Afro American Studies

Reference Sources

• AMG All Music Guide to the Blues: The Experts' Guide to the Best Blues Recordings, edited by Michael Erlewine, et al., REF ML156.4.B6 A44 1999
• The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia, by Robert Santelli, REF ML102.B6 S26 1993
• Biographical Dictionary of Afro-American and African Musicians, by Eileen Southern, REF ML105 .67
• Blues Who's Who: A Biographical Dictionary of Blues Singers, by Sheldon Harris, REF ML102.B6 H3
• Book Review Index, REF Z1219.B789 (1965-1984) and REF Z1219.B79 (1985-present)
• The Chess Labels: A Discography, by Michel Ruppli, REF ML156.2 .R783 1983
• Encyclopedia of the Blues, by Gérard Herzhaft, REF ML102.B6 H413 1997
• Encyclopedia of the Blues, edited by Edward Komara, REF ML 102.B6 E53 2006
• Folk and Blues: The Encyclopedia, by Irwin Stambler & Lyndon Stambler, REF ML102.F66 S74 2001
• The Grove Press Guide to the Blues on CD, by Frank-John Hadley, REF ML156.4.B6 H3 1993
• A Guide to the Blues: History, Who's Who, Research Sources, by Austin Sonnier, Jr., REF ML 3521 .S58 1994
• See also Afro American Studies Reference Materials and Music Reference Materials.
• You may also view the Afro Am 753 Reserve List (which includes reference books as well as many recordings) by going HERE. Click "Course number" and enter "afro-am753" into the search field.

Books

• Search the UMass Library Catalog HERE. Use the broad categories below to browse for sub-topics or to limit (by date, words in subject or words in title) for more focussed results. You may also search by individual artists as subject.
  Sample searches:
  • Blues Music
  • Blues Music -- Bibliography
  • Blues Music -- Discography
  • Blues Music -- History and Criticism
  • Blues Music In Literature
  • Blues Music -- Texts
  • Blues Music -- To 1931
  • Blues Musicians
  • Holiday, Billie
  • Johnson, Robert, d. 1938 [as subject]
  • Patton, Charley [as subject]
  • Rainey, Ma [as subject]
  • Smith, Bessie [as subject]
  • Women Blues Musicians
• Net Library - online books
  • Blues Boy: The Life and Music of B.B. King by Sebastian Danchin.
    Jackson, Miss. University Press of Mississippi, 1998
  • Africa and the Blues by Gerhard Kubik.
    Jackson, Miss. University Press of Mississippi, 1999
  • Larkin's Blues: Jazz, Popular Music, and Poetry by B. J. Leggett.
    Baton Rouge Louisiana State University Press, 1999
• WorldCat and Other Library Catalogs for searching other catalogs

Recordings

Search the UMass Library Catalog HERE.

• An author search retrieves composers, performers, conductors and lyricists.
• Use the keyword search to search contents notes. For recordings which contain a collection of many individual works, the contents is usually listed in a contents note.
• You may also use a title search if you know the title of an album.
• Sample searches:
  • Broonzy, Big Bill [as performer]
  • Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order [Title]
  • Fuller, Blind Boy [as performer]
  • Holiday, Billie [as perfomer]
  • Johnson, Robert, d. 1938 [as perfomer]
  • Rainey, Ma [as perfomer]
  • Smithsonian Collection of Classic Blues Singers [Title]

Journals (for browsing and searching)

• Blues Revue Quarterly (1991-1994) Per ML3520.8 .B58
• Blues Revue (1994-present) Per ML3520.8 .B58
• Cadence (1976-1995) Per ML3505.8 .C3
• Down Beat (1959-present) Per ML1 .D72, Microfilm A 544 (1974-2001) and online (1934-present)
• Jazz & Blues (1971-1973) Per ML5 .J295
• Jazz Journal and Jazz & Blues (1974) Per ML5 .J35
• Jazz Journal International (1984-present) Per ML5 .J35
• Living Blues (1985-present) Per ML1 .L57 and Microfilm A 967 (1970-1986)

Databases (journal indexing and online journals)

• African American Biographical Database
• African American Song - Audio database which documents African American music, including jazz, blues, gospel, ragtime, folk songs, and narratives. Browse by category of music, region, genre, instrument, artist, ensemble, and time period. A playlist option is available.
• America: History and Life
• Arts and Humanities Citation Index (ISI Web of Science)
• Biography Resource Center
• Book Review Digest
• Ethnic Newswatch - Full-text articles from the newspapers, magazines and journals of ethnic communities in the United States.
• Expanded Academic Index (includes full text) - Good for academic book reviews.
• International Index to Music Periodicals (for book reviews, type "Book Review" in search bar).