New History of American and Canadian Folk Music

Dick Weissman's A New History of American and Canadian Folk Music explores the history, evolution, and current status of folk music in the United States and Canada, highlighting its popularity in the late 1950s and its fragmentation into various styles. It also examines the pop-folk revival of the 1960s and the quest for authenticity in the music.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 05 September 2019
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Dick Weissman's "A New History of American and Canadian Folk Music" presents a compelling exploration of the history, evolution, and current status of folk music in the United States and Canada. The book builds on Weissman's earlier work, "Which Side Are You On?" published in 2006. In the late 1950s, North American folk music achieved widespread popularity, but it faced challenges when it was replaced by various forms of rock music. This led to a fragmentation of the genre into numerous musical styles, with artists being celebrated or rejected for popularizing the music to a mass audience. The pop-folk revival of the 1960s saw a renewed interest in traditional music, with artists exploring the quest for authenticity. This quest has led to endless explorations of what is or is not faithful to the original concept of traditional music. Weissman's book examines the history of folk music into the 21st century and how it evolved from an agrarian style as it became increasingly urbanized. As a scholar-performer, Weissman is uniquely qualified to examine the many controversies and musical evolutions of the music, including a detailed discussion of the quest for authenticity and how various musicians, critics, and fans have defined that pursuit.

Weight: 560g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501344145