Chuck Mancuso - History With A Beat

Book Testimonials

Chuck and Steve Ralbovsky

“POPULAR MUSIC AND THE UNDERGROUND is a tour de force that chronicles the importance of music pioneers and influential icons who have set the standards with their special vision in all parts of the American musical landscape. The book has details unlike any other, and is in my mind truly a master work.”

–Steve Ralbovsky, Vice-President Sony/BMG Records

“POPULAR MUSIC AND THE UNDERGROUND is a monumental piece of work…I know of no other book that covers the popular music field with such breadth. No other book comes close. Congratulations!”

–William P. Gottlieb, World Renowned Jazz Photographer

“The book looks phenomenal! I’m looking forward to many happy hours of reading/perusing/delving/just plain enjoying.”

–Peter Guralnick, Putlitzer Prize Author ELVIS PRESLEY

“Fascinating stuff! Daunting in scope and mass of research! You certainly treated fairly the country movement, so often neglected by similar other books, a commendable accomplishment indeed. I am utterly overwhelmed by the immensity of your material and the love that went into completing the entire project.”

- Mark Gridley, Author JAZZ STYLES

POPULAR MUSIC AND THE UNDERGROUND is a unique document of the omnidirectional dynamic interaction between the mainstream music that has always been popular and profitable in America and the teemingly creative ‘underground’ of musical America. (Everything, in Mancuso’s view, from be-bop to zydeco to Tex-Mex to cult/cabaret music.)”

- Jeff Simon, Entertainment Editor, BUFFALO NEWS

Chuck and Publisher Peter Durham

“The Mancuso taxonomic system is comprehensive, encyclopedic—I’m tempted to coin the word ‘omnivalent’ because he finds a way to value everything. He has been constantly alert to leave nothing of any significance out of the picture. The system is cumulative. Every year, the description of past periods and phases, the nomenclature, the examples, the charts, are improved and clarified. The system strives for objectivity by attending carefully to both quantitative and qualitative criteria for evaluating the importance of any piece or style of music. Duke Ellington may have been a greater musician, a genius, but Paul Whiteman sold a vastly greater number of records in the decades when their production overlapped. The Mancuso system strives to pay attention to both facts of our musical life, in every time and place. The system, because it is fundamentally descriptive, lets you, the reader, look for the deeper explanations, the possible forces of causality.”

- Charles Keil, Author URBAN BLUES

“Chuck Mancuso sets out to break down the barriers between jazz, country and pop—to look at the ‘big picture of American popular music,’ as he puts it—and succeeds brilliantly in a meaty book that is crammed with details and photos.”

- James Hale, THE JAZZ REPORT

“POPULAR MUSIC AND THE UNDERGROUND discusses in great detail virtually all American musical styles as if they were simply strands of a larger fabric. Lavishly illustrated, several of the photos belong in a history of Buffalo, replete with charts and tables and lists, this is a very scholarly work. It is also one of those books you can open to any page and jump right in. The single most informative book on American music I have ever seen. A remarkable achievement.”

- Bob Boardman, ARTVOICE

“Over the years, Mancuso has been a beacon for the serious and sensitive treatment of American popular music, the people who make it, and the people who support it. His public lectures, his festivals and panels, and above all, his courses at Buffalo State College constitute a record of special accomplishment. Finally, there is his book POPULAR MUSIC AND THE UNDERGROUND by which Mancuso’s lessons can reach a much wider audience.”

- James Patrick, Director of Jazz Studies at University of Buffalo

Grammy Award for liner notes: CHARLIE PARKER – THE COMPLETE SAVOY RECORD SESSIONS “Mancuso has been able to present, in a systematic, even encyclopedic fashion, the story of the bulk of American popular music while making it highly informative for specialists as well as accessible to non-specialists. Particularly interesting to me is the way that social and cultural history is woven into his account. I believe that POPULAR MUSIC AND THE UNDERGROUND is a masterly accomplishment that will some day be regarded as a landmark in the field.”

- Dr. Ralph Raico, Professor of History at Buffalo State College