Topic: Sinful Tunes and Spirituals: Black Folk Music to the Civil War

[uncle bud]

Speaking of tracing spirituals and other black songs, has anyone here checked out this reissued book by Dena Epstein (who has just passed away)?

http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/77gne3kd9780252071508.html

[Mr.OMuck]

looks great, but a bit pricey


Actually...my library happens to be The Lincoln Center performing Arts Library..I'll see if they have it!

[uncle bud]

That's a reissued version with a new preface, so I presume there are older editions as well, though maybe not so easy to find.

[Bunker Hill]

Well worth the read. I only have the 1977 edition which contains a very comprehensive bibliography. UK price at the time ?6.95 which, for a paperback, probably was expensive.
 

[Stuart]

I checked OCLC--it looks like there are other titles by the author that may be of interest:

http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_bks&q=Dena+J.+Polacheck+Epstein&fq=dt%3Abks

 And as Andrew points out, there are several editions:

http://www.worldcat.org/title/sinful-tunes-and-spirituals-black-folk-music-to-the-civil-war/oclc/2929602/editions?referer=di&editionsView=true

[uncle bud]

BTW, there is a documentary about Dena Epstein's work on establishing the African/slave roots of the banjo called "The Librarian and the Banjo" with quite a few familiar faces.