W. C. Handy's blues, Memphis Blues," "Beale Street Blues," "St. Louis Blues",changed America's music forever. In Father of the Blues, Handy presents his own story: a vivid picture of American life now vanished. W. C. Handy (1873-1958) was a sensitive child who loved nature and music but not until he had won a reputation did his father, a preacher of stern Calvinist faith, forgive him for following the "devilish" calling of black music and theatre. Here Handy tells of this and other struggles: the lot of a black musician ...
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W. C. Handy's blues, Memphis Blues," "Beale Street Blues," "St. Louis Blues",changed America's music forever. In Father of the Blues, Handy presents his own story: a vivid picture of American life now vanished. W. C. Handy (1873-1958) was a sensitive child who loved nature and music but not until he had won a reputation did his father, a preacher of stern Calvinist faith, forgive him for following the "devilish" calling of black music and theatre. Here Handy tells of this and other struggles: the lot of a black musician with entertainment groups in the turn-of-the-century South his days in minstrel shows, and then in his own band how he made his first 100 from "Memphis Blues" how his orchestra came to grief with the First World War his successful career in New York as publisher and song writer his association with the literati of the Harlem Renaissance.Handy's remarkable tale,pervaded with his unique personality and humour,reveals not only the career of the man who brought the blues to the world's attention, but the whole scope of American music, from the days of the old popular songs of the South, through ragtime to the great era of jazz.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good. 0306804212. Clean and tight, with light toning of the pages and light shelfwear to the covers. Fast shipping, with tracking number provided.; Da Capo Paperback; 8.5 X 5.5 X 0.8 inches; 340 pages.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Ships in a BOX from Central Missouri! May not include working access code. Will not include dust jacket. Has used sticker(s) and some writing or highlighting. UPS shipping for most packages, (Priority Mail for AK/HI/APO/PO Boxes).
W.C. Handy has a gift for weaving a story. He is very well spoken in this autobiography, and at times, I felt as though I were reading letters that he wrote just to me. He's that intimate with the details and it will draw you in.
What I find the most interesting about Handy is that his scholarly eye was right there during the significant events in the history of the blues at the beginning of the 20th century. Having read through Paul Oliver's Blues Series (which I also highly recommend), Handy did what Oliver could not - give a first hand account of the events and the social context that surrounded them.
Any musicologist, or blues enthusiast should get a copy of Handy's autobiography. Not only does he give accurate details for race, ragtime, blues, and jazz music, he also gives the most concise and deadly accurate description of racism I've ever seen, and he also gives a beautiful account for the importance of ASCAP. There's a lot of detail packed in this book.
In the course of my own research, I continue to see my sources reference W.C. Handy. After reading his autobiography, I know why. Quite simply, his account of history as it happened is so well spoken that there is little need to look elsewhere.
