| Description |
xxiii, 234 pages : illustrations, facsimiles ; 24 cm. |
|
text txt rdacontent |
|
unmediated n rdamedia |
|
volume nc rdacarrier |
| Series |
Music in American life
|
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Summary |
"A traveling salesman with little formal education, Max Hunter gravitated to song catching and ballad hunting while on business trips in the Ozarks. Hunter recorded nearly 1600 traditional songs by more than 200 singers from the mid-1950s through the mid-1970s, all the while focused on preserving the music in its unaltered form. Sarah Jane Nelson chronicles Hunter's song-collecting adventures alongside portraits of the singers and mentors he met along the way. The guitar-strumming Hunter picked up the recording habit to expand his repertoire but almost immediately embraced the role of song preservationist. Being a local allowed Hunter to merge his native Ozark earthiness with sharp observational skills to connect--often more than once--with his singers. Hunter's own ability to be present added to that sense of connection. Despite his painstaking approach, ballad collecting was also a source of pleasure for Hunter. Ultimately, his dedication to capturing Ozarks song culture in its natural state brought Hunter into contact with people like Vance Randolph, Mary Parler, and non-academic folklorists who shared his values"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Subject |
Hunter, Max.
|
|
Folklorists -- Ozark Mountains -- 20th century -- Biography.
|
|
Ballads, English -- Ozark Mountains -- History and criticism.
|
|
Folk songs, English -- Ozark Mountains -- History and criticism.
|
|
Ethnomusicology -- Ozark Mountains.
|
|
Ozark Mountains -- Social life and customs -- 20th century.
|
| Added Author |
Cochran, Robert, 1943- writer of foreword.
|
| Other Form: |
Online version: Nelson, Sarah Jane, 1959- Ballad hunting with Max Hunter Urbana : University of Illinois Press, 2023 9780252054044 (DLC) 2022026745 |
| ISBN |
9780252044892 (cloth) |
|
9780252086991 (paperback) |
|
9780252054044 (ebook) |
|
