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Urban History Review Revue d'histoire urbaine

Loza, Steven. Barrio Rhythm: Mexican American Music in Los Angeles. (Music in American Life Series). Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1993. Pp. xx, 320. Black and white illustrations, 13 musical transcriptions, bibliography, discography, index. $42.50 (US) (cloth), $16.95 (US) (paper) Tracy, Steven C. Going to Cincinnati: A History of in the Queen City. (Greater Cincinnati Bicentennial History Series). Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1993. Pp. xxxii, 262. Black and white illustrations, bibliography, interviews, discography, general index, song index. $29.95 (cloth) (US) Warren Gill

Volume 23, Number 2, March 1995

URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1016647ar DOI: https://doi.org/10.7202/1016647ar

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Cite this review Gill, W. (1995). Review of [Loza, Steven. Barrio Rhythm: Mexican American Music in Los Angeles. (Music in American Life Series). Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1993. Pp. xx, 320. Black and white illustrations, 13 musical transcriptions, bibliography, discography, index. $42.50 (US) (cloth), $16.95 (US) (paper) / Tracy, Steven C. Going to Cincinnati: A History of Blues in the Queen City. (Greater Cincinnati Bicentennial History Series). Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1993. Pp. xxxii, 262. Black and white illustrations, bibliography, interviews, discography, general index, song index. $29.95 (cloth) (US)]. Urban History Review / Revue d'histoire urbaine, 23(2), 65–66. https://doi.org/10.7202/1016647ar

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Loza, Steven. Barrio Rhythm: Mexican the present. This section contains ele• such as Andy Russell and Lalo Guerrero, American Music in Los Angeles. (Music ments of real interest, as well as repeti• and five more contemporary artists, in• in American Life Series). Urbana and tious passages that do not advance the cluding Los Lobos, are offered. Loza at• Chicago: University of Illinois Press, narrative. The difficulty is in separating a tempts to use the concepts of 1993. Pp. xx, 320. Black and white long chronicle of events from those that enculturation, the formation of style and illustrations, 13 musical transcriptions, are particularly relevant, e.g., the Zoot intercultural conflict to illuminate the eth• bibliography, discography, index. $42.50 Suit/Pachuco movement of the 1940s, nographic analysis. In questioning the (US) (cloth), $16.95 (US) (paper). the period of repatriation (1931-34) and role of intercultural conflict in the develop• the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and ment of a distinctive East LA musical Tracy, Steven C. Going to Cincinnati: A 70s, from those which are less directly style, he employs the concept of net• History of Blues in the Queen City. connected. As such, the theoretical per• works of marginality. The network of (Greater Cincinnati Bicentennial History spective on culture derived from the nightclubs and restaurants, as well as Series). Urbana and Chicago: University of rather odd juxtaposition of Ruth Bennett, high school dances and battles of the Illinois Press, 1993. Pp. xxxii, 262. Black Edmund Leach and Johannes Wilbert, bands, helped create an eastside sound and white illustrations, bibliography, which serves as an analytical framework that, while more influenced by R&B and rock than Mexican forms, was indeed dis• interviews, discography, general index, for Part 3, Reflections, could have been tinctive. This performance network, song index. $29.95 (cloth) (US). usefully introduced earlier. which he compares to the ritual of the mariachis at Garibaldi Plaza in Mexico Two recent books from the University of "The Chronicle of Musical Life: Los Ange• City, was not really different from that ex• Illinois Press on the musical life of minori• les, 1945-90," which makes up the impor• perienced by other bands in different lo• ties in two cities, both written by tant third chapter, relies almost cations, such as Seattle and Liverpool in scholar/musicians, shed new light on the exclusively on reports from the Spanish the early 1960s. In each case remark• development of urban culture and musi• language newspaper La Opinion, pub• able subcultures and music were cre• cal style in the face of larger society. Pro• lished in Los Angeles since 1926. While ated by adapting forms from other fessor Loza ambitiously details the much information is presented, the sources. In his search for an ethnically- evolution of the many musical forms reader is often left pondering lists of mu• based voice, Loza often overlooks true drawn from Mexican heritage when con• sicians and groups without a clear sense richness in the local experience and cul• fronted by other cultural and musical of the importance of each. (Given the di• ture. This is not to say that Barrio Rhythm forces to create the vibrant musical versity of traditional Mexican musical is not an important achievement, only scene of East Los Angeles. It is the story forms throughout the period it would that the focus is occasionally misplaced. of both cultural adaptation and rediscov• have been helpful to have a glossary to ery. Dr. Tracy's book is more narrow. His enable the reader to determine the ori• focus is the blues and the blues musi• gins and nuances of such styles as ran- While Cincinnati is not the first city one cians of Cincinnati and leaves the reader chero and jarocho.) In the more thinks of as home of the blues, in Going charged by that powerful art form. The contemporary period, groups which influ• to Cincinnati harp player Steve Tracy book forms part of a series commemorat• enced the development of rock, such as draws a fascinating portrait of the long ing the bicentennial of Cincinnati and, in The Premiers ("Farmer John"), Cannibal history of the blues and blues musicians telling a previously untold story, is a most and the Headhunters ("Land of a Thou• in that city. It is in part a micro scale por• worthwhile addition to the history of that sand Dances"), and The Midniters ("Whit- trait of life under racism and segregation place. tier Boulevard") tend to get lost in the in the West End ghetto and also the story catalogue of those of more local rele• of King Records, one of the more original vance. Frank Zappa's "Cruisin' with In Barrio Rhythm, Steve Loza ap• recording companies of the post war pe• Ruben and the Jets" homage to East LA proaches the subject from both historical riod. (King's biggest star, , and ethnographic viewpoints. Part One doo-wap groups is mentioned, yet little is does not figure particularly in the narra• consists of three chapters which attempt made of these groups and the culture tive, as the "Godfather of Soul", was not to delineate the connections between so• which they represented. Cincinnati based, recording most of his cietal conditions for Mexican Americans early R&B hits in New York.) The lengthy in Los Angeles and their cultural expres• In Part 3, the ethnographic section, pro• introduction sets the context for the evolu• sion through music over the long sweep files of four pioneering Mexican-Ameri• tion of African-American music in Cincin• of history from Spanish colonial days to can members of the music business, nati and offers an excellent discussion of

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the nature of the blues as an emotion, a own work with the Crawling Kingsnakes Taken together, Barrio Rhythm and Go- musical and lyrical structure, a technique to demonstrate that the blues lives in Cin• ing to Cincinnati offer the urban historian and a "way of life". Dr. Tracy presents an cinnati. a wealth of individual experience to help excellent, accessible introduction to the comprehend the state of minority cul• twelve bar root, fourth, fifth musical form It is the story of King Records that is the tures in two 20th century American cities. and the repetitive lyrical patterns that are heart of the book, however. In founding On the larger scale, both are limited in the foundation of most blues songs. King in 1944, Sydney Nathan and his the scope of their analysis. While replete relatives began an enterprise that not with commentary on conditions for indi• The first three chapters proper are part only ensured the success of many per• viduals in their respective cities, neither history and part detective story, where formers, such as Roy Brown, Wynonie really makes the larger connections to through the limited recordings, docu• Harris, , place, society and agency that would ele• ments and personal reminiscences avail• ("Honky Tonk"), Lonnie Johnson, The vate the analysis, although here Loza is able, Tracy deconstructs the work of Dominoes ("Sixty Minute Man"), Ivory Joe the more successful (although his use of early folk artists such as Stovepipe No. 1 Hunter, John Lee Hooker, quotes from himself to begin chapters is and Kid Cole. Making extensive use of and the Midnighters, a bit off putting). Tracy's is the livelier lyrical comparisons of the often sexually- ("Fever") and Freddy King ("Hideaway"), read, although he could have been more implicit texts, he attempts to reveal the but was notable for being integrated considerate of his northern neighbours common threads among the street musi• both on the shop floor and in musical by spelling Winnipeg correctly. Given the cians and jug band artists whose work and management direction, when this focus on individual cities and the ethno• was not well documented and identities was not considered possible in a "border graphic techniques employed in both obscured by the variety of nicknames un• city" so close to the south. - studies, they are necessarily biased by der which they recorded. These chapters producer, arranger, songwriter - was the availability of subjects: other ap• will be of interest largely to students of only the second black executive hired by proaches could enable stronger state• the evolution of the blues, but also reveal a major US label and contributed much ments on the culture of urban music. the urban and social context of the West to the overall development of blues and End: the red light district on George R&B. As well as recording blues perform• Warren Gill Street which provided employment for ers, King had a stable of country artists Department of Geography black musicians in "sporting house" or• and interchange between them was en• Simon Fraser University at Harbour chestras; Court and Sixth Streets where couraged. Like Sam Phillips of Sun Re• Centre the street musicians performed. A fuller cords in Memphis, had picture of the life of early blues artists is country artists perform R&B tunes, but developed in ethnographic-style studies also, very successfully, had black artists Gordon, Robert B., and Patrick M. of piano players Pigmeat Jarrett and Big record country tunes. This cross fertiliza• Malone. The Texture of Industry: An Joe Duskin and harmonica player James tion of black and white helped produce Archaeological View of the Mays. Through these stories a powerful some remarkable records, although to Industrialization of North America. New sense of the locality is developed; col• Nathan it was simply smart business York and Oxford: Oxford University oured by youthful rebellion in playing the practice to cover both markets with good Press, 1994. Pp. xi, 442. Illustrations, "devil's music" in the face of parental songs. King Records helped develop a bibliography, place and site index, and religious admonition. Tracy's love of pool of professional sidemen in Cincin• subject index. $72.50 (cloth). the blues and dedication to its history nati who both played on the sessions serves him well, as from his teenage and contributed to a lively blues scene at This is, without question, the most ambi• years he had the good fortune to make venues such as the Cotton, Ebony and tious study of American industrial archae• connections with artists of earlier eras, 333 Clubs. Without King Records, the de• ology in print and the most sophisticated hearing their stories and music and giv• velopment of blues in Cincinnati would ever produced in any country. Given that ing many of them the opportunity to play have been far less dynamic, but the label interest in this relatively new, eclectic the blues once again. In the concluding and its subsidiaries were influential far field of history has already leveled off in chapters Tracy turns again to the ethnog• beyond the urban boundary. Dr. Tracy most countries, this book may stand as a raphy, profiling more contemporary art• should be encouraged to take up this final monument. Produced by a formida• ists H-Bomb Ferguson and Albert larger story. ble partnership of experienced, highly in• Washington and others, as well as his terdisciplinary researchers, it provides a

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