Reference Reviews

Lawrence Looks at Books

Icons of R & B and Soul: An Encyclopedia of the Artists Who Revolutionized Rhythm. Bob Gulla. 2 vols. 527p. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2008. 978-0-313-34044-4; 2007-40518. $175.

In the changing social climate that followed the Second World War in the United States, record executives at RCA Victor coined the name “blues and rhythm” to describe what they had previously marketed to black audiences as “race music.” Shortly afterwards, Billboard journalist Jerry Wexler reversed the terms when creating his charts of popular music sales. “Rhythm and blues” encompassed a variety of musical forms from the jump blues of Louis Jordan and Big Joe Turner to piano-based boogie-woogie. In contrast to more traditional Delta blues, these styles were often intended as dance music with strong backbeats and lyrics expressing positive messages. Increased industry attention and new labels permitted the output of a growing number of black artists to reach a wider audience. In the course of time, their efforts would dramatically influence the evolution of mainstream popular music from big band to rock and roll. In the meantime, the work of Fats Domino, Little Richard and James Brown would help define both musical movements. This biographical dictionary examines the innovations of 24 R & B artists. From Ray Charles to Prince, the detailed entries intimately describe the lives, backgrounds, careers and contributions of some of the most influential figures in the creation of R & B music. The extended essays capture not only the details of personal lives but also the distinctive creative processes involved in composing, performing and recording music. Inevitably, the discussion also embraces a number of genres from early rock and roll to soul, disco and funk. The scope includes individual performers as well as prominent groups. Also highlighted are the studio efforts of the architects the Philadelphia sound, the producing team of Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and Thom Bell. The contributions of women are documented in articles on Ruth Brown, LaVern Baker, Etta James, Tina Turner, the Supremes, Dusty Springfield and Aretha Franklin. Each entry includes a selective discography and suggestions for further reading. Numerous sidebars feature related artists, music companies, songs and selected issues. With space necessarily limiting coverage, users may also want to examine the publisher’s Icons of Rock (Greenwood, 2008) for the more guitar-based rock and roll. See also, Icons of Hip Hop (Greenwood, 2007) for the related development of rap and hip hop music.
—John R.M. Lawrence