The Jazz of the Southwest

An Oral History of Western Swing

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Music, Theory & Criticism, History & Criticism, Reference
Cover of the book The Jazz of the Southwest by Jean A. Boyd, University of Texas Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jean A. Boyd ISBN: 9780292783218
Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication: January 1, 2010
Imprint: University of Texas Press Language: English
Author: Jean A. Boyd
ISBN: 9780292783218
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication: January 1, 2010
Imprint: University of Texas Press
Language: English
They may wear cowboy hats and boots and sing about "faded love," but western swing musicians have always played jazz! From Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys to Asleep at the Wheel, western swing performers have played swing jazz on traditional country instruments, with all of the required elements of jazz, and some of the best solo improvisation ever heard. In this book, Jean A. Boyd explores the origins and development of western swing as a vibrant current in the mainstream of jazz. She focuses in particular on the performers who made the music, drawing on personal interviews with some fifty living western swing musicians. From pioneers such as Cliff Bruner and Eldon Shamblin to current performers such as Johnny Gimble, the musicians make important connections between the big band swing jazz they heard on the radio and the western swing they created and played across the Southwest from Texas to California. From this first-hand testimony, Boyd re-creates the world of western swing-the dance halls, recording studios, and live radio shows that broadcast the music to an enthusiastic listening audience. Although the performers typically came from the same rural roots that nurtured country music, their words make it clear that they considered themselves neither "hillbillies" nor "country pickers," but jazz musicians whose performance approach and repertory were no different from those of mainstream jazz. This important aspect of the western swing story has never been told before.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
They may wear cowboy hats and boots and sing about "faded love," but western swing musicians have always played jazz! From Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys to Asleep at the Wheel, western swing performers have played swing jazz on traditional country instruments, with all of the required elements of jazz, and some of the best solo improvisation ever heard. In this book, Jean A. Boyd explores the origins and development of western swing as a vibrant current in the mainstream of jazz. She focuses in particular on the performers who made the music, drawing on personal interviews with some fifty living western swing musicians. From pioneers such as Cliff Bruner and Eldon Shamblin to current performers such as Johnny Gimble, the musicians make important connections between the big band swing jazz they heard on the radio and the western swing they created and played across the Southwest from Texas to California. From this first-hand testimony, Boyd re-creates the world of western swing-the dance halls, recording studios, and live radio shows that broadcast the music to an enthusiastic listening audience. Although the performers typically came from the same rural roots that nurtured country music, their words make it clear that they considered themselves neither "hillbillies" nor "country pickers," but jazz musicians whose performance approach and repertory were no different from those of mainstream jazz. This important aspect of the western swing story has never been told before.

More books from University of Texas Press

Cover of the book Handbook of Middle American Indians, Volumes 14 and 15 by Jean A. Boyd
Cover of the book Amazons, Wives, Nuns, and Witches by Jean A. Boyd
Cover of the book Andean Entrepreneurs by Jean A. Boyd
Cover of the book Power Moves by Jean A. Boyd
Cover of the book In the Company of Scholars by Jean A. Boyd
Cover of the book The Forgotten Ones by Jean A. Boyd
Cover of the book The United States and Inter-American Security, 1889–1960 by Jean A. Boyd
Cover of the book Prehistory of the Rustler Hills by Jean A. Boyd
Cover of the book The Sutton-Taylor Feud by Jean A. Boyd
Cover of the book Texas Sports by Jean A. Boyd
Cover of the book The Folds of Parnassos by Jean A. Boyd
Cover of the book Soviet Cinema in the Silent Era, 1918–1935 by Jean A. Boyd
Cover of the book Positivism in Mexico by Jean A. Boyd
Cover of the book PADRES by Jean A. Boyd
Cover of the book The Law of the Heart by Jean A. Boyd
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy