From "Hustlin' Blues" to "Strange Fruit"
African Musical Retentions
in the Evolution of Jazz Singing Style
circa 1920-1945
Dr. Ann G. P. Solberg and Elizabeth McQueary
Funded by the Appalachian College Association, Summer 1997
Annotations, H-P
Hager, Andrew G. Satin Dolls: The Women of Jazz. New York: Michael Friedman Publishing Group, 1997. This book tells the remarkable story of the lives of the great jazz women of the twenties, thirties , and forties. Vividly brought to life using an abundance of black-and-white photographs, Satin Dolls moves through the changing jazz scene in chronological sequence. Beginning with the blues and ragtime and moving toward bebop and vocalese this source not only discusses prominant musicians, but also tries to portray the historical aspect as well. A highly recommended reading. Included is a CD, giving full musical examples from the artists discussed in the text. Hagar, Andrew G. Satin Dolls: The Women of Jazz. New York: Michael Friedman Publishing Group, 1994. A highly entertaining paperback filled with engaging photographs and interesting biographical articles, covering such artists as Sarah Vaughan, Lena Horne, Ivey Anderson, Billie Holiday, Ethel Waters, Kay Starr, Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O'Day, and many more. "The women of jazz fought for and eventually gained the right to participate fully in the music business, based on personal ability and collaborative know-how." (8) This book follows the increasing involvement of females in the blues and jazz scene, the exploration of new musical styles within jazz, and the rise and fall of its popularity. A highly recommended work. Harrison, Daphne Duval. Black Pearls: Blues Queens of the 1920s. New Brunswick: Rutgers University, 1988. The first three chapters focus primarily on the emergence of black women in the music industry during the 1920's. There is mention of Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Ida Cox, although the extensive biographies are contained in following chapters. Harrison's focus lies in the "contributions of women in the creation, development, and performance of the blues" (10) while attempting to give extensive insight into the political, social, and economic events surrounding the lives of these women. It is Harrison's view, expressed throughout the book, that the blues is about life and that blues music and lyrics offer themselves as a source of hope to the women who performed as well as to those who listened to its message. There is a more involved study of four prominent black female musicians in the remaining four chapters; Sippie Wallace, Victoria Spivey, Edith Wilson, and Alberta Hunter. Contained in the back is a chapter of short biographies on a handful of lesser-known, yet still relevent female blues musicians as well as a useful glossary of coloquialisms, and a bibliography. Holiday, Billie and William Dufty. Lady Sings The Blues. New York: Avon Printing, 1976. A complete bibliography on the life of Billie Holiday, written by the "Lady" herself. This is the tragic story of her rough childhood, the time she spent in jail, her experience as a prostitute, her dangerous addiction to heroin, which eventually led to her death, and, as her fans like to remember, her career in the twenties and thirties as one of the most sensitive female jazz artists ever. Written in her dialect, this book is extremely intense and portrays Holiday's life in a manner which is alarmingly realistic and captivating. Horricks, Raymond. Profiles in Jazz: From Sidney Bechet to John Coltrane. New Brunswick: Transaction Pub., 1991. This book gives brief biographical sketches on many prominent jazz musicians from the 1920's to the present. Sarah Vaughan, Duke Ellington, Sidney Bechet, John Coltrane are just some of the artists highlighted. The author's purpose is to promote and publicize these musicians while relating his own experiences and reactions to their music. A discography and photos are included. Larkin, Philip. All What Jazz: A Record Diary 1961-1971. New York: Faber and Faber, 1985. this book is a collection of articles written by Phillip and which were first printed in the Daily Telegraph between 1961 and 1971. These articles give a scholarly account of the jazz record scene during this time. A thorough discography is included. Longstreet, Stephen. Storyville to Harlem: Fifty Years in the Jazz Scene. New Brunswick: Rutgers University press, 1986. A combination of intense artwork and poetry, the author uses these media to portray the story of jazz and the lives of selected jazz musicians. Among those discussed are Bessie Smith, Bix Beiderbeck, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman and Charlie Parker. This book generates the feel of the great Jazz Age, capturing the "flavor" of the periods and people with brief texts and arousing sketches. Suggested for jazz lovers as well as those who want a taste of the jazz era. Lyons, Len and Don Perlo. Jazz Portraits: The Lives and Music of the Jazz Masters. New York: William Morrow and Co., 1989. This book provides "a focused look at many of the musicians who have played a significant role in the development and acceptance of jazz from its early years to the present." Useful as a beginning source, Jazz Portraits provides wonderful bibliographies on eight African-American women who were popular blues and jazz artists between 1920 and 1945: Anita O'Day, Bessie Smith, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Mary Lou Williams, Mildred Bailey, and Helen Humes. An appendix and glossary of terms are included. The index provides references to other artists who do not have their own main bibliographical entry, but may be included in other entries. Bibliographies are arranged in alphabetical order by the artist's last name. Specifics as to dates (births especially) are questionable since records were not well kept, but the dates in this book were taken from a recent edition of the New Grove Dictionary of American Music. Information on each musician's influences, goals, and personal opinions are taken from interviews. A recommended source for one beginning research on the subject of jazz musicians, both black and white, male and female. Lull, James, ed. Popular Music and Communication. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Pub., 1987. An assembly of essays which "illuminate the importance, indeed the necessity, of popular music in the lives of young people." The essays are arranged under two main topics: 1) Music Sources: Artists and Industries, which discusses the music industry, records, radio, video, and communication and 2) Music Audiences: Culture and Subculture which delves into the sociological implications of different music styles, including rock-n-roll, jazz, punk, and British pop music. For one searching for specific information on musicians, this book is not helpful, however, it provides an "analysis of popular music that is scholarly, contemporary and culturally informed as well." Meadows, Eddie S. Jazz Reference and Research Materials: A Bibliography. New York: Garland Publishing, 1981. This book is a bibliography of available printed jazz materials. Divided into two sections, Jazz and Its Genres and Reference Materials, the first contains an alphabetical listing of books, articles, dissertations, and theses arranged according to stylistic genres. These genres include: General, Pre-Swing, Swing, Bop, and Modern. The second section consists solely of fully annotated reference materials, containing listings of dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, biographies, histories, discographies, and anthologies. A comprehensive work covering early jazz through 1978, this source proves extremely helpful to extensive jazz research. Oliver, Paul. Blues Off the Record. New York: Da Capo Press, 1984. Interesting and informative, this book has photographs throughout its chapters, a valuable visual aid to its story of the blues. Of particular interest is the section entitled "Moaners and Shouters" on Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Sippie Wallace and many other women blues performers. Also discussed are two unknown women, Bessie Tucker and Ida May Mack, who primarily sang blues country music. Bessie Tucker is portrayed as quite a character since the chapter discusses her experiences in prison, her job as a prostitute and her stage debut with Ida May Mack. The author suspects the two were basically show girls who sang in the Park Theatre with the brothel pianists between turning tricks. Aside from the interesting biographical information, this is a helpful source on tracing the development of the blues. Pratt, Ray. Rhythm and Resistance: Explorations in the Political Uses of Popular Music. New York: Praeger Pub., 1990. Pratt analyzes the way in which music reflects and influences the social, political, and economic conditions of the times. He proposes that "popular music is a part of a continuing effort to create forms of community in response to social transformations"(vii). The following chapters are built around this theme, beginning with Chapter One on "Popular Music and Politics," which addresses particularly the 1960's era. After Pratt proposes his ideas, he legitimizes them by going step-by- step through the various genres of African-American music: Spirituals, Gospel, Blues, Folk, Jazz, and Rock-n-Roll. He shows how each style played a prominent role in American culture, for both blacks and whites, and still holds the propensity to energize social change. Of particular interest is chapter 7 which is dedicated to women, "Women's Voices, Images, and Silences," which contains a short section on blues and jazz. Although not handy as a bibliographical reference, this source contains a wealth of information on the social environments which cultivated each of the aforementioned musical genres.
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