The Great Black Way: L.A. in the 1940s and the Lost African-American Renaissance by R. J. Smith  (4)

Upside Your Head!: Rhythm and Blues on Central Avenue (Music/Culture) by Johnny Otis $17.95

› Explore similar items : Books (2)

Amazon.com
California Soul is an original attempt to discuss the influence, growth, and style of blues, jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, and soul music--the music of African Americans--in California. While the birth and subsequent growth of these styles in areas such as New Orleans, Chicago, and New York have previously been well documented, California's role in shaping the blues has not. In fact, the state is usually mentioned only as a footnote, if at all, in blues history. California Soul proves that the area's African Americans have, for over three-quarters of a century, shaped their own distinctive blues sound--one distinguished by a smooth sound, experimentation, and diversity. In essence, a sound that is influenced by California's own indigenous qualities.

The book's first section, "Music in an Urban Environment," documents the influence of California's urban centers on the state's blues sound. "Music and the Media" examines the trends and sounds that radio and musical recordings have brought to bear upon the state's blues music. "The Musician as Innovator," the third--and most personal--section focuses on individual artists, like early Motown's Brenda Holloway.

The book is less an overview of these influences than a number of deeply researched, specialized topics thread together by the common theme of African American blues in California. The result is a collection of scholarly articles rather than light reading or a comprehensive view of the subject. The academic bent of the articles results in a formal, often stiff writing style. Though some chapters offer intrinsically appealing topics (jazz trumpeter Clora Bryant's experience is especially interesting), the book is written mainly for scholars and fans deeply interested in the subject. --Kris Law

The Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Review, Jonathan Kirsch
...an informed and insightful glimpse into a scene that is also an art form, an industry and a subculture.

See all Editorial Reviews

First Sentence:
In West Coast Jazz, Ted Gioia writes: "Conventional jazz history tells how jazz first traveled from New Orleans by riverboat up to Chicago. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
classical pictorial history, blues ballad style, personal interview with author, jazz preferences, female jazz musicians, guitar shuffle, gospel controversy, gospel musicians, black sacred music, blues after hours, contemporary gospel music, black gospel music, black popular music, concert spirituals, gospel performers, gospel artists, black radio, jazz masters, gospel sound, independent side, community choirs, jazz historians, popular music industry, jazz community, jazz scene Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, African Americans, Central Avenue, Sonny Clay, United States, Brenda Holloway, Charles Brown, Lowell Fulson, Berry Gordy, Kansas City, Lee Hildebrand, Southern California, World War, Barbary Coast, Club Alabam, Johnny Otis, Louis Armstrong, Curtis Mosby, Lionel Hampton, Reb Spikes, Sun Reporter New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book: