The Chitlin' Circuit: And the Road to Rock 'n' Roll Review

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The Chitlin' Circuit: And the Road to Rock 'n' Roll ReviewHardcover, 13 page Introduction, 276 pages of text, 4 page Afterword, 3 pages of Acknowledgments, 21 pages of Chapter Notes, plus an Index. There's also a number of (small) b & w photos throughout the book, which give added depth to the text.
The so called "chitlin' circuit" played an unheralded, but important, role in the rise of blues/soul/r&b/r'n'r in the early days of America. It's both interesting and shameful that this particular area of music hasn't been explored at length before now. The author, Preston Lauterbach, has done a good job of exploring his subject beyond the surface, especially considering this is his first book.
The chitlin' circuit has historically been the domain (to some extent) of so called "second tier" performers. They were black artists who spent their careers (unless they were lucky enough to break nationally) performing in one small venue to the next, in the American South. Possibly because of these factors, this highly interesting area of musical history has never been given much of a look. The author not only has done some good research and writing, but has an empathy for his subject, which comes through in the book without coloring the story. His writing style is easy to digest without being overly simplistic. He tells the story, oftentimes letting the story itself unfold naturally, which highlights the subject.
The story begins in the 1930's, with what most people consider the beginning of a relatively small circuit of venues for small combos and sometimes larger orchestras. A number of well known artists got their start on the chitlin' circuit-including Little Richard, B.B.King, Wynonie Harris, Louis Jordan, Gatemouth Brown, Johnny Ace, James Brown, Roy Brown, and a number of others-before they became nationally known. The book ends in the 1950's/1960's, with the advent of r'n'r, which spread through white America primarily thanks to radio. Lauterbach details the life and lifestyle of both the era and the performers, and the obstacles that had to be overcome by these struggling artists. The pay wasn't much, the working conditions were cramped and dirty, and the living conditions were sometimes worse. But the crowds who came to hear the music balanced out (to some extent) these unfavorable conditions. Lauterbach has interspersed details of the difficulties and rewards of the chitlin' circuit performers, and the sometimes shady people who were attracted to the possibilities of making money by exploiting the powerless artists. Woven together he paints an inside look into a world now (for the most part) long gone.
This will be a book for anyone interested in music in the South during the first half on the Twentieth Century, and/or the beginnings of r'n'r. Many people consider the chitlin' circuit to be the very beginning of r'n'r, before it was usurped and diluted by white promoters-who cleaned up the lyrics and used "non threatening" white performers to perform much of this music-to the then burgeoning teenage market. But on the chitlin' circuit, the music was immediate, the performers visceral, and the excitement fever pitched. This book will open a window to all that and more. Finally it's nice to read a nicely done book about a largely forgotten/unknown corner of the beginnings of r'n'r. Fans of this era and music will enjoy this book.
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