Graham Vulliamy

This book, first published in 1982, shows that jazz and blues are music forms that are about individualism, experiment, expression and feeling. From their origin in the work songs and spirituals of America’s southern slaves, through to their adaptation to the urban adaptation to the urban environment in Chicago and New Orleans, the author details the social and economic background that saw the birth of the blues and jazz, and introduces and appraises their leading exponents. He shows how African rhythms were combined with an American musical tradition to produce a distinctive style which was to revitalise Western music.

The approach of this book, first published in 1982, is multi-disciplinary. Popular music, it is argued, is not only a musical but also a social phenomenon; the criteria needed to assess it are different from those used in the appreciation of ‘classical’ music. The first section of this guide is devoted to setting out just what those criteria should be. A second section puts forward bases for course construction that are detailed and flexible. A final section provides a list of further resources.

The approach of this book, first published in 1982, is multi-disciplinary. Popular music, it is argued, is not only a musical but also a social phenomenon; the criteria needed to assess it are different from those used in the appreciation of ‘classical’ music. The first section of this guide is devoted to setting out just what those criteria should be. A second section puts forward bases for course construction that are detailed and flexible. A final section provides a list of further resources.

This book, first published in 1982, shows that jazz and blues are music forms that are about individualism, experiment, expression and feeling. From their origin in the work songs and spirituals of America’s southern slaves, through to their adaptation to the urban adaptation to the urban environment in Chicago and New Orleans, the author details the social and economic background that saw the birth of the blues and jazz, and introduces and appraises their leading exponents. He shows how African rhythms were combined with an American musical tradition to produce a distinctive style which was to revitalise Western music.