Oh, Didn't They Ramble - by David Menconi (Hardcover)

About the Book

"What is American roots music? Any definition must account for a kaleidoscope of genres from bluegrass to blues, western swing to jazz, soul and gospel to rock and reggae, Cajun to Celtic. It must encompass the work of artists as diverse as Alice Gerrard and Alison Krauss, George Thorogood and Sun Ra, Bela Fleck and Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown, the Blake Babies and Billy Strings. What do all these artists and music styles have in common? The answer is a record label born in the wake of the American folk revival and 1960s movement politics, formed around the eclectic tastes and audacious ideals of three recent college grads who lived, listened, and worked together. The answer is Rounder Records. For more than fifty years, Rounder has been the world's leading label for folk music of all kinds. David Menconi's book is the label's definitive history, drawing on previously untapped archives and extensive interviews with artists, Rounder staff, and founders Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy, and Bill Nowlin. Rounder's founders blended ingenuity and independence with serendipity and an unfailing belief in the small-d democratic power of music to connect and inspire people, forging creative partnerships that resulted in one of the most eclectic and creative catalogs in the history of recorded music. Placing Rounder in the company of similarly influential labels like Stax, Motown, and Blue Note, this story is destined to delight anyone who cares about the place of music in American culture"--

Book Synopsis

What is American roots music? Any definition must account for a kaleidoscope of genres from bluegrass to blues, western swing to jazz, soul and gospel to rock and reggae, Cajun to Celtic. It must encompass the work of artists as diverse as Alice Gerard and Alison Krauss, George Thorogood and Sun Ra, Béla Fleck and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, the Blake Babies and Billy Strings. What do all these artists and music styles have in common? The answer is a record label born in the wake of the American folk revival and 1960s movement politics, formed around the eclectic tastes and audacious ideals of three recent college grads who lived, listened, and worked together. The answer is Rounder Records.

For more than fifty years, Rounder has been the world's leading label for folk music of all kinds. David Menconi's book is the label's definitive history, drawing on previously untapped archives and extensive interviews with artists, Rounder staff, and founders Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy, and Bill Nowlin. Rounder's founders blended ingenuity and independence with serendipity and an unfailing belief in the small-d democratic power of music to connect and inspire people, forging creative partnerships that resulted in one of the most eclectic and creative catalogs in the history of recorded music. Placing Rounder in the company of similarly influential labels like Stax, Motown, and Blue Note, this story is destined to delight anyone who cares about the place of music in American culture.

Review Quotes

"A richly detailed presentation of the facts [Menconi] uncovered through research and countless interviews. . . . Oh, Didn't They Ramble tells an important story in an entertaining and informative way. If you only read one book about music this year, this should be the one."--Bluegrass Today

"A terrific piece of writing. Oh, Didn't They Ramble isn't just a book. It's a guide to our essential musical past." --Greg Kot, Sound Opinions

"An admiring tribute [and] well-researched celebration of Rounder's influence and accomplishments."--Kirkus Reviews

"Balancing a determination to document the label's history, warts and all, with a loving appreciation of the music and the label's founders who facilitated it, Menconi charts the path Rounder followed from an 'anti-profit collective' to a cultural juggernaut. A masterful depiction of the indie label business and the roots music culture of the last fifty years."--Danny Goldberg, author of Serving the Servant: Remembering Kurt Cobain

"David Menconi does a masterful job of documenting the impact of the roots music label that started as it's three founders sold records out of their van at bluegrass festivals and from the basement of their house."--Americana Highways

"Dreamed up by anarchists, seed-funded by eczema disability payments, and proudly self-described as an "anti-profit collective," Rounder Records became the home for what we now call Americana music. David Menconi's Oh, Didn't They Ramble captures this astonishing achievement in all its unlikely glory. From their muddy beginnings bridging the "marijuana-versus-moonshine divide" at 1970s folk festivals, the three Rounder founders built a veritable empire on their own terms, one that remained independent even as their artists performed on Saturday Night Live and won nearly 60 Grammys. If you cherish roots music, you owe Rounder a round. Menconi's book is an occasion to lift a glass." --John Lingan, author of A Song for Everyone: The Story of Creedence Clearwater Revival

"Filled with period photos of the founders and the acts and festivals they supported, Oh, Didn't They Ramble is essential reading for bluegrass fans hungry to learn the inside story on one of the most influential and impactful record labels ever in bluegrass music. Highly recommended."--Bluegrass Unlimited

"Menconi's history of the legendary Rounder record label also offers a concise survey of the music industry over the last half-century. Rounder successfully found a way to honor what came before while introducing a new generation to the best roots music has to offer, and along the way, it helped create the genre some now call Americana. Menconi does a masterful job crafting a complex narrative into a thoroughly entertaining, and dare I say, even emotional, read."--Michael Elliott, author of Have a Little Faith: The John Hiatt Story

"Rounder Records is arguably the most successful, influential, and adventurous independent record label of the 20th century, and Menconi tells its story vividly and thoughtfully. In addition to tracing its history from "anti-profit collective" to roots music juggernaut, he uses Rounder as a lens through which to view the history of the music business and 50 years of American pop culture. At its heart, though, the book is a love letter to the old-time music scene of the late '60s and early '70s -- a countercounterculture full of string bands and fiddlers, weirdos and outcasts, obsessive fans and of course three young radicals who wanted to make sure the music was preserved and enjoyed. Menconi writes with authority and immense enthusiasm for the music, which makes his book a must-read for fans of roots music and anyone who might want to start their own Rounder."--Stephen Deusner, author of Where the Devil Don't Stay: Traveling the South with the Drive-By Truckers

"With extensive access to Rounder artists, staff, and founders Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy, and Bill Nowlin . . . David Menconi is able to tell Rounder's story, from its humble but audacious and idealistic beginnings to becoming one of the most influential record labels in the history of recorded music."--Bluegrass Situation

About the Author

David Menconi is a journalist, music critic, and author based in Raleigh, North Carolina. His most recent book is Step It Up and Go: The Story of North Carolina Popular Music from Blind Boy Fuller and Doc Watson to Nina Simone and Superchunk.