Topic: I Feel So Good - The Life And Times Of Big Bill Broonzy

[Bunker Hill]

Lord knows how this will turn out but here's the table of contents and pagination. Please don't enquire how I obtained it. 

Preface vii
Acknowledgments xi
1 Swing Low, Sweet Chariot 1
2 My Name Is William Lee Conley Broonzy 6
3 When Will I Get to Be Called a Man? 21
4 Let's Go Away from Here! 39
5 "I'm Gonna Play This Guitar Tonight from A to Z!" 55
6 Serve It to Me Right 70
7 State Street Boys 83
8 Just a Dream 91
9 Big Bill and Josh Are Here to Play the Blues for You 98
10 Preachin' the Blues ia
11 Blues at Midnight 124
12 "That's the Nicest Guy I Ever Met in My Life" 139
13 Stranger in a Strange Land 147
14 Nourish Yourself on Big Bill 156
15 "Be Proud of What You Are!" 167
16 Too Many Isms 186
17 Low Light and Blue Smoke 204
18 "A Requiem for the Blues" 225
Epilogue 247
Afterword 257
Selected Discography 259
Bill on Film 263
Notes 265   
Index 307

[Bunker Hill]

This came in to me from Bob Riesman on an email circulation:

As many of you know, I've spent the last decade researching and writing a biography of blues musician Big Bill Broonzy. I'm pleased to report that I Feel So Good: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy will be published by the University of Chicago Press on May 1.

And I'm delighted to announce that the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago will present a "Tribute to Big Bill Broonzy" concert and book signing on Friday, June 17 at 8 pm. The lineup of superb musicians includes longtime Chicago bluesman Billy Boy Arnold with the Sanctified Grumblers, Mark Dvorak, Joe Filisko, the Pickin' Bubs, and more.

Billy Boy Arnold will be playing selections from Billy Boy Sings Big Bill, his upcoming CD on Electro-Fi, so it will be a rare chance to hear Big Bill Broonzy songs performed by someone who knew the man himself.

Here's a link to the concert listing on the OTS website:
 
http://www.oldtownschool.org/concerts/2011/6/17_broonzy.html
 
And if you'd like more information on I Feel So Good, here's a link to its page on the University of Chicago Press website:
 
http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/I/bo6701925.html
 
I hope to see as many of you as possible at the OTS concert - and please, tell your friends about it too! More events for I Feel So Good are in the works, so stay tuned...
 
Best,
Bob

[JohnLeePimp]

Sorry I ain't too brushed up in this subject... but didn't Big Bill write his own bio, or like tell it to some guy with a Swedishesque name... I remember reading that somewhere

[Bunker Hill]

Sorry I ain't too brushed up in this subject... but didn't Big Bill write his own bio, or like tell it to some guy with a Swedishesque name... I remember reading that somewhere

Indeed he did.

If you look here http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=60&topic=1637.0 you'll not only find a discussion of that book but also some biography Bill gave Art Hodes in 1946 which Hodes published in an issue of his magazine The Jazz Record. BBB was not adverse to telling folk about his life and times. 

[RobBob]

I got word this week that it was available early, and yesterday that is shipped.  i had pre-ordered it and locked in a "best price".  Will let you know when it comes in what I think of it.

[Bunker Hill]

Hey, this is good news. Thanks for the heads up.

[Bunker Hill]

Jeff Harris has a Big Bill Broonzy show this Sunday and I believe Bob Riesman is to be his guest.

http://sundayblues.org/

[jharris]

Jeff Harris has a Big Bill Broonzy show this Sunday and I believe Bob Riesman is to be his guest.

http://sundayblues.org/

Yes I'll be interviewing Bob during the second half of my show. He selected a batch of Broonzy songs and we're going to chat about the book and spin tunes. I'll post a link in a day or so for the interview (it's a live interview).

I've read an electronic version of the book (an uncorrected proof) and have no reservations in recommending it. Bob did a great job. For those who want an advance peak there's an excerpt in the latest Living Blues with some fantastic photos.

[jharris]

Here's the links for the Broonzy feature:

-Interview Segment: www.sundayblues.org/feeds/Bob-Riesman-Interview.mp3

-Full Show: www.sundayblues.org/feeds/brb_4.24.mp3

[RobBob]

Got my copy in the Saturday mail.  It looks great.  Can't wait to dig in.

[Bunker Hill]

Got my copy in the Saturday mail.  It looks great.  Can't wait to dig in.

If you are interested in such things the bibliography is only available as a download from here http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/riesman/riesman_bibliography.html

I suppose it cuts down on production cost.

[Stuart]

If you are interested in such things the bibliography is only available as a download from here http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/riesman/riesman_bibliography.html

I suppose it cuts down on production cost.

It's the way of the world and has been such for the last ten years or so. For those of us who view the body of the text, the notes, the bibliography, appendices, etc. as functioning as a complete whole, it is less than the ideal way to go. I know of a couple of people who changed presses just because of disagreements with the editors and publishers over this kind of thing. But the merchandising considerations of the publishers and booksellers have to be taken into account as nobody is in business to lose money. Even with subventions, some books are hard pressed to break even. But I digress...

I listened to Jeff's program last night. Thanks, Jeff! --for both doing the show and for posting the links. Recommended listening for all Big Bill fans.

Edited to add: I checked and my copy is on it's way from Amazon U.S.--time to pitch a tent out by the mailbox and order in sandwiches and coffee...

[dj]

If you are interested in such things the bibliography is only available as a download...

I can't imagine an intelligent reader of a serious biography who would not be interested in the bibliography. 

I was about to lament on the sad state of the modern world, but then realized that in 10 years, when the majority of nonfiction books are sold as eBooks (as is the case with fiction today) and the bibliography is just a few extra bits in a file, this trend will likely be reversed. 

 

[uncle bud]

If you are interested in such things the bibliography is only available as a download...

I can't imagine an intelligent reader of a serious biography who would not be interested in the bibliography. 

I was about to lament on the sad state of the modern world, but then realized that in 10 years, when the majority of nonfiction books are sold as eBooks (as is the case with fiction today) and the bibliography is just a few extra bits in a file, this trend will likely be reversed. 

Let's lament the sad state of the modern world. A university press not including an existing bibliography is pretty damn sad, IMO. Perhaps Bob Riesman should have tweeted his biography instead.

[Stuart]

Let's lament the sad state of the modern world. A university press not including an existing bibliography is pretty damn sad, IMO. Perhaps Bob Riesman should have tweeted his biography instead.

It is a sad state of affairs, but all too common. Used to be that the U press world stood for something--an ideal, a higher standard, but now I don't know what that something is.