George Lipsitz is professor of black studies and sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He wrote the foreword for a recent republication of Johnny Otis’s Listen to the Lambs, and he is the author of Footsteps in the Dark: The Hidden Histories of Popular Music; Time Passages: Collective Memory and American Popular Culture; and American Studies in a Moment of Danger, all published by the University of Minnesota Press.

"Johnny Otis-he’s the coolest! A true pioneer of the music I love." -Aaron Neville"We are lucky to have Johnny Otis, as the world is short on smart, soulful, funny, gifted, walk-the-walk folk. Bless his heart." -Joan Baez"Johnny Otis is one of the most important figures in the history of R&B and rock and roll. Through mentoring and showcasing so many brilliant stars in his legendary live revues and incredible bands; his contributions as writer, player, and producer of so many seminal recordings; and his decades of hosting his beloved West Coast radio show, his legacy as professor emeritus of R&B will remain forever intact." —Bonnie Raitt

• ContentsIntroduction: There’s a Riot Goin’ On1. Central Avenue Breakdown2. Double Crossing Blues3. Willie and the Hand Jive4. Listen to the Lambs5. All Night Long6. Play Misty for Me7. The Watts Breakaway8. Midnight at the BarrelhouseAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

George Lipsitz is professor of black studies and sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He wrote the foreword for a recent republication of Johnny Otis’s Listen to the Lambs, and he is the author of Footsteps in the Dark: The Hidden Histories of Popular Music; Time Passages: Collective Memory and American Popular Culture; and American Studies in a Moment of Danger, all published by the University of Minnesota Press.

"Johnny Otis-he’s the coolest! A true pioneer of the music I love." -Aaron Neville"We are lucky to have Johnny Otis, as the world is short on smart, soulful, funny, gifted, walk-the-walk folk. Bless his heart." -Joan Baez"Johnny Otis is one of the most important figures in the history of R&B and rock and roll. Through mentoring and showcasing so many brilliant stars in his legendary live revues and incredible bands; his contributions as writer, player, and producer of so many seminal recordings; and his decades of hosting his beloved West Coast radio show, his legacy as professor emeritus of R&B will remain forever intact." —Bonnie Raitt

• ContentsIntroduction: There’s a Riot Goin’ On1. Central Avenue Breakdown2. Double Crossing Blues3. Willie and the Hand Jive4. Listen to the Lambs5. All Night Long6. Play Misty for Me7. The Watts Breakaway8. Midnight at the BarrelhouseAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

George Lipsitz is professor of black studies and sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He wrote the foreword for a recent republication of Johnny Otis’s Listen to the Lambs, and he is the author of Footsteps in the Dark: The Hidden Histories of Popular Music; Time Passages: Collective Memory and American Popular Culture; and American Studies in a Moment of Danger, all published by the University of Minnesota Press.

"Johnny Otis-he’s the coolest! A true pioneer of the music I love." -Aaron Neville"We are lucky to have Johnny Otis, as the world is short on smart, soulful, funny, gifted, walk-the-walk folk. Bless his heart." -Joan Baez"Johnny Otis is one of the most important figures in the history of R&B and rock and roll. Through mentoring and showcasing so many brilliant stars in his legendary live revues and incredible bands; his contributions as writer, player, and producer of so many seminal recordings; and his decades of hosting his beloved West Coast radio show, his legacy as professor emeritus of R&B will remain forever intact." —Bonnie Raitt

• ContentsIntroduction: There’s a Riot Goin’ On1. Central Avenue Breakdown2. Double Crossing Blues3. Willie and the Hand Jive4. Listen to the Lambs5. All Night Long6. Play Misty for Me7. The Watts Breakaway8. Midnight at the BarrelhouseAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex