Synopses & Reviews
Tin Pan Alley easily conjures images of the most popular ditties of the 1920s and 1930s, though most people associate them with the such classic White songwriters as Irving Berlin, the Gershwins, Cole Porter. An integral part of the popular music scene, African-American performers often earned fame, while the hundreds of composers, writers, directors and agents rarely found themselves in the spotlight.
Spreadin' Rhythm Around tells the absorbing tale of the community of men and women who created and sold the popular music of the day, from turn-of-the-century Vaudeville to Broadway show tunes of the Roaring Twenties. Extensive and original archival research brings to life the critical years of a rich musical historyand the central role played by African-Americans.