A richly illustrated history of America's musical heritage ranges from the earliest examples of Native American traditional song and the sacred music of early settlers to the innovative sound of contemporary rock and jazz as it documents a diverse array of musical styles and the contributions of such legendary musicians as Charles Ives, George Gershwin, and Duke Ellington, among others.

America's Musical Life: A History

Arts & Photography

Crawford, Richard

Music

W.W. Norton & Co., Inc.

The life of a beloved American composer reflected through his music, writings, and letters.
New York City native and gifted pianist George Gershwin blossomed as an accompanist before his talent as a songwriter opened the way to Broadway, where he fashioned his own brand of American music. He composed a long run of musical comedies, many with his brother Ira as lyricist, but his aspirations reached beyond commercial success.
A lifetime learner, Gershwin was able to appeal to listeners on both sides of the purported popular-classical divide. In 1924―when he was just twenty-five―he bridged that gap with his first instrumental composition, Rhapsody in Blue, an instant classic premiered by Paul Whiteman’s jazz orchestra, as the anchor of a concert entitled “An Experiment in Modern Music.”
From that time forward his work as a composer, pianist, and citizen of the Jazz Age made him in some circles a leader on America’s musical scene. The late1920s found him extending the range of the shows he scored to include the United Kingdom, and he published several articles to reveal his thinking about a range of musical matters. Moreover, having polished his skills as an orchestrator, he pushed boundaries again in 1935 with the groundbreaking folk opera, Porgy and Bess―his magnum opus.
Gershwin’s talent and warmth made him a presence in New York’s musical and social circles (and linked him romantically with pianist-composer Kay Swift). In 1936 he and Ira moved west to write songs for Hollywood. Their work was cut short, however, when George developed a brain tumor and died at thirty-eight, a beloved American artist.
Drawing extensively from letters and contemporaneous accounts, acclaimed music historian Richard Crawford traces the arc of Gershwin’s remarkable life, seamlessly blending colorful anecdotes with a discussion of Gershwin’s unforgettable oeuvre. His days on earth were limited to the summertime of life. But the spirit and inventive vitality of the music he left behind lives on. 8 pages of photographs

Summertime: George Gershwin's Life in Music

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

W.W.Norton&Company

"A superb, all-encompassing survey of music in America." ―Kirkus Reviews When it comes to American music, America's Musical Life is "the best one-volume history yet on the subject for musicians and enthusiasts, professional or amateur" (Kirkus Reviews). "Well-researched and sensitively constructed" (Library Journal) and "a book that welcomes the reader, who is happy to keep returning for more" (Music Library Association Notes), America's Musical Life tells the story of American music making in rich detail. In chronicling American music's bountiful heritage, this "superb book presents the whole sweep of U.S. cultivated and traditional music―from 16th-century Native American music through late 20th-century hiphop culture." A substantial cultural achievement, "this definitive history of music in the U.S. is sure to delight music aficionados and history buffs alike, and is a must for anyone interested in what music has meant to America and what America has meant to music" (Publishers Weekly). 200 illustrations

W.W.Norton

Review\n"Crawford’s Summertime gives as close a glimpse of [Gershwin’s] productivity as can be imagined." 
― Geoffrey O’Brien, New York Review of Books\n"Balancing massively rich research with detailed yet always lucid analysis and a master’s knack for storytelling, Crawford… makes Gershwin and his music both come alive afresh." 
― Larry Stempel, author of Showtime: A History of the Broadway Musical Theater, professor of music and American Studies, Fordham University\n“Elegant and authoritative.” ―Thomas Brothers, author of Help!: The Beatles, Duke Ellington, and the Magic of Collaboration 
New York City native and gifted pianist George Gershwin (1898–1937) blossomed as an accompanist before his talent as a songwriter opened the way to Broadway, where he composed a long run of musical comedies, many with his brother Ira as lyricist. But his aspirations reached beyond commercial success. Appealing to listeners on both sides of the purported popular-classical divide, his first instrumental composition, Rhapsody in Blue, was an instant classic. He pushed boundaries again a decade later with the groundbreaking folk opera, Porgy and Bess―his magnum opus. In 1936, he and Ira moved west to write songs for Hollywood, but their work was cut short when George developed a brain tumor. He died at thirty-eight, a beloved artist who had fashioned his own brand of American music. Drawing extensively from letters and contemporaneous accounts, acclaimed music historian Richard Crawford traces the arc of Gershwin’s remarkable life, seamlessly blending colorful anecdotes with a celebration of his unforgettable music-making.

Introduction To America's Music

Hamberlin, Larry

An ear-opening exploration of music's New World, from Puritan psalmody to Hamilton Authors Richard Crawford and Larry Hamberlin use 90 pieces to show how the lively interactions among the folk, popular, and classical spheres have made American music resonate with audiences around the world. Along the way, students gain a clearer understanding of music's role in the history of American society, business, and technology.

An Introduction to America's Music

An ear-opening exploration of music’s New World, from Puritan psalmody to mash-ups. Richard Crawford and Larry Hamberlin show how the lively interactions between the folk, popular, and classical spheres have made American music resonate with audiences around the world. Students will learn how to listen critically to eighty-eight pieces in all the major styles and genres, while gaining a clearer understanding of music's role in the history of American society, business, and technology.

An Introduction to America's Music (Second Edition)

An Introduction to America’s Music tells the fascinating story of music in the United States, from the sacred music of its earliest days to the jazz and rock that enliven the turn of the millennium. Beginning with the music of Native Americans and continuing with traditions introduced by European colonizers and Africans brought here as slaves, the book reveals how this bountiful heritage was developed and enhanced in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to produce the music we hear today.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Crawford, Richard. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Crawford, Richard

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Crawford, Richard. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

America's Musical Life: A History

Summertime: George Gershwin's Life in Music

America's Musical Life: A History

Summertime: George Gershwin's Life in Music

Introduction To America's Music

An Introduction to America's Music

An Introduction to America's Music (Second Edition)

An Introduction to America's Music

An Introduction to America's Music

An Introduction to America's Music