Music history
The Chitlin' Circuit
Preston Lauterbach
Lauterbach follows the promoters, musicians, and venues that sustained Black touring circuits.
Reading list
Lyric Unplugged
A listening companion on Southern soul, jazz, and the spaces where musicians perform.
Listen for the relationship between gospel, blues, and soul as you read. Use the official program page for announced performances. Add event-specific reading only once an artist and date have been confirmed.
Visit the related Lyric pageContinue the story
Recommended reading
Music history
Respect Yourself
Robert Gordon
Stax Records offers a vantage point on Memphis soul, collaboration, and the pressures surrounding the label.
Music history
Blues People
Amiri Baraka
Baraka reads changes in Black music alongside changes in work, migration, and social life.
Music history
Sweet Soul Music
Peter Guralnick
Musicians, producers, and studios tell the story of Southern soul across a network of regional scenes.
Biography
John Coltrane: His Life and Music
Lewis Porter
Porter places Coltrane’s musical practice and innovations alongside the events and relationships of his life.
Biography
Respect
David Ritz
A biography examines the gospel inheritance and recording career behind Franklin’s public sound.