The music of Texas and the American Southwest is as diverse and distinctive as the many different groups who have lived in the region over the past several centuries, writes Gary Hartman in his introduction to this refreshingly different look at various genres of Texas music. ""The Roots of Texas Music"" celebrates the diverse sources of the music of the Lone Star State by gathering chapters by specialists on each of them. Editor, Lawrence S. Clayton, conceived this project as one that would not simply repeat the common wisdom about Texas music traditions but rather offer new perspectives. The result is a lively, captivating, and original look at the musical traditions of one of the nation's most fertile musical seedbeds. Authorities on each subject explore music of the Texas Germans and Czechs, black Creoles, Chicanos, and blues and gospel singers. The diverse genres included in this anthology also provide an introduction to the classes, cultures, races, and ethnic groups of Texas and highlight the ways in which the state's musical wealth has influenced the listening habits of the nation.
