Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music [Hardcover]

W. K. McNeil (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415941792 | ISBN-13: 978-0415941792 | Publication Date: September 29, 2005

The Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music is the first comprehensive reference to cover this important American musical form. Coverage includes all aspects of both African-American and white gospel from history and performers to recording techniques and styles as well as the influence of gospel on different musical genres and cultural trends.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

With more than 60 contributors from universities and libraries as well as from gospel- and folk-music organizations, the Encyclopediaof American Gospel Music provides historic and biographical information for hundreds of artists who have shaped gospel music for more than 100 years. Gospel music is a genre that is difficult to pin down to a single style. In his introduction, editor McNeil states that gospel is often designated as any song of a religious nature; for scholars, however, it encompasses "songs reflecting the personal religious experience of people." In discussing the origin of gospel music, McNeil makes a point to "lay to rest" the opinion that gospel music grew out of camp-meeting spirituals and affirms that gospel was more influenced by marches and secular songs.

Artist entries, ranging from one or two paragraphs to more than a page in length, are arranged alphabetically and contain biographical information, birth and death dates, a select discography, see also references, and bibliographies (including print and online sources). Entries are well written, contain little jargon, and feature information about each artist's regional style and career, or each gospel group's personnel history. Contributors have attempted to include the most current information available by communicating directly with the artists or surviving family members, especially with regard to birth and death dates. In addition to the individual and group performers listed, there are also entries for prominent gospel radio stations, record companies, commonly used instruments such as the Banjo, and gospel subgenres like Bluegrass and Soul gospel.

Most importantly, this volume combines the histories and artist profiles of both black and white gospel music. It is one of few comprehensive, scholarly reference works to combine the two styles and is certainly the most up-to-date. The Gospel Music Encyclopedia (Sterling, 1979), for example, focuses almost entirely on white gospel music. The Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music is intended for scholars as well as general readers and is recommended for academic and public library collections. Steven York
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

'The treatment is straightforward ... McNeil's title will likely become the definitive work on the subject and fills a gap in a field that has had only sporadic reference documentation ... Recommended for all libraries.' -  Library Journal

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (September 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415941792
• ISBN-13: 978-0415941792
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,625,368 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

On the same day that Princess Di was brought into this world tiara in hand, this Yankee gal with an accent befitting a Southern debutante was born breech first. Ever since my upside down birth, I have always viewed life from a unique perspective. "Becky, only you see it that way" is a frequent comment made by friends and relatives alike. I began writing for The Wittenburg Door in 1994 and am currently a panelist for Washington Post's On Faith blog. My additional writing credits include work for The Guardian, Killing the Buddha, Geez, The Revealer and Religion Dispatches.

The first video highlighted on my Amazon author site came from the documentary The Ordinary Radicals (wwww.theordinaryradicals.com); the second and third videos are from http://www.altervideomagazine.com (props to Travis Reed); and the fourth is from the documentary Nailin' it to the Church (http://www.nailinittothechurch.com)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not As Great As Lauded, October 13, 2010

By 

Bill Carpenter (washington, dc) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music (Hardcover)

While this is a good resource, it's not nearly as comprehensive and in-depth as many of the reviews would suggest.
In fact, the large type font and large use of pictures are what makes the book take up so many pages; it's not because
of the intensive amount of information.....Most of the biographical entries are very brief and elementary.

5.0 out of 5 stars Gospelhymns, June 13, 2011

By 

J. P. M. Smit (The Hague, Netherlands) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music (Hardcover)

a Very interesting book! All you need to know about the artists is present! The whole scale of American Gospel Music.

5.0 out of 5 stars A 'must' for any music collection, especially those focusing on American music, November 14, 2010

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music (Paperback)

Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music is a 'must' for any library and offers a fine reference covering all aspects of Afro-American and white gospel, from history to recording techniques. Organized alphabetically, it covers events, presents biographies of notable musicians, and covers publications, significant songbooks, and the evolution of performing groups and choirs. A 'must' for any music collection, especially those focusing on American music.