Books from Music in American Life

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  Americanaland: Where Country & Western Met Rock 'n Roll

  By John Milward

  John Milward’s Americanaland is filled with the enduring performers and vivid stories that are at the heart of Americana.

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  The Lady Swings: Memoirs of a Jazz Drummer

  By Wayne Enstice, Dottie Dodgion

  Vivid and always entertaining, The Lady Swings tells Dottie Dodgion's story with the same verve and straight-ahead honesty that powered her playing. A Variety Best Music Book of 2021

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  Music and Mystique in Muscle Shoals

  By Christopher M. Reali

  Multifaceted and informed, Music and Mystique in Muscle Shoals reveals the people, place, and events behind one of the most legendary recording scenes in American history.

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  Race, Rock, and Elvis

  By Michael T. Bertrand

  In evaluating the results of this intricate process, Bertrand provides a fascinating glimpse into the relationship between popular culture and social change.Michael T. Bertrand is an assistant professor of history at Tennessee State ...

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  Spirituals and the Birth of a Black Entertainment Industry

  By Sandra Jean Graham

  In the first book-length treatment of postbellum spirituals in theatrical entertainments, Sandra Jean Graham mines a trove of resources to chart the spiritual's journey from the private lives of slaves to the concert stage.

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  Chicago Blues: Portraits and Stories

  By David Whiteis

  Explores the history of blues music in Chicago.

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  American Opera

  By Elise K. Kirk

  A treasure trove of information, "American Opera" sketches musical traits and provides plot summaries, descriptions of sets and stagings, and biographical details on performers, composers, and librettists for more than 100 American operas. ...