Ronnie Gilbert

Ronnie Gilbert
Author: Ronnie Gilbert
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 311
Release: 2015-10-02
Genre: Music
ISBN: 0520962443

Ronnie Gilbert had a long and colorful career as a singer, actor, playwright, therapist, and independent woman. Her lifelong work for political and social change was central to her role as a performer. Raised in Depression-era New York City by leftist, working-class, secular Jewish parents, Gilbert is best known as a member of the Weavers, the quartet of the 1950s and '60s that survived the blacklist and helped popularize folk music in America. Her joyous contralto and vibrant stage presence enriched the celebrated group and propelled Gilbert into a second singing career with Holly Near in the 1980s and '90s. As an actor, Gilbert explored developmental theater with Joseph Chaikin and Peter Brook and wrote and performed in ensemble and solo productions across the United States and Canada. Ronnie Gilbert brings the political, artistic, and social issues of the era alive through song lyrics and personal stories, traversing sixty years of collaborations in life and art that span the folk revival, the Cold War blacklist, primal therapy, the back-to-the-land movement, and a rich, multigenerational family story. Much more than a memoir, Ronnie Gilbert is a unique and engaging historical document for readers interested in music, theater, American politics, the women’s movement, and left-wing activism.

Wasn't That a Time

Wasn't That a Time
Author: Jesse Jarnow
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Total Pages: 379
Release: 2018-11-06
Genre: History
ISBN: 0306902052

The dramatic untold story of the Weavers, the hit-making folk-pop quartet destroyed with the aid of the United States government -- and who changed the world, anyway Following a series of top-ten hits that became instant American standards, the Weavers dissolved at the height of their fame. Wasn't That a Time: The Weavers, the Blacklist, and the Battle for the Soul of America details the remarkable rise of Pete Seeger's unlikely band of folk heroes, from basement hootenannies to the top of the charts, and the harassment campaign that brought them down. Exploring how a pop group's harmonies might be heard as a threat worthy of decades of investigation by the FBI, Wasn't That a Time turns the black-and-white 1950s into vivid color, using the Weavers to illuminate a dark and complex period of American history. With origins in the radical folk collective the Almanac Singers and the ambitious People's Songs, the singing activists in the Weavers set out to change the world with songs as their weapons, pioneering the use of music as a transformative political organizing tool. Using previously unseen journals and letters, unreleased recordings, once-secret government documents, and other archival research, Jesse Jarnow uncovers the immense hopes, incredible pressures, and daily struggles of the four distinct and often unharmonious personalities at the heart of the Weavers. In an era defined by a sharp political divide that feels all too familiar, the Weavers became heroes. With a class -- and race -- conscious global vision that now makes them seem like time travelers from the twenty-first century, the Weavers became a direct influence on a generation of musicians and listeners, teaching the power of eclectic songs and joyous, participatory harmonies.

The Folk Singers and the Bureau

The Folk Singers and the Bureau
Author: Aaron Leonard
Publisher: Watkins Media Limited
Total Pages: 311
Release: 2020-09-08
Genre: History
ISBN: 1913462013

The first book to document the efforts of the FBI against the most famous American folk singers of the mid-twentieth century, including Woody Guthrie, 'Sis Cunningham, Pete Seeger, Lee Hays and Burl Ives. Some of the most prominent folk singers of the twentieth century, including Woody Guthrie, 'Sis Cunningham, Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Burl Ives, etc., were also political activists with various associations with the American Communist Party. As a consequence, the FBI, along with other governmental and right-wing organizations, were monitoring them, keeping meticulous files running many thousands of pages, and making (and carrying out) plans to purge them from the cultural realm. In The Folk Singers and the Bureau, Aaron J Leonard draws on an unprecedented array of declassified documents and never before released files to shed light on the interplay between left-wing folk artists and their relationship with the American Communist Party, and how it put them in the US government's repressive cross hairs. At a time of increasing state surveillance and repression, The Folk Singers and the Bureau shows how the FBI and other governmental agencies have attempted to shape and repress American culture.

The Commissions

The Commissions
Author: Paul Madonna
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
Total Pages: 575
Release: 2023-09-05
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1513139290

Get ready for a rollicking and irresistible new mystery from award-winning artist and author Paul Madonna Amsterdam, 2019—following the conclusion of Come to Light. Former rock star turned artist Emit Hopper’s life has taken yet another strange turn. His old friend, the legendary San Francisco private detective Ronnie Gilbert, is dead, and his killer has just been acquitted. But when a disheveled acquaintance from Ronnie’s past walks into Emit’s shop, a puzzling mystery resurfaces, twenty years cold. We’re transported back to San Francisco, 1999, to when Emit and Ronnie first met. Emit has returned to taking commissions drawing people’s houses, only to be strong-armed by a shady police lieutenant into acting as her off-the-books spy. On top of that, a strange young woman claiming to be his daughter refuses to leave him alone. From there unfolds an intricate tale of corruption and murder that leads to an explosive scandal, with consequences that, two decades hence, are finally revealed. From the world of the Emit Hopper Mysteries series, The Commissions kicks off the origin story of what promises to be an unforgettable new eccentric detective, Ronnie Gilbert. In a mystery filled with suspense and surprises around every corner, Paul Madonna delivers a rich and captivating portrait of San Francisco in the last days before the turn of the millennium, brought to life by one hundred of his signature pen-and-ink drawings.

An Army of Lovers

An Army of Lovers
Author: Jamie Anderson
Publisher: Bella Books
Total Pages: 456
Release: 2019-10-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1642471593

In California, a month before the Stonewall Riots in 1969, Maxine Feldman penned a song, “Angry Atthis,” about the shame surrounding lesbians. She didn’t know where she was going to sing her new song until comedy duo Harrison and Tyler asked her to open their shows. On the other side of the country and three years later, Alix Dobkin released Lavender Jane Loves Women, the first record produced, engineered and played by women. Maxine and Alix had no business plan. They didn’t fit the mold set by mainstream music but they saw great potential to create a powerful soundtrack for women claiming their place as lesbians and feminists. A myriad of musicians joined them, from a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock, to singer-songwriter Cris Williamson, to activist/singer Holly Near, to jazz/classical/gospel performer Mary Watkins and many more; collectively they have sold millions of albums. Venues, radio shows, record distributors, and sound technicians sprung up to host and work with these musicians. Grateful fans traveled hundreds of miles to attend performances. These women (and a few men) created artist-run independent record labels—perhaps the first in history—and organized music festivals that drew thousands and still exist today. Before Lilith Fair and riot grrrls, there was women’s music! “I stood in those crowds, sang along with Meg Christian and Casse Culver and women who played rock & roll and bluegrass and all the music that echoed in my bloodstream. Jamie Anderson has caught the lightning and put it on the page.” – Dorothy Allison

Singing Out

Singing Out
Author: David King Dunaway
Publisher: OUP USA
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2010-04-14
Genre: History
ISBN: 0195378342

An oral history of North American folk music revivals that draws on more than 150 interviews to explore the musical, political, and social aspects of the folk revival movement.

Rising Son

Rising Son
Author: Hank Reineke
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Total Pages: 497
Release: 2023-11-07
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0806193581

One of America’s most beloved folk singers, Arlo Guthrie was at the pinnacle of his fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his best-selling album Alice’s Restaurant and his iconic appearance at Woodstock. Yet Guthrie’s career as a musician, humorist, and storyteller extends far beyond his years in the celebrity spotlight. Rising Son: The Life and Music of Arlo Guthrie, written by award-winning author Hank Reineke, recounts the veteran musician’s second act, from the early 1980s to the present. Featuring extensive reflections and commentary from Guthrie himself, this book is the only authorized biography of the renowned folk singer. As a modern-day troubadour drawn to experimentation, Arlo Guthrie has also carried forward the traditions inherited from his legendary father, Woody Guthrie. Rising Son examines Arlo’s role in preserving Woody’s legacy of social protest and examines his collaborations with his father’s friend Pete Seeger. The book also highlights the contributions of Guthrie’s mother, Marjorie Mazia Guthrie, a dancer with the Martha Graham Company and the Guthrie family’s first archivist. Drawing on substantial research, the author traces Guthrie’s efforts to free himself from corporate oversight of his music and art. In 1983, Guthrie created his own label, Rising Son Records, to reissue titles from his back catalog and create new music. Guthrie speaks frankly about record company blues and music industry tangles, offering lively accounts of the people he met and the places he performed. The narrative takes several detours, with Guthrie sharing memories written in the spirt of his signature shaggy-dog storytelling style. Rising Son also illuminates the spiritual journey of a restless pilgrim: a man devoted to exploring and synthesizing the most benevolent principles of charity and kindness as practiced by different religious traditions. “What I’ve tried to do,” Guthrie has reflected, “is to use live music to change people’s lives.” This definitive biography invites new appreciation for Arlo Guthrie’s remarkable career as a musician, storyteller, and humanitarian activist.

Queer Country

Queer Country
Author: Shana Goldin-Perschbacher
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Total Pages: 199
Release: 2022-03-22
Genre: Music
ISBN: 0252053222

A Variety Best Music Book of 2022 A No Depression Most Memorable Music Book of 2022 A Library Journal Best Arts and Humanities Book of 2022 A Pitchfork Best Music Book of 2022 A Boot Best Music Book of 2022 A Ticketmaster Best Music Book of 2022 A Happy Magazine Best Music Book of 2022 Though frequently ignored by the music mainstream, queer and transgender country and Americana artists have made essential contributions as musicians, performers, songwriters, and producers. Queer Country blends ethnographic research with analysis and history to provide the first in-depth study of these artists and their work. Shana Goldin-Perschbacher delves into the careers of well-known lesbian artists like k.d. lang and Amy Ray and examines the unlikely success of singer-songwriter Patrick Haggerty, who found fame forty years after releasing the first out gay country album. She also focuses on later figures like nonbinary transgender musician Rae Spoon and renowned drag queen country artist Trixie Mattel; and on recent breakthrough artists like Orville Peck, Amythyst Kiah, and chart-topping Grammy-winning phenomenon Lil Nas X. Many of these musicians place gender and sexuality front and center even as it complicates their careers. But their ongoing efforts have widened the circle of country/Americana by cultivating new audiences eager to connect with the artists’ expansive music and personal identities. Detailed and one-of-a-kind, Queer Country reinterprets country and Americana music through the lives and work of artists forced to the margins of the genre's history.

Come to Light

Come to Light
Author: Paul Madonna
Publisher: Graphic Arts Books
Total Pages: 542
Release: 2020-10-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1513264273

From award-winning artist and author Paul Madonna comes an electrifying mystery novel full of unexpected plot twists, lively characters, and over one hundred lush drawings. Presented in an innovative three-volume boxed set, Come to Light is a gripping page-turner that weaves an intoxicating tale of love, murder, books and art. Featured as a CrimeReads "Daily Thrill" "Almost any book is sure to please the bookish, but a book that can pique the interest of bibliophiles is as precious as a padparadscha sapphire. Here are some such gems. . . Artist and author Paul Madonna pens a mystery novel full of unexpected plot twists and lively characters accompanied by more than 100 strikingly rendered drawings that bring this novel to life. This tale of love, murder, books, and art is presented in a three-volume box set." --Publishers Weekly, Holiday Gift Guide (Illustrated Books) "Blown away by Paul Madonna's new book Come to Light. [Madonna] blends a mystery novel with his usual stunning artwork--highly recommended." --Mike Krieger, co-founder and former CTO of Instagram Come to Light is a fresh and original mystery with an unusual detective: Emit Hopper, a former rock star turned author and artist. Six years ago, Emit's wife, Julia, went missing. Now the remains of her two hiking companions have been found buried in the California wilderness. But the discovery raises more questions than answers, so with his love for classic detective books and rye whiskey, Emit sets out across Europe chasing down clues, sketchbook in hand. Quickly, Emit finds himself embroiled in a plot far larger than he could have imagined: he becomes a target of a State Department investigation, gets entangled in an international ring of art thefts, and discovers his own artwork stolen. He meets an exuberant French nobleman, a murderous five-year-old, and a bohemian Roman heiress. From the Venice Biennale to the flooding of Piazza Navona, you'll find yourself laughing, gasping, and drawing right alongside Emit as he travels through some of the most beautiful regions of Europe, unraveling a suspense-filled and surprisingly tangled mystery. Replete with strikingly rendered drawings that bring this exquisite and intriguing novel to life, Come to Light is the thrilling follow-up to the adventures of Emit Hopper, which debuted in Close Enough for the Angels.

Folk City

Folk City
Author: Stephen Petrus
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2015-06-08
Genre: Music
ISBN: 0190231041

From Washington Square Park and the Gaslight Café to WNYC Radio and Folkways Records, New York City's cultural, artistic, and commercial assets helped to shape a distinctively urban breeding ground for the folk music revival of the 1950s and 60s. Folk City explores New York's central role in fueling the nationwide craze for folk music in postwar America. It involves the efforts of record company producers and executives, club owners, concert promoters, festival organizers, musicologists, agents and managers, editors and writers - and, of course, musicians and audiences. In Folk City, authors Stephen Petrus and Ron Cohen capture the exuberance of the times and introduce readers to a host of characters who brought a new style to the biggest audience in the history of popular music. Among the savvy New York entrepreneurs committed to promoting folk music were Izzy Young of the Folklore Center, Mike Porco of Gerde's Folk City, and John Hammond of Columbia Records. While these and other businessmen developed commercial networks for musicians, the performance venues provided the artists space to test their mettle. The authors portray Village coffee houses not simply as lively venues but as incubators of a burgeoning counterculture, where artists from diverse backgrounds honed their performance techniques and challenged social conventions. Accessible and engaging, fresh and provocative, rich in anecdotes and primary sources, Folk City is lavishly illustrated with images collected for the accompanying major exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York in 2015.