Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: They never even knew -- Foreign music and the emergence of phonography -- Forward to the past: race music in the 1920s -- The newness of old-time music -- From jazz to pop: swing in the 1940s.

"Categorizing Sound addresses the relationship between categories of music and categories of people: in other words, how do particular ways of organizing sound become integral parts of whom we perceive ourselves to be and of how we feel connected to some people and disconnected from others? After an introduction that discusses the key theoretical concepts to be deployed, Categorizing Sound presents a series of case studies that range from foreign music, race music, and old-time music in the 1920s up through country and rhythm and blues in the 1980s. Each chapter focuses not so much on the musical contents of these genres as on the process of 'gentrification' through which these categories are produced."--Provided by publisher.

Description based on print version record.