Trumpet Records: Diamonds on Farish Street »

In a new edition, the history of a regional record company and the blues, gospel, and R&B greats it launched nationally

Library Journal

Providing a slightly revised edition of his 1993 original, Ryan again describes the history and impact of Trumpet Records. He begins with Lillian McMurry, the scrupulously honest music business pioneer who started the label after selling records in her husband's furniture store in Jackson, MS. Most of the book is devoted to the activities of the label, which lasted from 1950 to 1954 and recorded seminal gospel, country, blues, and nascent rock'n'roll artists. The author allots much space to blues artists such as Elmore James, Big Joe Williams, and Sonny Boy Williamson II, who ensured a legacy for Trumpet. He ends with McMurry's short-lived Globe Records and her subsequent disenchantment with the cut-throat record business. Well written, well researched, and illustrated with many interesting photos, this treasure trove of information will reacquaint scholars and blues enthusiasts with an often neglected label. For larger public and academic libraries that don't own the original edition.-Dave Szatmary, Univ. of Washington, Seattle Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.