Other books of interest to collectors

A list of other useful reference books which deal with vintage popular music

this page first published by John Wright, 20 May 1997
last update 28 Oct 2012vintage@r2ok.co.uk

E-mail me if you know a good book to add to this list


On this page I have listed more recommended books, for the vintage music fan, and some of them can be ordered today through Booksellers including Amazon.com and others on the Internet.

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More Books

  1. A Modest Maestro - biography of Lew Stone
    A new book written by Tony Staveacre, the most detailed biography of this important British band leader, is obtainable from http://www.lewstone.co.uk



  2. British Dance Bands published by This England Ltd.
    A who's who of famous British dance band leaders of the 78rpm era. Contains detailed chapters on the top 30 band leaders and a further 300 brief biographies of personalities in the British music scene during the 20's to the 50's. 275 pictures (b & w). ISBN 0906324254

    There is now a second volume with detailed articles on the dance band vocalists and the lesser-known dance bands, ISBN 0906324378.
    Orders can be sent to This England, Alma House, 73 Rodney Road, Cheltenham Glos. GL50 1HT or telephone order 01242-515156.
    Check out the website This England for the current prices and p&p costs.

  3. Goodnight Sweetheart, Life and Times of Al Bowlly
    Written by Ray Pallett, this is the best biography of the popular vocalist from the dance band era, with many photographs and a full listing of Bowlly's recordings by song title.
    Published in 1986 by Spellmount Ltd., ISBN 0-946771-60-X, this book is no longer available from Memory Lane magazine, or the author, Ray Pallett.

  4. >Black Beauty, White Heat: A Pictorial History of Classic Jazz 1920-1950 by Frank Driggs, Harris Lewine (contributor), Paul Bacon (Introduction). 360 pages (1996).
    You can order Black Beauty, White Heat Today! from Amazon.com
    You can order Black Beauty, White Heat Today! from Amazon.co.uk

  5. Jelly Roll, Bix, and Hoagy : Gennett Studios and the Birth of Recorded Jazz by Rick Kennedy, Steve Allen (1994)
    You can order Jelly Roll, Bix, and Hoagy Today! from Amazon.com
    You can order Jelly Roll, Bix, and Hoagy Today! from Amazon.co.uk

  6. A Century of Jazz : From Blues to Bop, Swing to Hiphop - A Hundred Years of Music, Musicians, Singers and Styles by Roy Carr, 256 pages (1997)
    You can order A Century of Jazz Today! from Amazon.com
    You can order A Century of Jazz Today! from Amazon.co.uk

  7. The History of Jazz by Ted Gioia, 448 pages, (1997)
    You can order The History of Jazz Today! from Amazon.com

  8. Sylvester Ahola-The Gloucester Gabriel
    written by Dick Hill. Published in 1993 by Scarecrow Press Inc. and the Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers-State University of New Jersey.
    ISBN 0-8108-2625-9.
    Excellent biography of the American jazz trumpeter who made most of his recordings with British dance bands. This book includes many personal accounts from 'Hooley' and for the record collector there is an excellently detailed discography.

  9. Lew Stone: A Career In Music by Kenith Trodd, published by Joyce Stone (1971)
    an interesting book, rather like a scrapbook of Lew's career, but containing also a full discography and filmography of the important British bandleader whose career spanned 1920's - 1960's.

  10. The Chronicle of Jazz by Mervyn Cook. Hardcover 256 pages (1997), Thames and Hudson; ISBN: 0500018103
    You can order The Chronicle of Jazz Today! from Amazon.co.uk

  11. Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians by Virginia Waring. University of Illinois Press 1997. Just over 400 pages + CD. Written by Fred's wife, this is a detailed record of the man and his music.

  12. The Billie Holiday Companion by Leslie Gourse. Paperback 240 pages (1997) Omnibus Press, ISBN: 0711965242

  13. The Best of Jazz by Humphrey Lyttleton. Paperback (rev.1998) Robson Books Ltd; ISBN: 1861051875
    You can order The Best of Jazz Today! from Amazon.co.uk

  14. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz by Barry Kernfeld. Hardcover 1392 pages (1994) Macmillan Press; ISBN: 0333632311
    You can order The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz Today! from Amazon.co.uk

  15. Blues by Keith Shadwick. Hardcover 352 pages, (1998). Apple Press; ISBN: 1850769605
    You can order Blues Today! from Amazon.co.uk

  16. Storyville Publications have published an extensive list of books on jazz and jazz records.
    Write to Laurie Wright, 66 Fairview Drive, Chigwell, Essex IG7 6HS

  17. Edwin Matthias reports there are two books of interest to collectors of Bing Crosby records:
    J. Roger Osterholm's Bing Crosby : a bio-bibliography (Greenwood Press, 1994). Includes discography, filmography, radiography, videography, bibliography and index.
    Timothy A. Morgereth's Bing Crosby : A discography, radio program list and filmography (McFarland & Co., 1987).

  18. Steve Abrams reports : there are two books useful to the collector of early Country & Western and Hillbilly music on 78rpm:
    1.Virginia's Blues, Country & Gospel Records by Kip Lornell.
    2.Decca Hillbily Discography, by Cary Ginnell, Greenwood Press 1989

  19. The Dance Bands by Brian Rust

  20. The Dance Band Era by Albert McCarthy.

  21. History of Jazz in Britain, 1919-1950
    written by Jim Godbolt (1984)
    An excellent history of jazz and hot dance music in Britain in the 78 era.

    You can order History of Jazz in Britain, 1919-1950 Today! from Amazon.com

  22. And The Bands Played On by Sid Colin (1977) ISBN 241895898
    well-illustated and well-informed account of the dance band days in Britain

  23. Bix: Man and Legend by Richard M. Sudhalter and Philip R. Evans, with William Dean-Myatt, Schirmer Books (New York), the first edition was published in 1974. This wonderful book contains a fully detailed listing of all Bix Beiderbecke's recordings.
    Note: a new edition is now available from booksellers.

  24. King Joe Oliver story of the influential cornet player, by Walter C. Allen and Brian Rust, 224 pp.

  25. Salute to Satchmo by Max Jones, John Chilton & Leonard Feather, published by IPC Press (1970).

  26. The Devil's Music by Giles Oakley. Story of the blues. published daCapo (1976, 1997).

  27. What's On The Wireless? by David Lazell (1989) ISBN 0906324122
    A glance back at the early days of broadcasting in Britain, 1920's - 1940's.

  28. Those Radio Times by Susan Briggs (1981) ISBN 029777929X
    well illustarated story of British broadcasting in the 20's and 30's

  29. My Record Of Music: Compton Mackenzie - life story and career in the early days of recording, the founder of the Gramophone Magazine.

  30. Laughter On Record - a comedy discography by Warren Debenham, 1988 Scarecrow Press

  31. Georgia On My Mind - the Nat Gonella story, published by Milestone (1985)

  32. Who's Who Of Jazz by John Chilton. There have been several editions since 1972

  33. Shining Trumpets- a History of Jazz by Rudi Blesh (1949, 1958)

  34. The Story of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band by H.O. Brunn (1960)

  35. Jazz Masters of the 1920's by Richard Hadlock (1974)

  36. Blues Who's Who by Sheldon Harris (1979)

  37. In Search of Buddy Bolden: First Man of Jazz by David M. Marquis (1978)

  38. Jazz In The Movies by David Meeker (1977)

  39. Songsters and Saints by Paul Oliver (1984)

  40. I Remember Jazz: Six Decades Among the Great Jazzmen by Al Rose (1987)

  41. Jazz on the Barbary Coast by Tom Stoddard (1982)

  42. The Thomas A. Edison Album, by L. A. Frost, 174 pages, has many beautiful photos.

  43. Collecting Nipper Memorabilia, by Ruth Edge & Len Petts, over 1000 pages, and 2000 photos.

  44. Juke Boxes, 1889-1993, by Frank Adams, 184 pages, colour, many unusual cylinder & disc models.

  45. Phono-Graphics: Talking Machine Paraphernalia, by A. Schwartzman, is in full colour, 120 pages.

  46. Menlo Park Reminiscences, by Francis Jehl.

  47. The Papers of Thomas A. Edison, ed. Reese Jenkins. Vol. 1: 776 pages; Vol. 2, to 1876, 892 pages; Vol. 3, to 1877, 752 pages.

  48. Picture the Songs: 19th Century American Sheet Music, by Lester Levy, history, colour, 214 pages.

  49. THE COMPLETE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF POPULAR MUSIC AND JAZZ 1900-1950
    by Roger D. Kinkle. There are four volumes in the set:-
    Volume 1: Music Year By Year 1900 - 1950
    Volume 2: Biographies A - K
    Volume 3: Biographies L - Z
    Volume 4: Indexes and Appendices
    This is considered one of THE reference sets for music collectors, and the full set was last published by Arlington House, Copyright 1974 ISBN 0-87000-229-5.
    I have news from Mike Beil that a new edition is apparently reprinting only two of the four volumes of the original set. The original Volumes 2 and 3 are the biographies, and those are the ones being reprinted. The other two volumes, Vol One which is the year-by-year volume, and Vol Four which is the index and the record company numericals, are not being reprinted. The updates are available separately for $47.50.
    Your library may be able to lend you a copies of the 1974 editions.


Booksellers

Where can you get these books ?

1. Amazon.com or Amazon.com.uk. In the list above those with Order Today! can indeed be ordered via their links. For the other books you can search Amazon.com or Amazon.com.uk by:

using the search links:

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Search by author, title, or a subject keyword.

Alternatively, these books may be available from some good record shops or book shops. Check with specialised shops listed in my 78rpm shops in UK page and my 78rpm shops in USA page, or you could contact any of the following booksellers:

  1. Eddie Baxter Books (UK) can get copies of any out-of-print titles. To try their Booksearch service contact Eddie Baxter, The Old Mill House, West Pennard, Somerset BA6 8ND

  2. Leisure Hour is a set-price sales magazine with usually around 300 items - lists of books on all musical subjects, discographies, catalogues, 78's, LP's, CD's.
    Subscription for 4 issues: UK £4, Europe £5, Airmail Zone 1 £6, Airmail Zone 2 £7.
    To: John R Wrigley, 185 The Wheel, Ecclesfield, Sheffield S35 9ZA
    Tel: 0114-246-0275. E-mail histrec@aol.com

  3. Allen Koenigsberg has a List of Phonograph Books for sale. Also check Allen's Booklist and Publications List for sale, of interest to the vintage music collector.

  4. G's Jazz, Inc. Rare and out of print jazz books, magazines, videos, memorabilia and LP recordings for sale to collectors. Inquiries welcome, 24 hour fax.
    Gary Alderman, P.O. Box 259164, Madison, WI 53725-9164 USA
    Phone: (608)274-3527, Fax: (608)277-1999
    Email: gjazz@mail.tds.net
    Visit website:http://www.artstech.com/gjazz

  5. America's premier 78 auctioneer also has a catalogue of books for sale
    Visit Nauck's webpage

  6. A & R Booksearch can supply popular music books spanning the last 125 years, biographies and discographies.
    Website: www.arbooks.com
    E-mail: sales@arbooks.com
    or Tel: (UK) 01503-220246, Fax: 01503-220965
    or write: A & R Booksearch, High Close, Winnock Cross, Lanreath, Looe, Cornwall PL13 2PF, UK

  7. Also try Abebooks, see website.

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