Bossmen

Using their own words and dozens of photographs, James Rooney compares and contrasts the careers of Bill Monroe and Muddy Waters, bossmen of bluegrass and urban blues respectively. Both grew up in rural areas and both brought their music to the big cities - Monroe to Nashville, Waters to Chicago.

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Every field has its "boss man" - the one who sets the style and makes the rules. In bluegrass and early country music, the man is Bill Monroe. In the world of urban blues, the man is Muddy Waters. Using their own words and dozens of photographs, James Rooney compares and contrasts the careers of these two bossmen. Both grew up in remote rural areas. In his childhood, Muddy heard field hollers, church music, jug bands and the raw sound of the delta blues; for Bill Monroe, it was square dances, hymns, old country ballads and frenzied fiddling. And both men brought their music to the big cities: Bill to Nashville, Muddy to Chicago. But this is more than a book about music; it is a book about black and white America. In microcosm, it is almost a history of the country, setting up striking comparisons that cut deep into American heritage.