Discography of Western Swing and Hot String Bands, 1928-1942

(Hardback)

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Traces the development of a significant and underexamined American musical genre, offering a comprehensive listing of recordings by both groups and individuals. The result of years of research by its authors, this discography strives to identify and trace the recorded development of the musical style now known as western swing from its early years through World War II. The style developed from the Texas string band tradition, growing from a fiddle and guitar duo into full swing band groups, and along the way, it drew from and absorbed a variety of other musical styles, thus making it one of the most diverse genres in American music. Until now, studies have been limited to a few book-length biographies, but through exhaustive research and interviews, Ginell and Coffey have provided the most complete and comprehensive listing of pre-War western swing and hot string band recordings to date. Accessible through a variety of indexes, the information included here comprises four sections. The reader can easily find cross-referenced information on which musicians played with which bands on which songs. Easy to follow linear and chronological development of the music through its recordings are provided as well.

Reviews

Texas swing is alive and well today and this volume effectively covers the early years. It is an excellent source for those interested in the growth and development of the genre.-American Reference Books Annual
This fine volume is everything one would expect from such detailed chroniclers.-Dirty Linen
This work's a must for any researcher into jazz or country music of the period.-VJM's Jazz and Blues Mart
"This fine volume is everything one would expect from such detailed chroniclers."-Dirty Linen
"This work's a must for any researcher into jazz or country music of the period."-VJM's Jazz and Blues Mart
"Texas swing is alive and well today and this volume effectively covers the early years. It is an excellent source for those interested in the growth and development of the genre."-American Reference Books Annual

Author Bio

CARY GINELL, a music historian and radio broadcaster, is the owner of Sound Thinking Music Research, where he works as a music consultant for the entertainment industry. He is also the co-owner of the Origin Jazz Library record label, and has conducted oral histories with many seminal musicians in country music and jazz. He is the author of The Decca Hillbilly Discography, 1927-1945 (Greenwood, 1989) and Milton Brown and the Founding of Western Swing (1994). KEVIN COFFEY is a researcher and historian whose work concentrates on American music in the southwest, with a particular emphasis on western swing. His work has appeared in The Journal of Country Music, and he is a contributing author to The Encyclopedia of Country Music.