I have had this book for a long time and it is time to review it. If you are a general reader you will probably hate this book; on the other hand, if you are a researcher then this book is a very valuable source of information. I have spent a lot of time verifying some of the information and I can say that the scholarship is impeccable; though there seems to be some oral history involved. As one whose interest is in the early recordings of blues by black artist I find this book a very valuable resource. ( )

This is a by-the-numbers, chronological listing of recordings - you'll need to look elsewhere for biographical information. It is most valuable as a guide to just how much there is yet to listen to. Where modern sources for listening exist, they are listed as part of the entries. If you have an interest in old recordings, especially early jazz & blues, this book has information you don't yet. ( )

A valuable resource for collectors, musicologists and historians in a manageable size and format. Multiple indexes make searching for specific artists, recordings, or labels a breeze. Listings include dates, labels, artists' names, accompanists, instruments used, original format, track listings, and sources for locating existing copies of a given recording, (if applicable). Occasionally, there will be a line or two about the artist, and/or notable facts about a given recording, but as this is purely a discography, (and information about many of these artists is, even in the age of the internet, difficult to come by), don't expect a lot biographical notes. As a by-the-numbers reference, however - not just for US recordings, but also for labels and recordings from South America, the UK, the Caribbean, and Mexico - this book shines. ( )

This books was very informative. I have learned so much about early black music. Due to the wealth of information and number of pages. This book would be appreciate by more people if it were broken down into volumes. It is a lot of information to digest at one time. However, all of the content is relevant and necessary in any format . Would love to see this item in libraries( academic libraries

Excellent collection of music. Definitely a good book to have in a music library or just a library of information on African/African Americans. ( )