Table of Contents

Introduction: yonder come the Blues Paul Oliver; Book One. Savannah Syncopators: African retentions in the Blues: 1. Afternoon - Nangodi; 2. Africa and jazz historian; 3. Music in West Africa; 4. Savannah song; 5. The source of the slaves; 6. Africa and the Blues; 7. Afterword Paul Oliver; Book Two. Blacks, Whites and Blues: Foreword; 8. Minstrelsy; 9. Old familiar tunes; 10. Letting out the Blues; 11. The Idea of the White People; 12. Out West; 13. Out East; 14. Afterword Tony Russell; Book Three. Recording The Blues: 15. The birth of a new industry; 16. The new market 1920–2; 17. The classic blues; 18. Into the field 1927–30; 19. Hard times; 20. Urban blues 1934–40; 21. End of an era 1941–5 Robert M. W. Dixon and John Godrich; 22. Afterword Howard Rye.

Promotional Information

This 2001 volume combines three influential and much-quoted books on African-American music.

Reviews

"The reappearance of these three long-out-of-print books is enough cause for celebration." Notes "What a delight to have three classic works on blues reissued under one cover. Oliver is to be congratulated for conceiving of the idea and for bringing it to fruition...This book should be in every academic library." CHOICE Dec 2001 "...anyone with a general knowledge of the blues will have his or her understanding deepened by these works, particularly in the updated guise in which they appear here." American Recorder