Following the Drums

John M. Shaw digs deep into primary materials from centuries past to excavate a history never assembled. His work on the Tennessee fife and drum tradition takes us to the political and social occasions that beckoned the musicians, illuminating not only Tennessee but the entire tradition as well--Mississippi, Georgia and other American pockets, and also the international roots as the sounds traveled from Africa. He'll get you hollerin' goat!--Robert Gordon, author of Can't Be Satisfied: The Life and Times of Muddy Waters and It Came From Memphis There is no other book even remotely like John M. Shaw's. Bolstered by illustrations and musical transcriptions, this book presents significant primary research and exceptionally detailed historical accounts of Black fife and drum bands.--Kip Lornell, author of Exploring American Folk Music: Ethnic, Grassroots, and Regional Traditions in the United States and coeditor of The Music of Multicultural America: Performance, Identity, and Community in the United States I've been searching for a book such as this for years. Following the Drums: African American Fife and Drum Music in Tennessee is valuable reading for those interested in southern and Tennessee history, musicology, and folklore. John M. Shaw offers the most comprehensive treatment solely on the African American fife and drum tradition, outside of Mississippi.--Jerrilyn McGregory, author of One Grand Noise: Boxing Day in the Anglicized Caribbean World and Downhome Gospel: African American Spiritual Activism in Wiregrass Country