The Devil's Box: Masters of Southern Fiddling (Vanderbilt/Country Music Foundation Press)
In this example of the bounty of country music history stemming from the Country Music Foundation/Vanderbilt University alliance, Wolfe (The Life and Legend of Leadbelly, LJ 11/15/92) concentrates on Southern fiddling in the years 1925-55, paying particular attention to early recordings by fabled old-timers. After a sparkling foreword by Mark O'Connor, the Texan fiddler whose playing strikes chills down the spine, Wolfe sets the stage with brief discussions on why the fiddle was called "the devil's box" in the South, the kinds of fiddles one found among the folk, and the popularity of fiddling contests. Wolfe's well-documented research compels the reader to salute the study of country music as a valid endeavor for scholarly contributions. Recommended for collections on American music in public and academic libraries.?Kathleen Sparkman, Baylor Univ., Waco, Tex.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.