Guide to musical America

"As stated in the Introduction, the purpose of this book is twofold: 'to present historic highlights of different styles of music as they developed in particular regions of the U.S. at various times; and to specify certain geographic locations where one may hear different styles of music today.' Regions covered are the Northeast, the South, the Midwest, the West, and the West Coast. Brief introductory essays discuss the development/growth of idioms (jazz, swing, classical, country and western as well as dance). . . . For example, there is an essay on the Northeast which begins with the Pilgrims and the influence of the Psalms and progresses to disco and rock in the 1970s. At the endof each regional section, a general map of the region and maps of its larger cities are annotated to show music halls, clubs, performing arts centers, etc. Each section also lists festivals by state."