, I have one more set of v. 3 and 4 for $35 each plus shipping - email me at alow@maine.rr.com

kenny - your other two boxes will probably go out this afternoon -

as for the questions:

the book still available? The type size on the booklets in pretty hard going for my poor, old eyes, and I think I'd really like to have an index to help me look up references to particular artists and tracks as I'm listening to them.

-I have only a few books, but can sell you one for $20 plus shipping, which is getting, unfortunately, pricey for overseas, as the post office has just raised rates - so it's probably $10 on a book like this - let me know if you still want it -

*Can you give us any sort of breakdown of how the sales have gone? What percentage, for instance, have come through organissimo, radio, interviews, magazine reviews, online retailers and so on. Just curious.

-I have little info on this, but the US distributor seems to be very happy -

*How many sales have gone outside the US? How many to Australia/ NZ?

-once again, I wish I knew, but I have little idea -

I suspect this is the kind of project for which online activity of one sort or another has been crucial.

-I have sold a fair amount on the internet; for a small company and a penniless musician, the internet is crucial -

*Given the inclusion of various western swingers, I'm wondering if you considered a wider representation of jazzyish countryish artsists - e.g. Jimmie Rodgers, Bill Monroe just before Flatt & Scruggs joined, Uncle Dave Macon and so on? And to complement the pianists, why not the likes of Jimmy Yancey or Little Brother Montgomery?

-not a bad idea, though I did not feel that Yancey and Montgomery fit into the jazz stream very specifically; interesting that you mention early Monroe, because the pre-1945 Monroe is my favorite; I am going to use Muleskinner Blues on my rock and roll pre-history - as well as Jimmy Rogers (Let me Be Your Sidekick, a very Dylan-ish song) -

*What has been the most surprising, unlikely or humourous response to the project?

-nothing really stands out; I have been disappointed that nothing has appeared in the NY Times; both jazz critics have the set - I was happy to discover recently that Greil Marcus has spoken highly of my work -

Anyway, thanks fot these - I, too, can get jaded at times after decades of listening, but these have put a skip in my step for sure. Looking forward to the rock 'n' roll book.

-current plan is for me to self-publish the book (I've had quite a few turn-downs by publishers) along with a multi-cd set on the pre-history of rock and roll to be issued overseas. There is a new on-line service that makes it very easy to self-publish in a nice format, and which allows one to print only as many books as are sold. I am doing a final edit on the rock and roll history (1950-1970) and hope to get it out by next spring; of course, I'm not sure I'll be able to coordinate evcerything on time, but I just set up my mastering studio again, and hope to start plugging away soon at restoration of sources -

Edited May 29, 2007 by AllenLowe

[ghost of miles]

Allen, what about the 1950s jazz book?

The Hep 27 Auld gives March 28, 1944 as the date for the rejected Muzak transcription sides which included "Short Circuit."

[kenny weir]

I have only a few books, but can sell you one for $20 plus shipping, which is getting, unfortunately, pricey for overseas, as the post office has just raised rates - so it's probably $10 on a book like this - let me know if you still want it.

-not a bad idea, though I did not feel that Yancey and Montgomery fit into the jazz stream very specifically; interesting that you mention early Monroe, because the pre-1945 Monroe is my favorite; I am going to use Muleskinner Blues on my rock and roll pre-history.

Allen: For the book, Paypal payment of $US30 sent to you. I generally try to avoid getting books from the US - CDs are much cheaper - but this'll be worth it I'm sure.

Yeah that Monroe proto-bluegrass lineup rocks AND swings. I wonder about Sally Ann Forester. The travails of early blues and jazz artists, male and female, are relatively well known, but I am curoius about what it must have been like to be a woman in a country band in those days. Same goes for Johnnie Mae Smirle (Harry Choates' pianna player).

Hey it's great to hear your RnR books is on track. Sounds like technology is offdering up alternatives to authors as well as musicians.

Much kudos, too, for the packaging of the That Devilin' Tune boxes. Slim, stylish and very cool. Makes the jewel case-larded behemouths that take up so much space in my racks look pretty ugly, never mind the sheerly ludicrous like the Charlie Christian box.

One artist I'll be pursuing in more depth is Knocky Parker. I've been hearing him on western swing discs for yonks and knew he went on to jazz stuff, so am intrigued by someone who connects the dots on some of my favourite sounds.

Another question: In your writing on Vol 1, you mention Fess Manetta. I'd love to hear his album, but so far as I can tell it's only ever been released as a Jazzology LP. Does anyone know if it's ever been released as a CD?

Edited May 30, 2007 by kenny weir

[kenny weir]

With only two more discs to go 'til I've worked my way through all 36 at least one, I have ...

Another Question for Allen: I love the way certain tunes keep on popping up! Brilliant! Georgia On My Mind, Stardust, I've Found A New Baby, There'll Be Some Changes Made, Way Down Yonder In New Orleans, Alexander;s ragtime Band, Sweet Georgia Brown, Nice Work If You can get It and so on. Was it your intention to do that when you started compiling the project, based on those tunes? Or did it just of start happening and gain momentum?

[sidewinder]

Just noticed that for any yurpeans amongst us, zweitausendens.de have Vols 3 and 4 boxes of the set in stock.

[AllenLowe]

hi guys; sorry I negelected to post earlier on some of these; I completely missed this last week -

I do intend to publish the 1950s jazz book, and I am hoping to put a (small) cd set out with it to match it - after rejection by every pubisher in existence (or so it seems) I may self publish. My first hope is to get the rock and roll book together by next spring; the 1950s book will follow, I hope.

And yes, I did intentionally repeat certain songs, just to shsow the devlopment of repertoire and songwriting in relation to the evolution of the music -

[Tom Storer]

-current plan is for me to self-publish the book (I've had quite a few turn-downs by publishers) along with a multi-cd set on the pre-history of rock and roll to be issued overseas. There is a new on-line service that makes it very easy to self-publish in a nice format, and which allows one to print only as many books as are sold. I am doing a final edit on the rock and roll history (1950-1970) and hope to get it out by next spring; of course, I'm not sure I'll be able to coordinate evcerything on time, but I just set up my mastering studio again, and hope to start plugging away soon at restoration of sources -

So you're working on a rock and roll history, and planning a rock and roll pre-history?

[AllenLowe]

the rock and roll history covers 1950-1970 essentially, but in it I touch on the pre-history extensively. The CD set would encompass the pre-history (basically 1920-1950) -

[kenny weir]

Another query: In terms of the book, how broad will your defintion of R 'n' R be? Just rock 'n' roll? Or rock, country rock, garage rock, prog rock, pshychedelia and so on?