Blues on Stage - (Suny Press Jazz Styles) by John L Clark (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Tells the story of classic blues singers from Ma Rainey to Bessie Smith.

Blues on Stage presents a new history of the development of the "Classic Blues" of the 1920s, offering a comprehensive review of various Black singers who recorded and were influential in this era, including Bessie Smith, Trixie Smith, Butterbeans and Susie, and Ma Rainey. The business of music recording and publishing, including songwriting and touring theater circuits, is explored as part of the narrative of how and when these artists became nationally popular. The most highly regarded singers of this period were not folk or rural artists, but rather highly experienced stage professionals whose careers often extended two decades or more prior to their first recordings. These artists, some of the most famous acts on the Black vaudeville and tent show circuits, were preceded in the recording studio by many cabaret and nightclub singers with a different entertainment perspective and were followed by artists who came from a more rural, less professional background. For anyone interested in the roots of jazz and blues, Blues on Stage offers a new and comprehensive introduction to the development of this American musical style.

Review Quotes

"...Clark succeeds in illuminating the dynamic, multifaceted history of 1920s blues performance. By centering the careers of Black performers who were both innovators and entertainers, Clark challenges reductive assumptions about the blues as a purely folk-derived tradition and highlights the professionalism and artistry of its most celebrated figures. For scholars of US music, African American cultural history, and performance studies, as well as for dedicated blues aficionado, this monograph serves as a resource for understanding the roots and development of this distinctly US musical form." - Notes: the Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association

"...Clark admirably assembles information about the era that will appeal to blues scholars." - Library Journal

"...an easy read with a large index of songs and artists." - The Antique Phonograph

"...Clark succeeds in illuminating the dynamic, multifaceted history of 1920s blues performance. By centering the careers of Black performers who were both innovators and entertainers, Clark challenges reductive assumptions about the blues as a purely folk-derived tradition and highlights the professionalism and artistry of its most celebrated figures. For scholars of US music, African American cultural history, and performance studies, as well as for dedicated blues aficionado, this monograph serves as a resource for understanding the roots and development of this distinctly US musical form." -- Notes: the Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association

"...Clark admirably assembles information about the era that will appeal to blues scholars." -- Library Journal

"...an easy read with a large index of songs and artists." -- The Antique Phonograph

About the Author

John L. Clark Jr. is a musicologist and performing arts musician. He teaches music at MassBay Community College and is the author of Experiencing Bessie Smith: A Listener's Companion.