The Man Who Recorded The World

The remarkable life and times of the man who popularized American folk music and created the science of song Folklorist, archivist, anthropologist, singer, political activist, talent scout, ethnomusicologist, filmmaker, concert and record producer, Alan Lomax is best remembered as the man who introduced folk music to the masses. Lomax began his career making field recordings of rural music for the Library of Congress and by the late 1930s brought his discoveries to radio, including Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Burl Ives. By the 1940s he was producing concerts that brought white and black performers together, and in the 1950s he set out to record the whole world. Lomax was also a controversial figure. When he worked for the U. S. government he was tracked by the FBI, and when he worked in Britain, MI5 continued the surveillance. In his last years he turned to digital media and developed technology that anticipated today's breakthroughs. Featuring a cast of characters including Eleanor Roosevelt, Leadbelly, Carl Sandburg, Carl Sagan, Jelly Roll Morton, Muddy Waters, and Bob Dylan, Szwed's fascinating biography memorably captures Lomax and provides a definitive account of an era as seen through the life of one extraordinary man.

Writer, musicologist, archivist, singer, DJ, filmmaker, record, radio and TV producer, Alan Lomax was a man of many parts. Without him the history of popular music would have been very different. Armed with a tape-recorder and his own near-flawless good taste, Lomax spent years travelling the US, particularly the south, recording its heritage of music and song for posterity, bringing to light the talents of performers ranging from Jelly Roll Morton to Leadbelly and Muddy Waters, and crucially influencing generations of musicians from Pete Seeger to the Stones, from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan. His influence continues: recordings made by Lomax are the core of the sound-tracks of Oh Brother, Where art Thou? and Gangs of New York, and even featured, remixed, on Moby's Play. John Szwed's biography is the first ever of this remarkable and contradictory man (whom he both knew and worked with for ten years); through it Szwed will tell the story of a musical and political era, as he did so successfully in his previous book on Miles Davis.

'He's the world's fittest man - it's official.' - The GuardianHe's gone 110 rounds with 10 opponents to win the World Kumite Karate Boxing Championships.He's got the world record for the number of press-ups done in a year, he did over 1.5 million - that's over 4,000 a day!He's got the fastest time for running a marathon with a 50lb backpack. There's nobody as tough as Paddy Doyle!As a young man he was a hell-raiser. He would pick fights and get in trouble with the law. His competitive nature combined with a terrible rebellious streak threatened to tip Paddy over the edge.A chance purchase of The Guinness Book of Records spurred Paddy into action: he knew immediately that he could beat, hands down, many of the records listed.Paddy's alter ego 'Iron Man' was born. He channelled all of his destructive energy into becoming a winner. His record of achievement is awesome. To date, Paddy Doyle holds 125 national, European and world fitness and martial arts records. Some of the toughest records he has smashed are: 1303 back-of-hands press ups in one hour; a 50 mile run wearing a 40 lb back pack in 11 hours and 58 minutes and an incredible 5,000 sit ups with a 50 lb plate in five hours.This is the story of a man who is a true champion in both heart and mind, whose mental and physical determination to succeed have taken him from the back-streets of Birmingham to the brilliance of a world champion.

Reproduction of the original.

Winner of the 1993 National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction, this mususical and cultural exploration of the rich, sorrow-laden birth of the blues is an intimate and respectful look at an integral part of African American culture--a master work that has been 60 years in the making. Photos.

Folklorist, archivist, anthropologist, singer, political activist, talent scout, ethnomusicologist, filmmaker, concert and record producer, Alan Lomax is best remembered as the man who introduced folk music to the masses. Lomax began his career making field recordings of rural music for the Library of Congress and by the late 1930s brought his discoveries to radio, including Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Burl Ives. By the 1940s he was producing concerts that brought white and black performers together, and in the 1950s he set out to record the whole world. Lomax was also controversial. When he worked for the government he was tracked by the FBI, and when he worked in Britain, MI5 continued the surveillance. In his last years he turned to digital media and developed technologies that anticipated today's breakthroughs. Featuring a cast of characters from Eleanor Roosevelt to Lead Belly, Carl Sagan to Bob Dylan, Szwed's biography provides an account of an era seen through the life of one extraordinary man.--From publisher description.

Slavery is back. America, 1962. Having lost a war, America finds itself under Nazi Germany and Japan occupation. A few Jews still live under assumed names. The 'I Ching' is prevalent in San Francisco. Science fiction meets serious ideas in this take on a possible alternate history.