Spirit of America Bookstore

America's  Music

topical pages: Bluegrass Page Country / Hillbilly / Folk Page Rock 'n' Roll Page Western Swing Music Page Jazz Music Page Saxophone Dept. Dixieland Jazz Dept.

on this page: Ragtime Big Bands & Swing Classical / Composers The Blues / R&B Artists & Groups Dates in Musical History

General  &  Genre  Topics
African American Sheet Music 1850-1920
Musica de la Frontera: Arhoolie Archives at U.C.L.A.
Museum of Making Music, in Carlsbad, CA
"The American Rag": traditional jazz & ragtime newspaper
FestivalFinder: Music Festivals in North America
U.S. National Recording Registry [est.2000]

	"The Black 100: A Ranking of The Most Influential African-Americans, Past and Present" [orig 1993, rev 1998] by Colombus Salley Beyond the obvious – Martin Luther King, Jr. #1 & Frederick Douglass #2 – Afro-American artists & entertainers who made this list include Paul Robeson #24, Langston Hughes #34, Alex Haley #48, James Baldwin #49, Richard Wright #50, Zora Neale Hurston #52, Bill Cosby #62, Duke Ellington #67, Louis Armstrong #68, Toni Morrison #73, Lorraine Hansberry #77, Oscar Micheaux #81, Maya Angelou #85, Dick Gregory #88, Ruby Dee & Ossie Davis #91, Harry Belafonte #92 & Marian Anderson #94 Citadel Press 9x6 pb [rev 1/98] for $18.21 Citadel Press hardcover [2/93] out of print/used
	"The Cambridge History of American Music" [1999] Edited by David Nicholls Cambridge Univ Press 9x6 pb [6/2004] for $36.22 Cambridge Univ Press hardcover [1/99] for $120.00
	"Guitar: An American Life" [2005] by Tim Brookes Atlantic Monthly Press 9¼x6½ hardcover [4/2005] for $16.32 Blackstone UNABR audio CD [5/2005] priced for rental market Blackstone UNABR audio [5/2005] priced for rental market

browse 'music history & criticism' books at Amazon.com

―      ―

Gospel  Music

"The Gospel Sound: Good News & Bad Times" [1971] by Anthony Heilbut Limelight pb [25th Anniv Edition] for $13.60 S&S hardcover [11/71] out of print/used

―      ―

Hawaiian  &  Slack  Key  Music
Essential Hawai'ian Music category at Amazon

Keola Beamer
Cecilio & Kapono
Don Ho
Harry Owens & His Orchestra
Gabby Pahinui & Family

―      ―

Jukeboxes

―      ―

Barbershop  Quartets
Sweet Adelines Intl. [est. 1945]

Cajun  &  Zydeco  Music
Essential Cajun & Zydeco Music category at Amazon

Native  American  Music
Native American Music Awards

Piano  Rolls

The  Big  Bands  &  Swing

Art Deco and his Society Orchestra {based in Los Angeles, CA}
Mark Copeland with The Pat Longo Orchestra
Royal Crown Revue swing band [est. 1989]
Essential Swing Music category at Amazon

―      ―      ―

'Big Bad Voodoo Daddy' Swing Band: browse music

―      ―

Count Basie & Orchestra
Essentials • concerts on VHS • autobiography [1/86]

―      ―

Cab Calloway & Orchestra: Jazz Legends CD [3/2003]

―      ―

Frankie Carle: browse music

―      ―

Crazy Rhythm Hot Society Orchestra (based in Southern California)

―      ―

Tommy Dorsey Orchestra: browse music

―      ―

Duke Ellington & Orchestra: Essentials • official website
browse music • concerts on VHS • concerts on DVD

―      ―

Ziggy Elman & His Orchestra: browse music

―      ―

Benny Goodman & Orchestra:
Essentials • Jazz Legends CD [4/2003] • free online radio programs

―      ―

Gordon Goodwin's 'Big Phat Band' [est. 2000]
browse music • official website

―      ―

Fletcher Henderson [1897-1952]: browse music • new book [1/2005]

―      ―

Woody Herman & 'The Thundering Herd': browse music

―      ―

Stan Kenton Band: browse music

―      ―

Kay Kyser & His Orchestra: browse music

―      ―

Jimmie Lunceford Big Band: browse music

―      ―

Glenn Miller & Orchestra: Essentials

―      ―

Larry Wheeler Big Band

―      ―      ―

Big Bands Database
free online big band radio programs
San Diego [CA] Swings
Southern California Swing Info

	"The Big Bands" [1967] by George T. Simon S&S 9.6x6¼ pb [11/81] out of print/used Schirmer Books hardcover [7/2000] out of print/used
	"The Wonderful Era of the Great Dance Bands" [1972] by Leo Walker DaCapo Press 11x8½ pb [4/90] for $22.5 Doubleday hardcover [6/72] out of print/used
	"The Big Band Almanac" [1989] by Leo Walker DaCapo Press 10x7 pb [5/89] for $16.10
	"Jazz Legends: The Big Bands, Volume 1 - The Soundies" [2007] Storyville Films color/b&w DVD [7/2007] for $14.49 not listed on IMDb "Jazz Legends: The Big Bands, Volume 2 - The Soundies" [2007] Storyville Films color/b&w DVD [10/2007] for $14.49 not listed on IMDb more on Soundies [1940-46] on Magic Lantern's Distribution & Exhibition Page

Ragtime  
Colin D. MacDonald's Ragtime website
Rocky Mountain Ragtime Festival & Institute
Orange County [CA] RagFest [Oct 2004 = #5]
West Coast Ragtime Society
West Coast Ragtime Festival [Nov 2004 = #18] in Sacramento, CA
Sutter Creek [CA] Ragtime Festival [Aug 2004 = #6]
Doc Wilson's Ragtime MIDI Files
Rick Benjamin's Paragon Ragtime Orchestra [est. 1986]

―      ―      ―

pianist Eubie Blake [1883-1983]
browse music • credits on Broadway

―      ―

Scott Joplin [1868-1917]: browse music • fansite

―      ―

'Jelly Roll' Morton
browse music • Jazz Legends CD [5/2003]

The  Blues  and  R & B

2003 was "The Year of the Blues"
Temple of Blues [chat room/forum]
Harvelle's in Santa Monica CA [est. 1931]
David Nathan's Soul Music [dot] com
Club Rhythm & Blues in Albuquerque, NM
WilLee's Blues Club in Santa Fe, NM

listing of New Mexico Blues Festivals
Doheny Blues Festival [May 2010 = #13] at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA

Essential Blues Music category at Amazon
Essential R&B Music category at Amazon

―      ―      ―

Buddy Guy: browse music

―      ―

Albert King: browse music

―      ―

Son Seals [1942-2004]: browse music

―      ―

Joss Stone
browse music • record label's webpage • official website

―      ―

Muddy Waters: browse music

―      ―

Junior Wells: browse music

―      ―

Sonny Boy Williamson {real name Rice Miller}
browse music

―      ―

Howlin' Wolf {real name Chester Arthur Burnett}
browse music • Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame 1991

"Howlin' Wolf Story" on DVD [11/2003] for $16.99

―      ―      ―

"Lightning In A Bottle: A One-Night History of the Blues" [Vulcan/Sony Oct 2004] Directed by Antoine Fuqua at the historic 'Salute to the Blues' concert at Radio City Music Hall in February 2003 video not yet available; full credits from IMDb Sony Classics official movie webpage Sony soundtrack CD [9/2004] 2 discs for $19.98

"Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: A Musical Journey" [aired Sept-Oct 2003] Produced for PBS by Martin Scorsese Sony color DVD [10/2003] 7 disks for $97.99 Sony color VHS box set [10/2003] 7 tapes for $119.98 Hip-O Records audio CD set [9/2003] 5 disks for $55.98 full credits from IMDb JK's unofficial fansite series page official PBS series website companion book by Peter Guralnick, Robert Santelli, Helen George Warren & Christopher John Farley Amistad Press hardcover [9/2003] for $19.57

The seven-part film series includes:
opener "Feel Like Going Home" directed by Martin Scorsese
Sony soundtrack CD [9/2003] for $13.49
"The Soul of A Man" directed by Wim Wenders
Sony soundtrack CD [9/2003] for $13.49
"The Road to Memphis" directed by Richard Pearce
Sony soundtrack CD [9/2003] for $13.49
"Warming by the Devil's Fire" directed by Charles Burnett
Sony soundtrack CD [9/2003] for $13.49
"Godfathers and Sons" directed by Marc Levin
Sony soundtrack CD [9/2003] for $13.49
"Red, White & Blues" directed by Mike Figgis
Sony soundtrack CD [9/2003] for $13.49
"Piano Blues" directed by Clint Eastwood
Sony soundtrack CD [9/2003] for $13.49

Artist Compilations from Scorsese's "The Blues"
Allman Brothers: Mercury/Universal audio CD [9/2003] for $10.99
Eric Clapton: Polydor audio CD [9/2003] for $10.99
Jimi Hendrix: MCA audio CD [9/2003] for $10.99
Son House: Sony audio CD [9/2003] for $10.99
Robert Johnson: Sony audio CD [9/2003] for $10.99
B.B. King: MCA audio CD [9/2003] for $10.99
J.B. Lenoir: Chess audio CD [9/2003] for $10.99
Taj Mahal: Sony audio CD [9/2003] for $10.99
Keb' Mo': Sony audio CD [9/2003] for $10.99
Bessie Smith: Sony audio CD [9/2003] for $10.99
Stevie Ray Vaughan: Sony audio CD [9/2003] for $10.99
Muddy Waters: Chess audio CD [9/2003] for $10.99

Important Dates
in American Music History

Jan 1st: Country music legend Hank Williams died while enroute to a performance in Canton, Ohio in the back seat of his Cadillac near Oak Hill, West Virginia. [1953] Jan 8th: Birthday of Elvis Aron Presley, in Tupelo MS [1935-77] Feb 3rd: Rock musicians Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper {J.P. Richardson} died in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. [1959] Feb 13th: A.S.C.A.P. - The American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers - was founded. [1914] Feb 19th: Thomas Alva Edison received a patent for his phonograph. [1878] March 5th: Country music performers Patsy Cline, 'Cowboy' Copas, and 'Hawkshaw' Hawkins died in a plane crash near Camden, Tennessee. [1963] March 21st: Release of "Rock Around the Clock", the first full-length rock & roll movie. [1956] March 25th: Release of movie "Blackboard Jungle", featuring the Bill Haley & the Comets recording of "Rock Around The Clock".   [1955] April 3rd: Inaugural broadcast of the Louisiana Hayride radio program from station KWKH in Shreveport LA. [1948] April 29th: Birthday of Edward Kennedy 'Duke' Ellington [1899-1974] April 30th: Birthday of performer Willie Nelson in Abbott, TX [1933] May 24th: Birthday of musician Bob Dylan {nee Robert Zimmerman} in Hibbing, Minnesota [1941] June 18th: Columbia Records publicly unveiled its new long-playing ['LP'] phonograph record in New York City. [1948] Summer of 1951: "Rocket 88", considered the first rock'n'roll record, held the #1 position on the rhythm & blues charts for 5 weeks. July 4th: Birthday of Stephen Collins Foster [1826-64] July 5th: Elvis Presley recorded "That's All Right" at Sun Studio in Memphis, TN. [1954] August 1st: Birth of country music, when Ralph Peer signed Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family to recording contracts for Victor Records. [Bristol, Tennessee 1927] August 1-2: Launch of 24-hour Music Television, now MTV Networks. [1981] August 4: Birthday of musician Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong [1901-71] August 9th: Jerry Garcia, lead singer of the Grateful Dead rock band, died of a heart attack at age 53 in San Francisco, CA. [1995] August 15-17: Woodstock Music & Art Fair outside Bethel, NY. [1969] August 16th: Elvis Presley died at age 42, at Graceland Mansion in Memphis, TN. [1977] August 29th: Birthday of jazzman Charlie 'Bird' Parker [1920-55] Sept 1st: Ribbon-cutting ceremony held for the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame & Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. [1995] Sept 7th: Birthday of rock legend Buddy Holly, born Charles Hardin Holley in Lubbock, Texas [1936-1959] Sept 13th: Birthday of William Smith 'Bill' Monroe, primary developer of bluegrass music, at Rosine, Kentucky [1911] Sept 17th: Birthday of singer / songwriter Hank Williams [1923-53] Sept 18th: Rock star Jimi Hendrix died in London, England at age 27. [1970] Sept 23rd: Birthday of Bruce Springsteen [1949] Sept 26th: Birthday of composer George Gershwin [1898-1937] Oct 4th: Rock singer Janis Joplin found dead in her Hollywood hotel room at age 27. [1970] Oct 17th: Creation of the Radio Corporation of America. [1919] Oct 18th: Birthday of Chuck Berry [1926] Nov 6th: Birthday of 'March King' John Philip Sousa in Washington, DC [1854-1932] Nov 15th: Debut of the National Broadcasting Company, with a network of 24 radio stations. [1926] Nov 28th: Inaugural broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry radio program {originally called the WSM Barn Dance}, from Studio A at station WSM in Nashville, Tennessee. [1925] Dec 1st: Buddy Holly and The Crickets performed "That'll Be The Day" and "Peggy Sue" on The Ed Sullivan Show. [1957] Dec 15th: A single-engine plane carrying bandleader Glenn Miller disappeared over the English Channel while enroute to Paris, France. [1944]

The  Spirit  of  Rock'N'Roll  Page

Country / Hillbilly / Folk  Music  Page

Bluegrass  &  Traditional  Music  Page

Jazz  &  Dixieland  Music  Page

Western  Swing  Music  Page

Artists  &  Groups

American  Musical  Pioneers

―      ―

Howard 'Louie Bluie' Armstrong [1909-2003]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Armstrong
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003N2CVQS

―      ―

Louis Armstrong [1901-71]
Essentials | concerts on VHS | IMDb info

Jazz Legends CD [4/2003]
biography [7/97]
New Orleans [LA] Satchmo Summerfest [July-Aug 2003 = #3]
NYC House & Archive

―      ―

George M. Cohan [1878-1942]

―      ―

Stephen Foster [1826-64]
browse music | fansite | PBS bio | PBS bio on VHS

―      ―

W.C. Handy [1873-1958]

―      ―

Robert Johnson [1911-38]
browse music | Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame 1986 | documentaries on VHS | career box set

―      ―

Leadbelly [real name Huddie Ledbetter] [1888-1949]
Essentials | Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame 1988

―      ―

Charley Patton [1891?-1934]
career box set | tribute album

―      ―

John Philip Sousa [1854-1932]  
browse music | fansite w/midis | Sousa Archive

―      ―      ―

Later  Artists  &  Groups

―      ―

Jimmy Buffett: browse music

―      ―

Floyd Cramer [1933-97]
browse music | Essential CD | Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame 2003

―      ―

Jim Croce[1943-73]
browse music | widow's restaurant in San Diego, CA | official website

―      ―

Bob Dylan
browse music | Essential CD | limited edition boxed set [9/2003] 15 discs | IMDb info
browse books | concerts on VHS | concerts on DVD | Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame 1988

"Chronicles: Vol. 1" autobiography [2004] by Bob Dylan
S&S hardcover [10/2004] for $16.32 | S&S pb [9/2005] for $10.78

"Bob Dylan In America" [Doubleday Sept 2010]  
by the historian Sean Wilentz

―      ―

The Eagles Band
browse music | limited edition boxed set [3/2005] 9 discs
concerts on DVD | concerts on VHS | Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame 1998

―      ―

George Gershwin [1898-1937]  
browse music | Essential CD | Wikipedia

―      ―

The Grateful Dead Band
browse music | concerts on VHS | concerts on DVD | Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame 1994

―      ―

Vince Guaraldi [1928-76]
browse music | official website

―      ―

pianist Horst Jankowski [1936-98]: music | PK's fansite

―      ―

Janet Klein & her Parlor Boys Band (music of the 1910s, '20s & '30s}
browse music | official website

―      ―

guitarist Leo Kottke
browse music | Essential CD | songbook: paperback or CD-ROM

―      ―

Los Lobos Band: browse music

―      ―

norteρa musicians Los Tigres Del Norte Band: browse music
14 Mexican movies made from their songs

―      ―

drummer Sandy Nelson: browse music

―      ―

Willie Nelson
browse music | Essential CD | concerts on VHS | concerts on DVD

official Willie Nelson website

"On the {^Clean} Road Again: Biodiesel & The Future of The Family Farm" [2007] by Willie Nelson Fulcrum/Speaker's Corner 7x4½ pb [8/2007] for $9.95 see also: National Family Farm Coalition [est. 1986] website Alternative Energy Page at Working Minds / Solutions

―      ―

recording team The New York Brass

―      ―

Harry Nilsson [1941-94]
Harry Nilsson's official site

"The Point" animated TV movie [ABC-TV Feb 1971] In a kingdom where everyone and everything is pointed, young Oblio's round head stands out, yet he is quite popular; an evil count has Oblio banished from the kingdom to other lands, where the boy and his dog Arrow discover other viewpoints. The TV show and music were written by Harry Nilsson; the original TV narration was by Dustin Hoffman, but due to contractual restrictions, was later rerecorded by Alan Barz-man, Alan Thicke & Ringo Starr. Co-produced & directed by Fred Wolf; co-produced, co-written & music by Harry Nilsson; co-written by Carole Beers & Norm Lenzer; DVD narration by Ringo Starr; other voices by Mike Lookinland, Paul Frees, Lennie Weinrib, Bill Martin, Buddy Foster & Joan Gerber R.C.A. color DVD [3/2004] for $9.97 full credits at IMDb • Harry Nilsson's official movie site D.C.C. Compact Classics album by Harry Nilsson on audio CD [3/98] out of prodn/used

"Who Is Harry Nilsson (and Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)?"
documentary film [Lorber Films Sept 2010]
Directed by John Scheinfeld; interviewees include Terry Gilliam, Dustin Hoffman, Eric Idle, Randy
Newman, Yoko Ono, Van Dyke Parks, the Smothers Brothers, Jon Voight & Brian Wilson
DVD/Blu-ray not yet available • full credits at IMDb

―      ―

singer-songwriter Sam Phillips: browse music | TM's fansite

―      ―

Carlos Santana
browse music | Essential CD | concerts on VHS | concerts on DVD
official website | Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame 1998

―      ―

guitarist Joe Satriani: browse music

―      ―

'The Boss' Bruce Springsteen
browse music | Essentials CD (3 discs) | concerts on DVD | concerts on VHS
official website | Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame 1999
listed among Time Magazine 100 Most Influential People (May 2008)

"The Promise: The Making of Darkness On The Edge of Town" docufilm [H.B.O. Oct 2010]

―      ―

Steely Dan Band
browse music | official website | Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame 2001   

―      ―

Thee Midnighters Band of East Los Angeles

―      ―

Townes Van Zandt [1944-97]: new docu film [July 2005]

―      ―

Neil Young
Spirit of America's Neil Young Page
browse music • official website • entry at Wikipedia

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Band
browse music | Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame 1997

"C.S.N.Y.: Dιjΰ Vu" concert documentary [indep July 2008] A record of the C.S.N.Y. band's "Freedom of Speech 2006" tour that included songs from Neil Young's "Living With War" CD. Co-written & directed by Neil Young (as Bernard Shakey) video/DVD/Blu-ray not available Warner Bros. live soundtrack CD [7/2008] 16 tracks for $14.99 full credits from IMDb • official movie site

―      ―      ―

browse all music concerts on DVD at Amazon.com
browse all music concerts on VHS at Amazon.com

Classical  /  Composers

Essential Classical Music category at Amazon

"Classical Music in America: A History of Its Rise & Fall" [2005] by Joseph Horowitz W.W. Norton 9¾x6½ hardcover [3/2005] for $26.37

―      ―      ―

contralto Marian Anderson []

―      ―

P.D.Q. Bach [pseudonym of composer Peter Schickele]
browse music

―      ―

Aaron Copland [1900-90]  
browse music • Essential CD • Library of Congress

―      ―

composer Gordon Getty: audio CDs

―      ―

composer Philip Glass
browse music • official website

Godfrey Reggio's 'Qatsi' Trilogy Page
all 3 'Qatsi' soundtrack CDs

"Glass: A Portrait of Philip In Twelve Parts" [indep April 2008] Co-produced & directed by Scott Hicks; on-camera appearances by Woody Allen, Chuck Close, Errol Morris, Godfrey Reggio, Martin Scorsese & Ravi Shankar video/DVD not yet available; full credits from IMDb • official movie site

―      ―

Ferde Grofι [1892-1972]: browse music

―      ―

Victor Herbert

―      ―

Gustav Mahler [1860-1911]
browse music • JG's fansite • 1975 Ken Russell movie  on VHS | on DVD

―      ―

Cole Porter [1891-1964]
browse music • 2000 bio by WM • JXB's fansite • 2004 bio movie: credits + DVD + VHS

―      ―

Arnold Schoenberg [1874-1951]
browse music • Schφnberg Center in Austria

―      ―

Wm. Grant Still [1895-1978]
browse music • biography [3/2000] • papers at Duke Univ

―      ―

Morton Subotnik: browse music

――          ――         ――         ――         ――

Artists & Groups    ―    The Blues and R&B    ―    Classical / Composers    ―    Dixieland Jazz

Ragtime    ―    Important Dates in Musical History    ―    Big Bands & Swing

Bluegrass Music Page    ―    Country / Hillbilly / Folk Page    ―    Jazz Music Page
Western Swing Music Page    ―    Rock 'n' Roll Page

Online sales in association with  

top of this page    ― ―    back to Spirit of America Bookstore homepage