Some starting points from Tony Dubovsky’s collection of readings on music. The groupings here are a guide, not definitive. Likewise, the collection itself was assembled casually, and over time.
SONGBOOK COLLECTIONS
* The Folk Songs of North America, Alan Lomax. Doubleday, 1960
* Best Loved American Folk Songs, John & Alan Lomax. Grosset & Dunlap, 1947.
* Our Singing Country: Folk Songs and Ballads, John A. Lomax and Alan Lomax. 1941,
Dover 2000
The 111 Best American Folk Ballads, John A. Lomax and Alan Lomax. 1947, Signet
American Ballads and Folk Songs, John A. Lomax and Alan Lomax. 1934, Dover 1994
* The American Songbag, Carl Sandburg. 1927, Harcourt, Harvest The Ballad Book,
MacEdward Leach, A.S. Barnes & Company Inc. 1955 Harper Brothers
The Ditty Bag, compiled by Janet E. Tobitt. 1960
Cowboy Dancse, Lloyd Shaw. The Caxton Printer, 1943
* Rise Up Singing, ed. Peter Blood-Paterson. Singout Publication, many editions
FOLK
Music Makers: Portraits and Songs from the Roots of America, Timothy Duffy. Hill Street
Press, 2002
* Invisible Republic: Bob Dylan’s Basement Tapes, Greil Marcus. Henry Holt and
Company 1997
Bringing it All Back Home: Twenty-Five Years of American Music at Folk City. Robbie
Woliver. Pantheon Books 1986
* Paul Robeson, Martin Bauml Duberman. Alfred Knopff 1988
* Making People’s Music: Moe Asch and Folkways Records, Peter D. Goldsmith.
Smithsonian Institution Press, 1998
Folk & Blues: the Encyclopedia, Irwin Stambler and Lyndon Stambler. St. Martin’s 2001
Folk and Traditional Music of the Western Continents, Bruno Nettl. Prentice Hall 1965
Folk Music in the United States: an Introduction, Bruno Nettl. Wayne State Univ. Press,
Detroit 1976
* Bob Dylan: Chronicles Vol. 1. Simon and Schuster 2004
The Rough Guide to Bob Dylan. Nigel Willamson, 2004
Woody Guthrie and Me, Ed Robbin, Lancaster-Miller Publishers, 1979
* The Rose and the Briar: Death, Love and Liberty in the American Ballad Doomed Lovers,
Highway Shooters, A Nation Lost and Found, Sean Wilentz and Greil Marcus.
W.W. Norton and Co. 2005
At Home in the Heart of Appalachia, John O’Brien. Anchor Books, 2001
Positively 4th Street: The Lives and times of Joan Baez… David Hajdu. Farrar Strouss and
Giroux 2001
* Woody Guthrie: A Life, Joe Klein. Delta 1980
* The Life and Legend of Leadbelly, Charles Wolfe and Kip Lornell. Da Capo 1999
* Bound for Glory, Woody Guthrie. E. P. Dutton. 1943, 1976 (Intro by Studs Terkel)
R. Crumb’s Heroes of Blues, Jazz and Country. Abrams
* When We Were Good: the Folk Revival, Robert Cantwell. Harvard Univ. Press, 1996
American Roots Music, Robert Santelli. Abrams 2001
The Folk Music Sourcebook, Larry Sandberg and Dick Weissman. Da Capo 1976, 1989
Bob Dylan, Photographs, Barry Feinstein, Daniel Kramer, and Jim Marshall. Bulfinch
Press Book, 1999
Artists of American Folk Music, Phil Hood. Quill 1986
* Folk Song America-A Twentieth Century Revival, Norm Cohen. Smithsonian, 1991.
* Baby, Let Me Follow You Down: The Illustrated Story of the Cambridge Folk Years, Eric von
Schmidt and Jim Rooney. Anchor Press 1979
Anthology of American Folk Music, ed. Harry Smith. Folkways Records, 1952. Re-issued by
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 1997.
Where Dead Voices Gather, Nick Tosches. Little Brown and Co., 2001
The Listener’s Guide to Folk Music, Sarch Lifton. Facts on File, 1983
BLUES
Me and Big Joe, Michael Bloomfield. Colorcraft 1980
Searching for Robert Johnson: The Life and Legend of the ‘King of the Delta Blues Singers’,
Peter Guralnick. Pimlico, 1989
* The History of the Blues: The Roots, The music, the people from Charely Patton to Robert
Cray, Francis Davis. Hyperion 1995
The Roots of the Blues: An African Search, Samuel Charters. Da Capo 1981
* Screening the Blues: Aspects of the Blues Tradition, Paul Oliver. Da Capo 1968, 1989
The Big Book of Blues, Robert Santelli. Penguin 1993
* Blues People: Negro Music in White America, LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka). Quill, 1963,
1999
* Urban Blues, Charles Keil. The University of Chicago Press, 1966
Stagolee Shot Billy, Cecil Brown. Harvard 2003
*Blues from the Delta, William Ferris. Da Capo, 1978, 1984
Big Road Blues: Tradition & Creativity in the Folk Blues, David Evans. Da Capo 1987
UC Regents
* Deep Blues, Robert Palmer. Penguin 1982, Viking 1981
* The Land Where the Blues Began, Alan Lomax. Delta 1993
Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues, Elijah Wald. Amistad
2004
Oak Anthology of blues Guitar: Delta Blues, Stefan Grossman. 1969 1988 Oak
Meeting the Blues: The Rise of the Texas Sound, Alan Governar. Taylor publ. 1988
Nothing But the Blues: The Music and the Musicians, Lawrence Cohn. Abbeville Press,
1993
Ernest C. Withers: The Memphis Blues Again, Six Decades of Memphis Music, Daniel
Wolff. Viking Studio, 2001
Blues Faces: A Portrait of the Blues. Imago Mundi, 2000
Down at Theresa’s…Chicago Blues, Marc PoKempner. Prestel
RHYTHM & BLUES
The Autobiography: Chuck Berry, Faber and Faber 1988
Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock ‘n’ Roll Music, Greil Marcus. Plume/Penguin
1975, 82, 90, 97
Elvis, Text: Dave Marsh, Art direction Bea Feitler. Omnibus Press 1992
The Rockin’ 50s, Arnold Shaw. Da Capo 1974, 1987
* Unsung Heroes of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Nick Tosches. Da Capo 1999
* Can’t Be Satisfied: The Life and Times of Muddy Waters, Robert Gordon. Little Brown
and Co. 2002
Last Train to Memphis: the Rise of Elvis Presley, Peter Guralnick. Abacus 1994
* Country: The Twisted Roots of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Nick Tosches. Da Capo, 1996, 1998
Vacant: A Diary of the Punk Years, 1976-79, Thames and Hudson, 1999
The Clash, David Quantick. Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2000
Honkers and Shouters: The Golden Years of Rhythm and Blues, Arnold Shaw. Collier
Books, 1978
JAZZ
* Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Origianl, Robin Kelly. Free Press,
2009.
Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn, David Hajdu. North Point Press 1996
Jazz Seen, William Claxton. Taschen
The Thelonious Monk Reader, Rob van der Bliek. Oxford 2001
Tony Bennett: The Good Life, with Will Freidwald. Pocket Books, 1998
The Guinness Jazz Companion, Peter Clayton and Peter Gammond. Guiness Books
1986, 1989
52nd St: The Street of Jazz, Arnold Shaw. Da Capo 1977
Lady Day: The Many Faces of Billie Holiday, Robert O’Meally. Arcade Publishing, Little
Brown and Co. 1991
Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker, Robert Reisner. Da Capo 1962
Lester Young, Dave Gelly. Spellmont and Hippocrene Books, 1984
Lady Sings the Blues: Billie Holiday with William Dufty. Penguin/Vikings Books 1956,
1984
The Jazz Makers, Nat Shapiro and Nat Hentoff. Grove Press Inc. 1957
The Birth Bebop: A Social and Musical History, Scott DeVeaux. UC Press 1997
Straight, No Chaser: The Life and Genius of Thelonious Monk, Leslie Gourse. Schirmer
Books 1997
Monk, Laurent de Wilde. Marlowe and Company, 1996
Sarah Vaughan: Singer, Marianne Ruth. Melrose Square Publ. House 1994
The World of Jazz, Rodney Dale. Elsevier-Dutton, 1980
Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker, Gary Giddins. Beech Tree Books, 1987
Jazz Files: Charles Stewart and Paul Carter Harrison. Da Capo, 1985
The Chronicle of Jazz, Mervyn Cooke. Abbeville Press, 1997
Jazz: The First Century, John Edward Hasse. William Morrow, 2000
Dizzy, Duke, the Count and Me: The Story of the Monterey Jazz Festival, Jimmy Lyons
with Ira Kamin. A California Living Book, 1978
OVERVIEWS and/or COMPARATIVE STUDIES in AMERICAN MUSIC
*Folk Song America: A 20th Century Revival, Norm Cohen. Smithsonian Collection of
Recordings, 1990
* Lost Highway: Journeys & Arrivals of American Musicians, Peter Guralnick. David R.
Godine 1979
* Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom, Peter
Guralnick. Little Brown and Co., 1986, 1999
* Feel Like Going Home: Portraits in Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll, Peter Guralnick. Little Brown
and Co., 1971, 1989, 1999
Boogaloo: The Quintessence of American Popular Music, Arthur Kempton. Pantheon 2003
Memphis Beat: The Lives and Times of America’s Musical Crossroads, Larry Nager. St.
Martin’s Press, 1998
COUNTRY
Workin’ Man Blues: Country Music in California, Gerald W. Haslam. UC Press, 1999
* The Other California, Gerald Haslam. Capra Press, 1990; second, expanded edition,
Univ. of Nevada Press, 1994
* How Bluegrass Music Destroyed My Life, John Fahey. Chicago: Drag City, 2000.
Reading Country Music: Steel Guitars, Opry Stars, and Honky-Tonk Bars. Duke Univ.
Press 1998
* In the Country of Country: A Journey to the Roots of American Music, Nicholas Dawidoff.
Vintage Books, 1997
* Can’t You Hear Me Callin’: The Life of Bill Monroe, Father of Bluegrass, Little Brown and
Co. 2000
* The Encyclopedia of Country Music (compiled by country music hall of fame), Paul
Kingsbury (forward, Emmylou Harris). Oxford 1998
Country Music: 70 Years of America’s Favorite Music, Bob Millard. HarperPerennial, 1993
The Harmony Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, Alan Cackett. Crown Trade
Paperbacks, 1984, 1994
The Cash Family Scrapbook, Cindy Cash. Crown Trade Paperbacks, 1997
The Life and Times of Patsy Cline, Margaret Jones. Harper Perennial, 1994
Your Cheatin’ Heart: A Biography of Hank Williams, Chet Flippo. St. Martin’s 1981
Sing a Sad Song: The Life of Hank Williams, Roger M. Williams. Ballantine Books, 1970,
1973
Finding Her Voice: The Illustrated History of Women in Country Music, Mary A. Bufwack
and Robert K. Oermann. Henry Holt and Co. 1993
Hank Williams: Snapshots from the Lost Highway, Colin Escott and Kira Florita. Da
Capo 2001
LATIN AMERICAN and CAJUN
Narcocorrido: A Journey into the Music of Drugs, Guns, and Guerrillas, Elijah Wald.
Rayo/Harper Collins 2001
Samba, Alma Gullermoprieto, Jonathan Cape. 1990
Letras de Folklore con Biografias y Danzas, Amado Olmos. 1999, Basilico
The Bandoneón: A Tango History, Javier Garcia Mendez, Arturo Penon. Nightwood
Editions, 1988
The Billboard Guide to Tejano and Regional Mexican Music, Ramiro Burr. Billboard Books,
1999
The Kingdom of Zydeco, Michael Tisserand. Avon Books, 1998
See separate bibliography for Mexican songs at VS 185X S&P: México
ROOTS REGGAE
Dread: The Rastafarians of Jamaica, Joseph Owens. Heinemann, 1979, Sangster’s 1972
Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley, Timothy White. An Owl Book, Henry Holt and Co.
1983…1996
Bob Marley, Stephen Davis. Doubleday and Co. 1985
Ethiopian Sovereignty: African Nationhood Voices from the Ethio-Diaspora Call…, Ras
E.S.P. McPherson. 1999 A&B Publishers Group
Rastafari: Roots and Ideology, Barry Chevannes. Syracuse Univ. Press, 1994
Reggae Bloodlines: In Search of the Music and Culture of Jamaica, Stephen Davis and Peter
Simon. Da Capo 1977 1992
The Real Facts about Ethiopia (pamphlet), J.A. Rogers. Black Classic Press 1982
Reggae: the Rough Guide, 1997
Waking Up in Jamaica: Music and Vibes of the Caribbean’s no. 1 island, Stephen Foehr.
Sanctuary, 2000
Bob Marley: Soul Rebel-Natural Mystic, Adrian Boot/Vivien Goldman, Eel Pie Publ.,
1981
Yes Rasta: Photographs by Patrick Cariou, Powerhouse Books
Feeling the Sprit: Searching the World for the People of Africa, Chester Higgins Jr. Bantam
1994
MISCELLANEOUS
The Da Capo Book of American Singing Groups: A History 1940-1990, Jay Warner. Da
Capo Press 1992)
Little Labels---Big Sound, Rick Kennedy and Randy McNutt. Indiana Univ. Press 1999
Last Night’s Fun: In and Out of Time with Irish Music, Ciaran Carson. 1996, North Point
Press, Farrar Strauss…
Road to Rembetika: Music of a Greek sub-Culture songs of Love, sorrow and Hashish, Gail
Holst. Denise Harvey (publisher) 1975
Like a Knife: Ideology and Genre in Contemporary Chinese Popular Music, Andrew F. Jones.
East Asia Program Cornell 1992
Klezmer: Jewish Music form Old World to Our World, Henry Sapoznik. Schirmer Trade
Books 1999
Folk Music and Music Instruments of Punjab, Alka Pande. Mapin Publishers, 1999
Traditional African and Oriental Music, Otto Karolyi. Penguin 1998
Folk Music Instruments of the World. Crown
The Book of Tiki, Sven A. Kirsten. Taschen
The Day Is So Long and the Wages So Small: Music on a Summer Island, Samuel Charters.
Marion Boyars Publ., 1999, 2003
The Swing Book, Degen Pener. Back Bay Books, Little Brown and Co. 1999
Swing Kings, Julie Koerner. Friedman Fairfax Publishers, 1994, 1997
Underground Harmonies: Music and Politics in the Subways of New York, Susie J.
Tanenbaum. Cornell Univ. Press 1995
Listening to Classic American Popular Songs, Allen Forte. Yale Univ. Press 2001
Singers and the Song II, Gene Lees. Oxford Press 1987, 1998
The Wellsprings of Music, Curt Sachs. McGraw-Hill, 1965
Hip Hop America, Nelson George. Viking 1998
Dangerous Crossroads: Popular Music, Postmodernism and the Poetics of Place, George
Lipsitz. Verso 1994
Broadway Musicals, Gottfried
Gibsons: Fabolus Flat-Top Guitars, An Illustrated History & Guide, Eldon Whitford,
David Vinopal, & Dan Erlewine. GPI Books, 1994
Speak Low (When You Speak Love): The Letters of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya. UC Press,
1996
MUSICAL REFERENCE
Musical Instruments, Horniman Museum, London (1970) (inner London educational
authority)
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music, Oxford Press, first ed.1952, 1964
