The book is called "The History of Texas Music" and it was written by Gary Hartman, the founding director of the Center for Texas Music History at Texas State University in San Marcos.
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It is a masterful work. I've only read portions of it - it is huge and spans a few hundred years - but from what I have read I can tell you that this is a keeper.
"The History of Texas Music" details the richness, the roots, the depth and breadth of Texas music.
Historian Gary Hartman did an amazing job, condensing in a few hundred pages the richly diverse ethnic heritage of the Lone Star State.
The Texas Music Office slogan is "You can't hear American music without hearing Texas music." And that is appropriate here.
Texas music is an intricate part of the American music mosaic. Texas is rich in music styles and history and American music heroes including Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Bob Wills, Selena, George Strait, Emilio, Buddy Holly, Lydia Mendoza, Santiago Jimenez Sr., Flaco Jimenez, Gary P. Nunn, Freddy Fender, Ray Price, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Michael Martin Murphey, T-Bone Walker and so, so many more.
The Lone star sate is home to, and is known for a wide variety of styles - from conjunto to country, rock & roll to rap, blues to boleros, Tejano to trio, jazz to jump blues, swing, ragtime, gospel and much more.
Hartman begins at the beginning literally - back several hundreds of years ago when Native American Indians in the Southwest develped their own music traditions long before the Europeans arrived.
There are also chapters on the German, Jewish, Czechs, Polish and French influences, on the African roots of Texas music, Musica Tejana, and of course, the rock & roll era. By the way, the Musica Tejana chapter book has some 20 references to my own book "The Billboard Guide to Tejano and regional Mexican music" as well as books by scholar Manuel Pena and others.
Each chapter ends with a helpful recommended listing of CD titles.
Despite the massive volume of material, Hartman writes with a crisp and compelling style, taking the reader on a journey through the decades and the influential artists that helped developed what we call Texas music.
Hartman holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas. Among his publications is the lengthy introduction to "The Roots of Texas Music," an edited volume published by Texas A&M University Press.
Additional details on the "The History of Texas Music" book here:
www.txstate.edu/ctmh
http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2008/hartman.htm
As games related subjects continue to increase in popularity, there will be many more places to learn more about this significant subject.