Books by Kenneth J. Bindas

Examines the cultural and historical significance of swing and tells how and why it achieved its audience, unified its fans, defined its generation, and, after World War II, fell into decline. This book shows that swing manifested the kind of up-to-date allure that the populace craved. Swing sounded modern, happy, optimistic.

These essays document the American experience as recorded in popular sound, relating topics concerning 20th century music to issues of politics, society and culture. The focus is to place music in societal perspective and encourage investigation of the issues behind popular tunes.