Book Reviews
Here is just a sampling of the many reviews in each issue of Dirty Linen. To read them all, subscribe!

That American Rag: The Story of Ragtime from Coast to Coast
by David A. Jasen and
Gene Jones
Schirmer Books 0-02-864743-2 (1999);
433 pp; $29.95
This excellent volume will delight ragtime aficionados, who would probably buy it just for the appended listing of all known published pre-1980 rags. Touching briefly on the now-familiar stories of Scott Joplin, John Stark, and the other classic ragtime composers, That American Rag concentrates on the histories of the little-known and unknown second- and third-line composers who produced the vast bulk of ragtime. These range from the novelty writers like Zez Confrey (of "Kitten on the Keys" fame) to one-hit wonders like Euday Bowman ("Twelfth Street Rag") and solid contributors like Charles Hunter ("Possum and Taters"). It is interesting that most later ragtimers were white — presumably black pianists were likely to be into jazz after about 1920, but the high percentage of white writers in the teens is surprising. Of these a large number were women, which makes sense when one considers that the market for printed ragtime was made up of amateur players, a group that was predominately female. Some, like Adeline Shepherd ("Pickles and Peppers"), contributed rags that are still standards, and if many of them seem to have given up professional aspirations upon marrying, most of the men wound up in such uninspiring situations as playing in silent movie houses (while they lasted). There are also thumbnail biographies of ragtime-era publishers, a less colorful class on the whole, but an important part of the picture. These cameo bios are interspersed with background information about the cities where the publishers were located, and the authors manage to cram an amazing number of curious tidbits into these passages. There are a few overly enthusiastic pronouncements along the way, but they only add spice to this fine piece of work. Well-researched and very well written, That American Rag is highly recommended to anyone with the slightest interest in the subject.
— Duck Baker (Richmond, CA)

Klezmer!: Jewish Music from Old World to Our World
by Henry Sapoznik
Schirmer Books 0-02-864574-X (1999); 352 pp.; $29.95
Various artists
Klezmer! Jewish Music from Old World to Our World
Yazoo 7017
Henry Sapoznik is one of the central figures in the klezmer revival (though he dislikes the term, it is applied to most kinds of folk music without raising eyebrows). He has helped spread the music both through his work performing with the group Kapelye and as a researcher who has brought much that was forgotten to light. This book is a logical outgrowth of these efforts, but it also stands quite well on its own, because apart from everything else, Sapoznik is an excellent writer. He also has a good ear as an interviewer for the phrase that brings his subjects, from Dave Tarras or Tommy Jarrell to unheralded working men and women, to life. The early history of klezmer is sketchy, as is the case with most folk musics, and the ties to other types of Jewish music, from religious singing to Yiddish theater songs, necessitate covering a lot of ground that could get dull if the writing itself wasn't consistently engaging. The only criticism of Sapoznik might be in the way he deals with the contemporary scene, of which he is a part, in the same volume as the earlier history. It seems somewhat awkward. But even readers whose interest is primarily in the older music will be swept into the later chapters by Sapoznik's narrative ability. My appreciation of klezmer music has deepened enormously from reading this book, which is probably the best thing one could say about it.
The CD issued by Shanachie under the same name is an excellent companion, and should be approached that way. There are some stunning tracks by the masters who defined the music, like Tarras and Naftule Brandwein, among the early recordings, and the klezmer-jazz crossovers and later entries stand up well, but some of the Yiddish pop songs are of interest only in the context that the book presents. In other words, the CD isn't intended as an introduction to klezmer, but succeeds admirably in its purpose of illustrating the music discussed in the book.
— Duck Baker (Richmond, CA)

The Chieftains: The Authorized Biography
by John Glatt,
narrated by Nanci Griffith
The Publishing Mills 01006 (1999), 4-CD audiobook with music
Even if you're not a dedicated fan of the Chieftains, this four-disc audiobook reading of their biography holds many items of interest. Producer Jessica Kaye has done a creditable job of weaving audio interviews with the band members and their families with Griffith's narrative and incorporating comments by other well known performers whose lives have touched the Chieftains', including Anjelica Huston, Sarah McLachlan, and Ricky Skaggs. There are also 12 tracks of music from various stages of the performers' careers. It's a worthwhile presentation of the development of one of the most popular roots-based bands of recent history.
— Kerry Dexter (Tallahassee, FL)

The Craig Duncan Master Fiddle Solo Collection
Mel Bay ISBN 0-7866-3387-5 (1999);
150 pp.; $19.95
There is an incredible amount of fiddling talent echoing through the hockey arenas across Canada every summer during the fiddle contest season. While this type of playing has stylistic patterns that sometimes appear to be quite rigid (due to the competitive context), nevertheless the players themselves often sound very relaxed and fluid. Craig Duncan, a Nashville-based musician, producer, arranger, and writer, celebrates the beauty and spirit of this music in his Master Fiddle Solo Collection. As a member of the National Fiddler's Hall of Fame who has appeared on over 50 albums, Duncan is well placed to open the door to this style of fiddling for interested students.
The tunes (about 150 in all) represent some of the most frequently played pieces in contests, as well as favorites from bluegrass and square dances throughout the U.S. While there are no playing tips as such, there are plenty of variations provided for some tunes. Thus, even if the melodies are familiar, the variations (and ornaments such as double stops) provide additional dynamics and interest to one's playing.
There are rags, reels, waltzes, polkas, hornpipes, and shuffles. The glorious waltz playing of fiddle contests is captured in a number of tunes ("Westphalia Waltz," "Yellow Rose Waltz"). There are also some old-time traditional numbers ("Arkansas Traveler"), some contemporary pieces (Jay Ungar's "Ashokan Farewell"), a few bluegrass standards (Bill Monroe and Kenny Baker's "Jerusalem Ridge"), and some serious showpieces ("Black Mountain Rag" and "Sally Goodin"). Intermediate fiddlers will clearly find some challenges here, but with a few winters of practice, they might be ready to pack up the Winnebago and head out on the fiddle contest circuit themselves.
— Ivan Emke
(Corner Brook, NF, Canada)

Cowboy Songs for Acoustic Guitar
by Steve Eckels
Mel Bay ISBN 0-7866-4960-7 (1999); $19.95; incl. CD; paperback, 81 pp.
This is a straightforward presentation of music and tab for 14 songs of the west, including "Home on the Range," "I Ride an Old Paint," and "The Trail to Mexico." A few brief but useful paragraphs and a CD of the tunes are included.
— Kerry Dexter (Tallahassee, FL)

Virginia Reels
transcribed for guitar by Joseph Weidlich
Centerstream Publishing/Hal Leonard ISBN 1-57424-065-X (1999); $17.95;
78 pp.; incl. CD
These 35 tunes were first published as a group in 1839 by George Knauf, under the same title, as tunes "selected and arranged for the pianoforte." Since Knauf probably learned these from the fiddlers themselves, and not from other published sources, the manuscript is believed to be "the only substantial extant compilation of nineteenth-century Southern fiddle tunes published prior to the Civil War." Joseph Weidlich moved these to guitar, with as little rearrangement as possible. Ornamentations can be added by the player, of course, but Weidlich was trying to be historically accurate in the transposition. (Originally trained on the classical guitar, Weidlich has written music books on lute transcriptions for guitar, as well as on the plectrum banjo style.)

Many of the tunes in the book will be familiar to fiddle tune enthusiasts, such as "Forked Deer," "Speed the Plough," "Billy in the Low Grounds," and a few that have had a name change in the intervening years. For example, "Two Sisters" in the manuscript is much like what we now call "Boys of Bluehill," and "Midnight Serenade" has somehow transformed into "Buffalo Gals." They are written in standard tuning, almost all in the keys of C or G, appearing in both tablature and standard notation. The book also contains some historical background, a few tips on learning the tunes (and the difference between learning notes and "making music").
The package includes a CD with all 35 of the tunes in the book. They are played clearly and distinctly (and at a medium pace) on just the guitar; thus it provides a fine forum for getting a sense of a tune before trying it out oneself. Beginning to intermediate guitarists will find these well within their grasp.
— Ivan Emke
(Corner Brook, NF, Canada)

Ukulele Heaven
by Ian Whitcomb
Mel Bay MB98270BCD (1999); ISBN 0-7866-4951-0; 107 pp.; $24.95, w/CD
Ukulele Song book
in Notation and Tablature
by Ron Middlebrook
Centerstream ISBN 1-57424-072-2 (1999); 72 pp.; $9.95
Jumpin' Jim's Gone Hawaiian
compiled and arranged
by Jim Beloff
Hal Leonard ISBN 0-634-00934-6 (1999); 88 pp.; $12.95
Ukulele Heaven by Ian Whitcomb (who has been a missionary for the instrument for 30-odd years now), is subtitled "Songs from The Golden Age of the Ukulele — Plus Eight New Songs for a New Age!" The latter reference represents Whitcomb's hopes that the ukulele will return to a place of prominence. Whitcomb's life has included an early stint in a comb-and-tissue-paper band, a period as a rock star (touring with the likes of the Rolling Stones) and a guest on U.S. talk shows like the "Tonight Show." However, his real passion is ragtime and Tin Pan Alley music, and to get the most out of this (his 12th) book, you should be a fan of this type of music, as well.
The book starts with some history of the ukulele as well as biographical material about Whitcomb's life with the ukulele. Then it moves to 17 classic songs ("Moon of Waikiki," "Where Did Robinson Crusoe Go with Friday on a Saturday Night?") and eight original songs, including the optimistic "The Uke Is on the March." Chord charts and melodies are included for all of the songs. The book is spiced with reproductions of old sheet music, as well as a uke discography and related web sites. The CD that is included is not of straight ukulele music, but rather full band renditions of the songs. As such, you'll get a sense of their rhythms and the melodies, but not necessarily of ukulele technique.
Ron Middlebrook's book is a resource for people who are expanding their ukulele repertoire. It begins with a bit of instruction, including how to tune and hold the instrument, as well as a number of stroking patterns and rolls. Then Middlebrook goes through 50 songs, divided into categories based on how many chords need to be played (from two-chord to seven-or-more-chord songs). Some of the song choices may seem unlikely, but it is an eclectic mix of material, including "Buffalo Gals," "Camptown Races," "Maui Girl," "The Streets of Laredo," "Jingle Bells," "Abide with Me," and "Bill Bailey." Middlebrook includes tablature for the melody lines and the names of chords, but there are no chord charts in the book whatsoever. This is a problem for learners who will require some other book or chord chart for reference, unless they simply wish to play single melody lines (and the ukulele is not generally known as a melody instrument).
Jim Beloff introduces 30 popular Hawaiian songs that were inspired by ragtime, blues, and jazz tastes. These are from a style called "hapa-haole," which focused on island themes, but with a mix of English and Hawaiian words, and often written by mainland composers. The 30 Beloff chose provide a nice mix, including "Aloha Oe," "Blue Hawaii," "The Hawaiian Wedding Song," and "My Honolulu Hula Girl." There is information about some of the prime composers of the Hawaiian style in the early part of the book. In addition, "Jumpin' Jim's Gone Hawaiian" includes a chord chart (very useful), and for each of the songs there are chord diagrams, as well as the melody line in standard notation. Thus, the Beloff book provides not only some classic material, but also important chording information that opens up the instrument for many other uses.
— Ivan Emke
(Corner Brook, NF, Canada)

Bill Monroe: 16 Gems
mandolin transcriptions by Butch Baldassari and Rob Haines/vocal parts transcribed by Jeff Story
Hal Leonard ISBN 0-7935-9573-8 (1999); 48 pp.; $12.95
This book offers transcriptions of 16 tunes and songs from a man who almost singlehandedly carved out a prominent place for the mandolin in bluegrass and traditional country music. Bill Monroe was able to forge his own influences (which included gospel, blues, and even Scottish bagpipe music) into a well-tempered and highly-recognizable approach to the mandolin. With the goal of assisting young players in learning how to play in Monroe's style, Butch Baldassari and Rob Haines put together the mandolin transcriptions for this book (the vocal transcriptions were done by Jeff Story).
For each piece, the transcribers present the chord charts, a brief introduction, and then the tablature and standard notation (with some of the ornamentation marked) for all of the mandolin parts. The vocal parts include the harmonies. There is some additional explanation of Monroe's techniques, as the authors are trying to not only teach specific numbers, but to offer insight on Monroe's approach to mandolin performance in general. The material itself is largely from the late 1940s, such as "Kentucky Waltz," "Blue Grass Special," "Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong" (written with Lester Flatt), "Shine Hallelujah Shine" and "Blue Grass Breakdown." The student can develop ideas about classic Monroe kick-offs, tremolo effects, soloing, and other techniques from the transcriptions.
— Ivan Emke
(Corner Brook, NF, Canada)

Making People's Music - Moe Asch and Folkways Records
by Peter D. Goldsmith
Smithsonian (2000),
ISBN 1-65098-370-1; $19.95
In the 1950s and 60s arose a generation that sought alternatives to the standardized, mass media-driven culture of the day in the traditional folkways of craft, folklore, and, perhaps most prevalently, folk music. For those whose cultural quest took them into intensive explorations of Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music, and the records of Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, and the hundreds of other titles in the Folkways Records catalog, the listing was something of a "motherlode." Ultimately Folkways would perform a key role in making folk music a major force in American culture.
At nearly 500 pages, this book by Oberlin College professor Peter Goldsmith provides an outstanding, thorough, anthropological examination of Folkways Records and explores the many-faceted personality of Folkways' inscrutable founder, Moe Asch. In the book Goldsmith offers a phrase that comes as close as any to capturing the overall essence of Folkways. "Folkways [Records]... made a peculiar sense in the New York of the 1950s. It was a nonconformist endeavor and ran against the grain of the self-satisfied fifties in many of the same ways as New York's young artists... Moe Asch's 1950s was...a decade of exploration and artistic innovation."
In addition to examining Folkways Records — the company and the phenomenon — in broad social and cultural contexts, the book contains a wealth of anecdotes about Asch from those who knew him best: his artists. Drawing on reminiscences from Pete Seeger, Dave Van Ronk, and others, Goldsmith paints a fascinating portrait of a man who nearly single-handedly created a counterculture by introducing it to Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie, Harry Smith and, via field recordings, countless others whose art and vision was given voice by Folkways Records.
— Nick Crews (Plainfield, IN)

Joni Mitchell,
Four Decades of Commentary
edited by Stacy Luftig
Schrimer Books ISBN 0-02-865333-5 (2000); $15
Joni Mitchell is all the rage, as of late. Tribute albums, television appearances, extensive touring, new releases, box sets, and heaven knows what else. Perhaps a book with four decades of Joni Mitchell commentary? How special! And how revealing.
Luftig has managed to sort through tremendous files of Joni press clippings to gather the cream. The work of esteemed writers like Karl Dallas ("Joni, the Seagull from Saskatch e wan"), Barney Hoskins ("Our Lady of Sorrows"), Robert Hilburn ("Joni Mitchell: Both Sides, Later"), Stewart Brand ("The Education of Joni Mitchell"), and 34 other delectable articles point out Joni's songwriting and performing genius.
The book is broken up into six sections, beginning with her early days as a struggling folksinger making the rounds of coffeehouses and folk concerts and ending with news pieces exploring her creative impact on musicians today. The best bits are in the second section, where Mitchell is transformed from folk waif to rock 'n' roll lady — her coming of age. Most interesting parts, too, center on her unique tunings and chordal postioning on the acoustic guitar... a treatise ready to be explored in Volume Two.
— T.J. McGrath (Woodbridge, CT)

The Acoustic Guitar Owner's Manual
String Letter Press/Hal Leonard
ISBN 1-890490-21-0 (2000); $17.95
This 100+ page book from the publishers of Acoustic Guitar magazine starts with the basics, showing the parts of the guitar and describing the different aspects of guitar construction. While it's a useful and accessible work for those just starting on guitar (or thinking about buying one) it will be valuable for those with more advance playing and performing skills, too. A number of authors, from Acoustic Guitar editor Simone Solondz to luthier William Cumpiano to singer/songwriter Kristina Olsen, tackle topics including basics of guitar care, all about nylon and steel strings, traveling with your guitar, and the basics and more advance aspects of getting a good guitar set up. Even you've been playing the guitar for years, there's likely to be a new and interesting idea or two here for you in this well-organized and illustrated work.
— Kerry Dexter (Tallahassee, FL)

The Blues in Images and Interviews
by Anthony Connor and Robert Neff
Cooper Square Press (2000)

ISBN 0-8154-1003-4; $17.95
This is a paperback reprint of a 1970s volume containing interviews and select photos of blues legends. Artists interviewed represent a color-blind who's who of blues across the United States. Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Dr. John, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Charlie Musselwhite, and many, many more are interviewed. The women of blues are discussed, but only one is interviewed.
The interior design is curious. Initially, the reader might interpret the large amounts of white space as a lack of content. That's not quite the case. The interview excerpts with blues legends are brief but penetrating tales sorted roughly by topic. Much like the blues themselves, these insights into the artists and their lives will indeed make you laugh and certainly cry.
There is a quibble with the photo selection. Some of the photos are really great. They catch the artists relaxed and in their own environment, whether it's the stage, backstage, or home. Why then are there a disproportionately high number of photographs in which the subjects are snapped with their shirts off? It's odd and initially striking as being disrespectful. Do we really need to see Pinetop Perkins with his shirt off?
An absorbing book for those who enjoy the blues or autobiographical tales. See if you don't try to read it in one setting, then return to it again and again.
— Linda Dailey Paulson (Ventura, CA)

Listen to This!
by Alan Reder and
John Baxter
Hyperion 0-7868-8260-3 (1999); 448 pp.; $16.95
With a book that leaves you scratching your head wondering why you didn't think of it, Alan Reder and John Baxter have put together in Listen to This! an impressive collection of musicians talking about their favorite artists. It is fun to see Mark Eitzel (American Music Club) admitting how important Wire used to be to him. Or Don Everly's appreciation for Don Henley. It is more useful, perhaps, to use this book to track down names of new bands recommended by artists you appreciate. This is an extremely helpful and interesting book that you will turn to again and again.
— Char R. Leslie-Miller
(Washington, DC)

Singing Rails - Railroadin' Songs, Jokes & Stories
by Wayne Erbsen
Mel Bay MB96901 (1999),
ISBN 0-7866-4902-X, $12.95
Wayne Erbsen seems to be working faster than the Disney version of the Sorcerer's Apprentice. Erbsen has put out several dozen books and an equal number of recordings that chronicle Appalachian culture, the Civil War, railroad lore, and outlaws. And in his spare time he has put out close to a dozen books of banjo, guitar, mandolin, and dulcimer instruction. Singing Rails is an 80-page book that is the size of sheet music and consists of songs (music and lyrics), lore such as railway laws and legends, anecdotes, superstitions, antique-looking illustrations, and a few photos. Erbsen doesn't make any attempts at being comprehensive, considering that this isn't his first book about railroads and may not be his last, but railroad buffs should find it entertaining.
— Paul-Emile Comeau
(Comeauville, NS, Canada)

Song & Dance Man III, The Art of Bob Dylan
by Michael Gray
Continuum ISBN0-304-70588-8 (2000); 918 pp.; $49.95
It has been almost 20 years since the second edition of Song and Dance Man hit the bookshelves. That one weighed in at a mere 236 pages. Dylan has released 19 albums since then, and made countless tours and television appearances. Gray has continued to shadow Dylan's career, examining each move with an electron microscope.
When last we left Mr. Dylan, he had just released Saved, his second "born-again" disc. Gray's analysis of the artist then was, "Spiritually, Dylan may... have arrived. Artistically, he is coasting." Two decades and almost four times as many pages later, things don't look much better through Gray's microscope: "...may we find that he calls a halt to his reluctance, to his holding back...."
Gray is Dylan's biggest fan and harshest critic. His writing caroms between hyperbole and vitriol. Yet even when he is raking Dylan over the coals for putting out inferior work or selling out, Gray remains passionate about his subject. His writing is both scholarly and readable. This is an entertaining, educational, funny, infuriating book.
Gray takes the fine-toothed-comb approach to lyrical analysis. Each chapter examines a different influence on Dylan's work — folk music, rock 'n' roll, classic literature, the blues, movies, the Bible, etc. The book includes copious documentation and lengthy footnotes. Indeed, without the footnotes, this book would be a pamphlet. For example, he finds it necessary to tell the story of the Titanic in an exhaustive footnote. In chapter six, he gives a detailed chemical analysis of LSD. From his British standpoint, he feels that we need a full-page bio of Stephen Foster, as if we've never heard of him.
His British use of language, however, gives the book some its most amusing passages. His diatribe on the MTV Unplugged album contains this gem: "This is what happens when Bob Dylan capitulates and lets overpaid cokehead executives, lawyers and PRseholes from the Entertainment Industry tell him what to do." Gray makes no pretense of objectivity. His opinions are strong, and he delivers them with surgical precision. While his tone is witty for the most part, at times it comes off as just haughty. He tosses around words like "ghastly" and "awful" without explanation of what makes a work so.
Still, Song and Dance Man III is a must-read for Dylan enthusiasts and a fun, literate exploration for the casual fan.
— Peggy Latkovich
(Cleveland Heights, OH)

The North American Folk Business Directory 2000/2001
North American Folk Alliance (2000)

The year 2000 is a good time for the Folk Alliance to launch the first edition of its directory. The 142-page book is a catalog of listings in 14 different categories, including folk societies, arts and cultural organizations, festivals, the recording industry, broadcast and print media, agents and publicists, and others. The longest listing, at 28 pages, is the one for performing artists. Performers must be members of the Folk Alliance to be listed, which is fair enough but obviously means that the list is not even close to being comprehensive, if indeed that were possible. Most listings include the postal address and phone/fax/email/website addresses, as well as a brief description of the listee. An index of all listings is included, which is crucial for such a directory. A few listings from beyond North America are included (and many of these can obviously be of use to North Americans), but they make up only a small percentage of the total.
— Paul-Emile Comeau
(Comeauville, NS, Canada)