"An A Cappella book." Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents:
Introduction. "Something new-built along the same lines" -- Starting out : Independence, 1892-1919 -- Getting the music : Okeh, records, and roots, 1919-1926 -- To victor, on to Bristol, and the making of giants, 1926-1927 -- Reaching out from the roots : southern music, 1927-1933 -- Breaking loose, branching out, starting over, 1933-1940 -- Crossing borders : the war, Latin music, and the media, 1940-1945 -- Going global : expanding, 1946-1951 -- Locking a legacy, 1952-1960 -- The roots and pop aftermath -- Appendix. key recordings and published songs of Ralph Peer, 1920-1960.
Summary:
"This is the first biography of Ralph Peer, the adventurous--even revolutionary--A & R man and music publisher who saw the universal power locked in regional roots music and tapped it, changing the breadth and flavor of popular music around the world. It is the story of the life and fifty-year career, from the age of cylinder recordings to the stereo era, of the man who pioneered the recording, marketing, and publishing of blues, jazz, country, gospel and Latin music."--Dust jacket flap.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.