QUOTES FROM THE ROAD

Mugge presents a glorious oral history of American music and musicians.

In the tradition of the late, great Studs Terkel, this collection rests on a simple axiom: Let the people speak. The results are a cross-sectional smorgasbord of reflections, interviews, meditations, exclamations, and heartfelt stories of musical artists hailing from the Deep South, Appalachia, and the Midwest, among other locales. These words come straight from the mouths of famous people who’ve played the blues, jazz, zydeco, bluegrass, soul, R&B, funk, and other genres or subgenres (yes, polka is represented as well). As music critic Aidan Levy explains in the foreword, “Music historians and ethnomusicologists interpret the past, but when artists are allowed to tell their own story, we move closer to emotional truth.” To that end, readers hear from sonic luminaries as varied as Dr. John, Sun Ra, Gil Scott-Heron, Al Green, Rubén Blades, Alison Krauss, Buckwheat Zydeco, Sonny Rollins, and others interviewed by Mugge, an experienced documentarian of American music. The book tackles a wide range of subjects, from musical influences to various aspects of songwriting and recording, alone or with collaborators; it also covers touring, jamming, and even marketing. The quote-based format opens up a feeling of dialogue between speakers and readers, who will easily make associations between different entries—who played live with whom, or who shared space in Austin, say, or New Orleans, only to reunite again later in Chicago. The book is a pleasure to read straight through, but it may also be a valuable reference for music students. Although music criticism has its place in the discourse, it’s a refreshing choice to simply let musicians hold forth about their craft, which is all about human connection; as drummer Ben Sandmel puts it, “If people are moving, we feel we’ve done our job.”

A comprehensive cultural appreciation for music lovers.