The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #113081 Message #2400948
Posted By: Stewie
29-Jul-08 - 11:09 PM
Thread Name: Relationship between Folk & Country
Subject: RE: Relationship between Folk & Country
Country music received very little serious academic attention before the publication of the July-Sept 1965 issue of the Journal of American Folklore (Vol 78, No 309) - the 'hillbilly' issue. The relationship between folk and country is extensively covered in this issue of the journal. Archie Green's essay, 'Hillbilly Music: Source and Symbol' still stands as one of the best short overviews of the importance of commercial country music in the 20s and 30s as a significant reservoir of vernacular music. Other essays in the issue included Ed Kahn 'Hillbilly Music: Source and Resource', D.K. Wilgus 'An Introduction to the Study of Hillbilly Music' and Norm Cohen 'The Skillet Lickers: A Study of a Hillbilly String Band and Its Repertoire'. Today, there are shelves of books devoted to the the examination of 'traditional' country music in all its forms, but the JAF issue stands as a fine starting point for anyone interested in the subject.
--Stewie.
--Stewie.