I just finished re-reading "Jazzmen," edited by Frederic Ramsey and Charles Smith. A great collection if you're into the early development of Jazz in New Orleans and its movement to St. Louis, Chicago, and New York.
The one article that I think might be of interest here is not about any special aspect of the music or its connection to the blues, but one on collecting old 78s. The article was written sometime in the late 1930s. It's obvious that already there was a small army of people canvassing neighborhoods and pawn shops for rare finds. Some good tongue-in-cheek humor, and some personality types that I think y'all will recognize.
http://www.shellac.org/wams/wcollct1.htmlLindy
