Encyclopedia of the BluesThe Encyclopedia of the Blues provides a historical,musical, and cultural foundation for the study ofblues music. It traces musical and cultural trendsengendered by the blues and the aspects of the musicindustry and of American society that helped to nurturethose trends. The blues is a uniquely Americanform, and thus the majority of the individuals discussedare American; however, as many entries willaddress, the blues has grown far beyond its regionalorigins to become a form of entertainment and selfexpressionfor all races, classes, and nationalities.(For an overview of the blues as a musical genre, seethe Blues entry in volume one.) The Encyclopediaof the Blues is a multidisciplinary project, combiningthe work of approximately 140 scholars of music,bibliography, and American history and culture.Many of the contributors count musicianship as partof their scholarship, and they bring to the project afirst-hand knowledge of the rich heritage of the blues;many have been involved in groundbreaking recordingssuch as the Library of Congress sessions; andmany bring experience in music journalism to theproject.