Blue Ridge Music Trails: Finding a Place in the Circle [Paperback]

Fred C. Fussell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 2003

The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Virginia are the heart of a region where traditional music and dance are celebrated as nowhere else in America. This book is a comprehensive traveler's guide to discovering the many places where this unique music-making legacy thrives. The book leads readers to more than 160 venues and events filled with bluegrass and string band music, ballad singing, fiddling, shape-note singing, gospel music, clogging, and other traditional forms of music and dance.

Vivid descriptions bring the mountain music scene to life in all its diversity. Nearly 150 color photographs are partnered with the moving words of musicians themselves, allowing readers a glimpse into the hearts and minds of the bearers of this enduring folk legacy. Concise driving directions and up-to-date maps accompany the entries for the events covered, which range from small, local jam sessions to well-known festivals that draw thousands of fans.

An engaging and essential resource for music lovers, this guide invites everyone to experience a great American musical tradition.

The Blue Ridge Music Trails are a project of the Blue Ridge Heritage Initiative and its partners, the North Carolina Arts Council, the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum of Ferrum College, the North Carolina Folklife Institute, and the Blue Ridge Parkway Division of the National Park Service.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Fred C. Fussell is a writer who specializes in the study and interpretation of the traditional folk culture of the American South. Director of the Chattahoochee Folklife Project, he lives in Buena Vista, Georgia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press; First Edition edition (June 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080785459X
• ISBN-13: 978-0807854594
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,216,510 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Take on Music of the Blue Ridge, July 22, 2003

By 

Robert Steelman (Yadkinville, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blue Ridge Music Trails: Finding a Place in the Circle (Paperback)

I'll begin by saying I'm probably biased in favor of this book right from the start. (My name's in there!)

I've known that this project was in the works for some time, although I didn't know what the outcome would be. I got my copy a few days ago and was thoroughly impressed. The book is broken down by regions, all of which follow the Blue Ridge Parkway through North Carolina and Virginia. The musical culture highlights of each of the regions are covered in interesting detail, and often focuses on individuals who have been an important part of the musical heritage of the Blue Ridge.

The only downside to the book is that there are a few minor mistakes, such as events or venues being listed in the wrong regions. This is not a major problem, though, unless you actually intend to use it as a "guidebook." In this case it would be advisable to call ahead before making the trip. Hopefully these inaccuracies will be rectified in future editions.

I grew up listening to (and playing) bluegrass music and I'm always hungry for any new publications that covers the music I love. This one whets my appetite.