{"product_id":"black-pearls-blues-queens-of-the-1920s-9780813512808","title":"Black Pearls: Blues Queens of the 1920s","description":"\u003cp\u003eThroughout the 1920s  in tents  theaters  dance halls and cabarets  and on \"race\" records  black American women captivated large audiences with their singing of the blues. University of Maryland professor Harrison examines the subjects and texts of their songs  the toll these performers paid for their right to be heard  and what they did to transform a folk tradition into a popular art. She describes the singing and lifestyles of Sippie Wallace  Victoria Spivey  Edith Wilson and Alberta Hunter to illustrate how they introduced a new model of the black woman: assertive and sexy  gutsy yet tender  bereft but not downtrodden  exploited but not resentful  independent yet vulnerable. The author shows that their choice of performing style  inflection  emphasis and improvisation provided a perspective and expressiveness that profoundly affected later American popular music. -- Publishers Weekly  Blues music spawned legendary performers whose influence has been felt in many musical forms here and around the world. Until now the important role of the great women blues singers has largely gone unexplored. This book tells of the cultural and social impact of the blues during the 1920s when the genre was dominated by women  both on stage and on record. Harrison (Afro-American Studies Department  University of Maryland) writes with authority  focusing particularly on Sippie Wallace  Edith Wilson  Victoria Spivey  and Alberta Hunter as she analyzes the music and the collective black experience out of which it grew. A significant book  particularly for collections of music history  black studies  and womens studies. -- Library Journal\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45279558565941,"sku":"ByrdShop_0813512808","price":36.64,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780813512808.jpg?v=1780602328","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/black-pearls-blues-queens-of-the-1920s-9780813512808","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}