Roots of Texas Music

"The music of Texas and the American Southwest is as diverse and distinctive as the many different groups who have lived in the region over the past several centuries, " writes Gary Hartman in his introduction to this look at various genres of Texas music. The Roots of Texas Music celebrates the diverse sources of the music of the Lone Star State by gathering chapters by specialists on each of them -- specialists whose views may not have dominated the perception of Texas music to date.Editor Lawrence S. Clayton conceived this project as one that would not simply repeat the common wisdom about Texas music traditions, but rather would offer new perspectives. He therefore called on contributors whose work had been well-grounded but not necessarily widely published. The result is a lively, captivating, and original look at the musical traditions of Texas Germans and Czechs, black Creoles and Chicanos, and blues and gospel singers, among others.Hartman's introduction places these repertoires within the larger picture of one of the most fertile musical seedbeds the nation knows. The diverse genres included in the anthology also provide an introduction to the classes, cultures, races, and ethnic groups of Texas and highlight the ways in which the state's musical wealth has influenced the listening habits of the nation.Clayton, Lawrence S. is the author of 'Roots of Texas Music', published 2003 under ISBN 9781585442218 and ISBN 1585442216.