Memphis Rent Party: The Blues, Rock & Soul in Music's Hometown
by Robert Gordon
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The fabled city of Memphis has been essential to American music--home of the blues, the birthplace of rock and roll, a soul music capital. We know the greatest hits, but celebrated author Robert Gordon takes us to the people and places history has yet to record. A Memphis native, he whiles away time in a crumbling duplex with blues legend Furry Lewis, stays up late with barrelhouse piano player Mose Vinson, and sips homemade whiskey at Junior Kimbrough's churning house parties. A passionate show more listener, he hears modern times deep in the grooves of old records by Lead Belly and Robert Johnson. The interconnected profiles and stories in Memphis Rent Party convey more than a region. Like mint seeping into bourbon, Gordon gets into the wider world. He beholds the beauty of mistakes with producer Jim Dickinson (Replacements, Rolling Stones), charts the stars with Alex Chilton (Box Tops, Big Star), and mulls the tragedy of Jeff Buckley's fatal swim. Gordon's Memphis inspires Cat Power, attracts Townes Van Zandt, and finds James Carr always singing at the dark end of the street. A rent party is when friends come together to hear music, dance, and help a pal through hard times; it's a celebration in the face of looming tragedy, an optimism when the wolf is at the door. Robert Gordon finds mystery in the mundane, inspiration in the bleakness, and revels in the individualism that connects these diverse encounters. show lessTags
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41 works; 1 member
Author Information
17 Works 674 Members
Robert Gordon has written for major publications in the U.S. and England, and has contributed to several books. He produced the Al green CD box set, "Anthology", for which his liner notes were Grammy nominated. As a filmmaker, he directed the award-winning blues documentary "All Day and All Night", and his music video work has appeared on MTV, show more BET, and CMT. He is the author of a forthcoming biography of Muddy Waters, and director of the companion documentary. He lives in Memphis with his wife and two daughters. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Genres
- Music, Nonfiction, History, Biography & Memoir, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 781.6409768 — Arts & recreation Music General principles and musical forms Traditions of music Western popular music {equally instrumental and vocal} Biography And History North America
- LCC
- ML3477.8 .M46 .G69 — Music Literature on music Literature on music History and criticism Popular music
- BISAC
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- 41
- Popularity
- 716,570
- Rating
- (3.25)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 1
