Indiana University Press blog

Norbert Krapf to perform at Bob Dylan Birthday Bash

On May 22 from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m., the Indianapolis ArtsGarden will host a Bob Dylan Birthday Bash to celebrate the singer/songwriter's 72nd birthday. This second annual tribute will feature IUP author Norbert Krapf and bluesman Gordon Bonham.

During the event, Krapf will recite poetry from his Songs in Sepia and Black and White collection (IUP, 2012) and from his new prose poem cycles collection American Dreams (Mongrel Empire Press).

Admission is free. Check the Indianapolis ArtsGarden website for more details on the event.

Learn more about Norbert Krapf and his book Songs in Sepia and Black and White on our website or in this review by the Yearbook of German-American Studies:

"Pursuing a tri-fold creative concept that unites poetry, art in the form of photography, and music is certainly not a light challenge. Norbert Krapf has mastered it with remarkable virtuosity and once again reinforced his reputation as the pre-eminent German-American poet of the English language."

Book review: Music and the Language of Love

"[Gordon-Seifert] has presented readers with an elegant, insightful study on a critical turning point in French baroque composition just before the premiere of Lully’s groundbreaking Cadmus et Hermione in 1673. Scholars of seventeenth-century music, as well as singers interested in integrating these airs into their repertory, will find in it an approachable, valuable resource, as well as an engaging account of the social and cultural mores of the time." —Notes

Book reviews: Johnny Cash and the Paradox of American Identity

"Leigh H. Edwards's Johnny Cash the Paradox of American Identity offers a wideranging study of a compelling figure in American popular culture, and will be of interest to both fans of Johnny Cash and scholars in the fields of popular music studies, gender studies, and American studies." —Journal of American Studies

"One book representing the new wave of country music studies is Leigh H. Edwards’s Johnny Cash and the Paradox of American Identity. Edwards takes an American icon of country music and places him solidly in the field of American cultural history, dealing with such timeless subjects as class, masculinity, and religion." —History Compass

Book reviews: Jelly Roll, Bix, and Hoagy

"Jazz Mythology often comes from strange and unexpected places, and one such place is the former Starr Piano Factory in Richmond, Indiana, which played host in the early 20th century to Gennet Records. Rick Kennedy's newly revised and expanded Jelly Roll, Bix, and Hoagy: Gennett Studios and the Birth
of Recorded Jazz, first published by IU Press in 1994, details the ascent and decline of an Indiana label that provided opportunities to jazz's most significant artists, thereby affecting the direction and reception of jazz itself." —Bloom Magazine

"Kennedy’s book comes highly recommended. His writing style is entertaining and informative. By describing the personal characteristics of Gennett’s principal owners, the reader can easily keep all of the various characters straight. Further, Kennedy’s wide-ranging appreciation for American music makes the reader want to hear these recordings. The Gennetts may not have fully appreciated the music they recorded, but Rick Kennedy makes up for that many times over." —Jazz History Online

"In his excellent revised history of Gennett Records, Rick Kennedy explains how an equally complex mix of economic, social and cultural forces made Richmond, Ind., the place where so many of those artists cut their first records—and in the same studio that made masters for the Ku Klux Klan." —Springfield News

Three IUP books reviewed in American Ethnologist

Three IUP books are reviewed in the current issue of American Ethnologist:

The American War in Contemporary Vietnam
"The American War in Contemporary Vietnam is essential reading for anyone teaching or wanting to understand Vietnam today and would be useful in teaching seminars or upper-level courses on Vietnam, Asia, memory, and history, as well as discussions of ethnographic methodology."

Islamophobia/Islamophilia
"Overall, the volume is an impressive collection of serious discursive analyses that heighten our sensitivities to the forms arguments about Islam take; while always indexes of power, it is clear that the shared terms of global debates about Islamic reform do not always correspond
to shared meanings."

Live from Dar es Salaam
"In Live from Dar es Salaam, Alex Perullo focuses on the creative practices Tanzanians in the music economy in Dar es Salaam utilize as they try to make something of a living in difficult economic times. Perullo also shows how music in Tanzania transitioned from work to a commodity as the country itself moved from a socialist to a capitalist political–economic ideology."

Reading selections for Jazz Appreciation Month

In honor of Jazz Appreciation Month this April, we offer the following reading selections on important people in places in jazz history.

Second Wingspread conference of the National Jazz Service Organization, 1986. Billy Taylor, Harold Horowitz, David Baker, and Congressman John Conyers, Jr. Courtesy of David Baker.

In his new autobiography The Jazz Life of Dr. Billy Taylor (written with Teresa L. Reed), the legendary jazz ambassador discusses his 60+ years in music, from the heyday of jazz on 52nd Street in 1940s New York City to his appearances on CBS Sunday Morning. Taylor fought not only for the recognition of jazz music as "America's classical music" but also for the recognition of black musicians as key contributors to the American music repertoire. In this excerpt, Taylor discusses segregation and his early musical influences.

Read excerpt

Like Taylor, David Baker's musical career was also influenced by segregation. He attended Crispus Attucks High School, an all-black school in Indianapolis, IN, with an excellent music program, to which he attributes much of his success. In this excerpt from David Baker: A Legacy in Music, Lissa May discusses the impact of the Indianapolis music scene and Baker's high school on his musical career.

Read excerpt

IU Press podcast with David Baker and Monika Herzig

Recently featured in Jazzhouse (along with David Baker), Kathy Sloane's Keystone Korner chronicles the experience of this beloved jazz club through more than 100 black and white photographs, a collage of oral histories, and a marvelous CD. During the 1970s, when jazz clubs all over America were folding under the onslaught of rock and roll and disco, San Francisco’s Keystone Korner was an oasis for jazz musicians and patrons. Tucked next to a police station in the city’s North Beach area, the Keystone became known as one of the most important jazz spots in the United States.

 Read excerpt

In his newly revised and expanded edition of Jelly Roll, Bix, and Hoagy, Rick Kennedy examines a small town record studio with a big place in jazz history. Gennett Records in Richmond, IN, was the site of many historic firsts, including the first interracial recording with Jelly Roll Morton and the New Orleans Rhythm Kings and Louis Armstrong's first recording with King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. Kennedy traces the colorful history of one of America's most innovative record companies in this excerpt from the book.

Read excerpt

Book trailer

Videos: IU Press authors discuss writing at Indiana Authors Award events

Last fall, IUP authors Barbara Shoup (An American Tune) and Dan Wakefield (Going All the Way) were both recipients of the 2012 Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award. Shoup won the award in the Regional Author category while Wakefield received the first-ever Lifetime Achievement award. We recently came across these videos from Indiana Authors Award events held September 29 at the Central Library in Indianapolis. Here is Shoup's reaction to being named the Regional Author winner (and we thank her for all the nice things she said about working with us!):

In this clip from a panel discussion with the Indiana Author Awards winners, Shoup and National Author winner John Green discuss books that influenced their careers:

During the panel, Dan Wakefield discusses his writing career and his relationship with fellow Indiana author Kurt Vonnegut:

And finally, IUP authors Norbert Krapf (Songs in Sepia and Black and White) and Monika Herzig (David Baker) talk about their books at the Indy Author Fair, held before the award dinner.

More videos from the event are available on the Central Library's YouTube channel.

Enter to win a Grammy-themed book set!

In celebration of the Grammy Awards this Sunday, we're giving away a four-book set from our Icons of Pop Music series! Brush up on some legendary Grammy winners, a current nominee, and one who never received an award (but should have!) in this Grammy-themed package. Books included are: Bjork, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, and Buddy Holly. A little more about the books:

Nicola Dibben's cutting-edge study of Bjork—who is nominated for two Grammys this year—is a must-read for fans of her music. Although she has yet to win a Grammy, Dibben discusses how Bjork's unique and innovative musical style has been internationally recognized by others. Will this be the year for her first Grammy win? 

Keith Negus looks at the musical career of eleven-time Grammy Award winner Bob Dylan in his book. Written for both the novice fan and the longtime listener, Negus examines Dylan as a mythical cultural figure before situating the music within the larger folk and blues tradition.

Dai Griffiths examines the large and significant body of work of Grammy winner Elvis Costello. Griffiths's book is the first on the artist that avoids chronological presentation in favor of a thematic approach focused on music and words over the nearly 30 years that separate "Radio Sweetheart" and "Country Darkness."

Like Bjork, Buddy Holly never won a Grammy, but he might have had he lived long enough (the first Grammy ceremony wasn't held until 1959, the year he died). So we include Dave Laing's book as an honorary inductee into our Grammy-themed giveaway. In his analysis of Buddy Holly, Laing provides a fresh perspective on one of the most influential and best-loved figures in rock 'n' roll.

To enter the contest, send an email to winiupress@gmail.com with your name and mailing address. Entries will be accepted through February 15 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Winners will be notified by email and books will ship via USPS.

Good luck, and don't forget to watch the Grammys this Sunday to see if Bjork finally wins!

Reading selections for Black History Month: Part 2, Jazz in America

Part 2 of our Black History Month series continues today with readings about jazz in America. Two of our books focus on the lives and careers of influential African American jazz musicians Billy Taylor and David Baker.

Second Wingspread conference of the National Jazz Service Organization, 1986. Billy Taylor, Harold Horowitz, David Baker, and Congressman John Conyers, Jr. Courtesy of David Baker.

In his forthcoming autobiography The Jazz Life of Dr. Billy Taylor (written with Teresa L. Reed), the legendary jazz ambassador discusses his 60+ years in music, from the heyday of jazz on 52nd Street in 1940s New York City to his appearances on CBS Sunday Morning. Taylor fought not only for the recognition of jazz music as "America's classical music" but also for the recognition of black musicians as key contributors to the American music repertoire. In this excerpt, Taylor discusses segregation and his early musical influences.

Read excerpt

Like Taylor, David Baker's musical career was also influenced by segregation. He attended Crispus Attucks High School, an all-black school in Indianapolis, IN, with an excellent music program, to which he attributes much of his success. In this excerpt from David Baker: A Legacy in Music, Lissa May discusses the impact of the Indianapolis music scene and Baker's high school on his musical career.

Read excerpt

IU Press podcast with David Baker and Monika Herzig

In addition to these two profiles of prominent African American jazz musicians, another one of our books looks at a small town record studio with a big place in jazz history. Gennett Records in Richmond, IN, was the site of many historic firsts for African American jazz musicians, including the first interracial recording with Jelly Roll Morton and the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, and Louis Armstrong's first recording with King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. Author Rick Kennedy traces the colorful history of one of America's most innovative record companies in his newly revised and expanded edition of Jelly Roll, Bix, and Hoagy.

Read excerpt

Book trailer

Our Black History Month series concludes tomorrow with reading selections from our African American and African studies journals.

Related articles

Reading selections for Black History Month: Part 1, Race in America

Podcast: David Baker - A Legacy in Music

Book review: Idolized

"While contributing to the widening field of ethno-musicological popular music studies, Idolized reminds us of music's ability to contribute to the construction and outward expression of our personal, community, and national identities." —Notes