Blacksound: Making Race and Popular Music in the United States by Matthew D. Morrison is a groundbreaking exploration of the deeply intertwined histories of race, music, and intellectual property in America. The audiobook, narrated by Morrison himself, offers a compelling and often disturbing account of how blackface minstrelsy and the remnants of Black American performance have been co-opted into the fabric of American popular music.

Morrison's narration adds a layer of authenticity and authority to the material. His deep engagement with the subject matter is evident in every word, making the complex and often uncomfortable history he presents feel personal and immediate. The concept of "Blacksound," as developed by Morrison, is a powerful framework for understanding how the sounds and performances of Black Americans were appropriated and commodified by the burgeoning music industry, often to the detriment of the original creators.

The audiobook is intellectually rigorous, requiring careful attention as Morrison unpacks the relationships between performance, racial identity, and intellectual property. There are moments in the narration where the historical revelations are so shocking that listeners may find themselves needing to pause and reflect on the implications. The brutal reality of how copyright laws were weaponized against Black artists is laid bare, highlighting the systemic inequities that have shaped the American music industry.

Morrison's analysis of blackface minstrelsy as a foundational element of American entertainment is both thorough and eye-opening. He meticulously traces how the scripts and tropes of minstrelsy became embedded in commercial entertainment, shaping the development of popular music. This history is not just about music; it's about the broader cultural and political stakes of how race and identity have been constructed and manipulated through sound.

The audiobook format enhances the experience of Blacksound, as Morrison's delivery is clear and engaging, making the dense academic content more accessible. However, this is not light listening. The subject matter is heavy, and the revelations about the historical and ongoing exploitation of Black sounds and performances can be difficult to process. But for those willing to engage with it, Blacksound offers an essential rethinking of American music history.

Blacksound: Making Race and Popular Music in the United States is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersections of race, music, and intellectual property. Matthew D. Morrison's narration brings his meticulously researched and thought-provoking work to life, making it an indispensable resource for scholars, musicians, and anyone interested in the cultural history of the United States. This audiobook is a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle for recognition and equity in the arts, and it will leave listeners with much to ponder long after the final chapter.

There is so much great information here! Morrison did a wonderful job of compiling the history of black music in America. That being said, it does read like a textbook so do with that what you will.

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Matthew D. Morrison, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley.

This audiobook is narrated by the author Matthew D. Morrison. The author's excitement and emotions are evident in his voice and that helps to build excitement for the subject matter. I was deeply appreciative of the choice to have him narrate this, pure perfection!

This was truly interesting on many levels. It helped that as I was reviewing this I was also reviewing a nonfiction audiobook on music as medicine by Daniel J. Levitin.
This narrative traces the sounds of Black folks in the Americas from 1800's slavery through the turn of the century during the creation of America's musical sound.
This focuses on minstrel shows and how these shows export the first aspect of truly American culture abroad. Minstrel shows directly lead to Jim Crow Laws. This isn't a new idea as Jim Crow is itself a minstrel character from these shows.
Early Minstrel players were Irish men and because the Irish claim to whiteness was shaky at that time period, they seek to cement the inferiority of Black folks. I think they thought it would work to add them to the collective idea of whiteness and it did. These minstrel actors specifically wanted white audiences overseas to understand that Black folks were genetically inferior to white folks. Minstrel shows cemented eugenic ideas into American culture at home and Western culture worldwide.

This offers a rich history of US copyright law and procedures. How copyright laws were used to protect white men's intellectual property in a way that specifically disadvantaged Black musicians. This offers so much lost history surrounding Black music traditions. Incredibly detailed and enlightening.

This also tracks the theft of Black sound which includes movement and dance by white minstrel actors. They intentionally wanted to degrade Black folks, they often used their own music with celtic origins but added unique Black aspects to it, such as scat (the singing of nonsense sounds) and the call and repeat pattern that is a hallmark of Black American music. Their shows also offered an offensive and white supremacist revision of Black movement and dance.

Surprisingly modern music is the long arm result of these shows. Of course the minstrel tradition is still practiced today by white artists such as Weird Al Yankovich. Also it could be argued by artists such as Post Malone & Pink, who use Black music to become popular because they failed in their chosen music genre which was created by Black sound but is now dominated by white artists, like America Country music.

I deeply enjoyed reading about historical Black entertainers who were lost to history because white men stole and copyrighted their material. The movement of Juba to tap dance really fascinated me. I watched all the videos I could find on Juba on YouTube. This was just truly an interesting experience. I highly recommend this book to history buffs and music buffs alike.

Much of this history is upsetting, frustrating and demeaning to Black folks specifically. The author/narrator handles this deftly so the reader can enjoy the knowledge as much as possible. This isn't easy to manage with weighty subjects like slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, etc. This is beautifully handled and incredibly interesting.

Thank you to Matthew D. Morrison, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.