In this ground breaking history of music-making in Australia, Dr John Whiteoak explores for the first time the importance of improvisatory musical practices in a country famous for its ingenuity and self reliance. Starting from the 1830s, the book explores the improvised performances of musicians in concert and in the circus, theatre and dancehall, in the cinema and the Church. It charts the influences both direct and indirect of African American music from the blackface minstrel show through ragtime to new forms of jazz. This provocative study, a heroic work of original research, is enhanced by a wealth of musical examples and contemporary illustrations.

Author Biography

John Whiteoak