The Cambridge Companion to the Singer-Songwriter

This Companion explores the historical and theoretical contexts of the singer-songwriter tradition, and includes case studies of singer-songwriters from Thomas d'Urfey through to Kanye West.

Katherine Williams (Edited by), Justin A. Williams (Edited by)

9781107680913, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 25 February 2016

382 pages, 12 b/w illus. 5 tables 32 music examples
24.7 x 17.5 x 1.7 cm, 0.76 kg

'The editors are clear in their introduction that this companion is aimed both at readers who like and perform and engage with popular music and also at students and teachers and researchers involved with formal (and informal) study of popular music. By this token, implied themes such as gender and sexuality, race and politics emerge regularly throughout the work, and these are used to explain and illuminate the singing-songwriting creative act itself.' Stuart Hannabuss, Reference Reviews

Most often associated with modern artists such as Bob Dylan, Elton John, Don McLean, Neil Diamond, and Carole King, the singer-songwriter tradition in fact has a long and complex history dating back to the medieval troubadour and earlier. This Companion explains the historical contexts, musical analyses, and theoretical frameworks of the singer-songwriter tradition. Divided into five parts, the book explores the tradition in the context of issues including authenticity, gender, queer studies, musical analysis, and performance. The contributors reveal how the tradition has been expressed around the world and throughout its history to the present day. Essential reading for enthusiasts, practitioners, students, and scholars, this book features case studies of a wide range of both well and lesser-known singer-songwriters, from Thomas d'Urfey through to Carole King and Kanye West.

Introduction Katherine Williams and Justin A. Williams
Part I. Establishing a Tradition: 1. The emergence of the singer-songwriter David R. Shumway
2. Singer-songwriters of the German Lied Natasha Loges and Katy Hamilton
3. Bill Monroe, bluegrass music, and the politics of authorship Mark Finch
4. Singer-songwriters and the English folk tradition Allan F. Moore
5. The Brill Building and the creative labour of the professional songwriter Simon Barber
6. Forging the singer-songwriter at the Los Angeles Troubadour Christa Bentley
7. The 'professional' singer-songwriter in the 1970s Michael Borshuk
Part II. Individuals: 8. Thomas D'Urfey T?ru Mitsui
9. Leadbelly Josep Pedro
10. Region and identity in Dolly Parton's songwriting Jada Watson
11. Authorship and performance in the music of Elton John Phil Allcock
12. Depicting the working class in the music of Billy Joel Joshua S. Duchan
13. Musical gesture in the songs of Nick Drake Timothy Koozin
14. Sampling and storytelling: Kanye West's vocal and sonic narratives Lori Burns, Alyssa Woods and Marc Lafrance
15. James Blake, digital lion Madison Moore
16. Outside voices and the construction of Adele's singer-songwriter persona Sarah Suhdolnik
17. Joanna Newsom's 'Only Skin': authenticity, influence, and the relationship between 'new' and 'old weird America' Jo Collinson-Scott
Part III. Men and Women: 18. Gender, race, and the ma(s)king of 'Joni Mitchell' Kevin Fellezs
19. Gender, genre, and diversity at Lilith Fair Jennifer Taylor
20. Changing openness and tolerance towards LGBTQ singer-songwriters Katherine Williams
21. Tori Amos as shaman Chris McDonald
22. Gender identity, the queer gaze and female singer-songwriters Megan Berry
23. The female singer-songwriter in the 1990s Sarah Boak
Part IV. Frameworks and Methods: 24. Reconciling theory and practice in the teaching of songwriting Mark Marrington
25. Singer-songwriters and open mics Marcus Aldredge
26. Singer-songwriter authenticity, the unconscious and emotions (feat. Adele's 'Someone Like You') Rupert Till
Part V. Global Perspectives: 27. Don McGlashan and local authenticity Nick Braae
28. Italian Canzone d'autore and Greek Entecho tragoudi: a comparative overview Franco Fabbri and Ioannis Tsioulakis
29. Singer-songwriters in the digital age Lucy Bennett.

Subject Areas: Individual composers & musicians, specific bands & groups [AVH], Rap & Hip-Hop [AVGR], Soul & R 'n' B [AVGQ], Rock & Pop music [AVGP], Country & Western music [AVGL], Blues [AVGK], Jazz [AVGJ], Folk & traditional music [AVGH], Theory of music & musicology [AVA]