Ma Rainey’s Traveling Blues is the fullest and most nuanced portrait to date of Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (1886-1939), once promoted as the “Mother of the Blues.” Although Rainey’s place in American music history is firmly ...

The Only True Folksongs in English: American Ballad Scholarship, 1855–1915 uncovers how nineteenth-century American scholars including the children of farmers, sail makers, and ministers set out to prove ...

Dylan in Cincinnati takes a fresh approach to Bob Dylan’s performance art by asking what happens when we focus on a single city across six decades.

When we think of Dylan in concert, we imagine Newport, ...

Samuel Jones: The Uncompromising Life and Music of an American Composer traces the extraordinary life and career of classical composer Samuel Jones, who, at age ninety, continues to write music that resonates ...

Throughout the history of slavery in the Americas, music carried messages of survival, rebellion, and solidarity. Enslaved people composed songs that were far more than laments—they were calls for liberty a ...

Avenue Breakdown uncovers the rich yet often overlooked legacy of Black music in Shreveport, Louisiana—a city better known for country tunes and the Louisiana Hayride. This compelling history shines a s ...

Glenn Miller was already famous when he enlisted in the Army Air Forces. Glenn Miller and His Orchestra was one of the most popular and successful bands of the big band era. While the bands of the Dorsey ...

Whistle Stop traces the remarkable life of trumpeter and composer Kenny Dorham (1924–1972), whose journey from rural Texas to the forefront of modern jazz mirrors the broader story of Black resilience a ...

Contributions by Lea Beka, Collin M. Bright, Justin D Burton, Amy Chu, John P. Craig, Michael B. Norton Dando, Jayanti Datta, Brea M. Heidelberg, Kathryn Hobson, Sheena C. Howard, Johnny Jones, Riggs ...

Clyde McPhatter (1932–1972) was the golden voice behind a musical revolution—a soaring tenor whose electrifying performances helped define the sound of early rock ‘n’ roll. From his breakthrough with the Dom ...