[78-L] books on western swing

[Peter Schow]

On Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 02:59:12PM -0500, Bill McClung wrote:
> Solid information about western swing can also be found in cd booklets
> particularly when done by Kevin Coffey and Phillip Tricker.  Some examples
> are from Wanderers Swing; Texas Dance Hall Music (Krazy Kat 11), Diggin':
> Hot, Small Label Texas Swing 1946-1955 (KK 24), Seven Come Eleven: Texas
> Swing on Radio & TV, 1946-1964 (KK31), and Leon McAuliffe: Tulsa Straight
> Ahead (Bear Family.)
> 
> Here's some other books on western swing but none are all that good.  "Jazz
> of the Southwest" by Jean Boyd (Univ Texas Press) is oral history without
> very much verification through second sources or consulting the historical
> record.   "Lone Star Swing" by Duncan McLean (Norton) is more travel log
> than history and is not very successful in telling the story he tried to
> tell.  

You'd likely have to add Charles Townsend's Bob Wills bio "San Antonio Rose"
to this list. (Townsend will also be appearing on the WKCR WS festival, on
Sunday).  I know that this book is in partial contention with Cary's 
Milton Brown bio, but it definitely belongs on any WS reading list.

Agree with you about "Lone Star Swing".  It starts with an earnest premise
but he clearly tries too hard to be funny and snide, and it backfires.