In A City Called Heaven; gospel announcer and music historian Robert Marovich shines a light on the humble origins of a majestic genre and its indispensable bond to the city where it found its voice: Chicago. Marovich follows gospel music from early hymns and camp meetings through the Great Migration that brought it to Chicago. In time; the music grew into the sanctified soundtrack of the citys mainline black Protestant churches. In addition to drawing on print media and ephemera; Marovich mines hours of interviews with nearly fifty artists; ministers; and historians--as well as discussions with relatives and friends of past gospel pioneers--to recover many forgotten singers; musicians; songwriters; and industry leaders. He also examines how a lack of economic opportunity bred an entrepreneurial spirit that fueled gospel musics rise to popularity and opened a gate to social mobility for a number of its practitioners. As Marovich shows; gospel music expressed a yearning for freedom from earthly pains; racial prejudice; and lifes hardships. In the end; it proved to be a sound too mighty and too joyous for even church walls to hold.
#2565802 in eBooks 2007-01-01 2007-01-01File Name: B00VQVPNDG
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Broadway songs in all their gloryBy daltonknoxGrew up listening to the songs of the jazz era and Sheed is just the sort of writer to make you want to hear them all again. So fire up Youtube and revel in it all from Jerome Kerns "They didnt believe me" in 1915 to Stephen Sondheim or whoever you think closed the curtain on this great American repertoire.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. So much American Musical historyBy cybergidgetI loved this book and read it several years ago. It is full of history and American music came from tin can alley to Broadway shows. I loaned it to a co-worker and he never got it back to me. I think I am going to have buy it again. If you love those early songs by our American composers; you will thoroughly enjoy this one. Just dont loan it out. There is a notable story about the Gershwins and their song "Our Love..." George wrote the music. Ira wrote the words. The words to the song are Iras tribute to his brother who died so very young.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Awful Disappointment - Skip ItBy Boomer WomanThis book is the most poorly written and organized book Ive read in a long time. It does not nearly meet the expectations from the description. The authors undeserved ego gets in the way throughout the book. I thought that would only be in the foreward; but the same style carries through each chapter. There is very little information on each composer and it is quite repetitive. In most chapters it is difficult to discern much of a point. The rambling; uninteresting; tiresome style is more reminiscent of Andy Rooney expounding on 60 Minutes. Id give it zero stars if that was possible. After reading the completely engaging and engrossing Girls Like Us; about singer-songwriters of the 60s - Carole King; Joni Mitchell; and Carly Simon; I thought this would be an equally interesting treat to read about such stellar songwriters. My husband and I read this book for a couples book group and both agreed It was a deep disappointment and a complete waste of time and money.
