A photographic history of music in Central Ohio from 1900-1970
1. The Great Band Builders
2. Going On Record
3. Dance Hall Days
4. The Big Broadcast
5. The Rise of the Vocal Groups
6. Honkers, Squawkers & Barwalkers
7. Country Roots
8. Out of the Garage
9. The Columbus Senior Musicians Hall of Fame
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Table of Contents
Columbus has long been known for its musicians. Unlike New York, San Francisco, Kansas City, Nashville, or even Cincinnati, however, it has never had a definable scene. Still, some truly remarkable music has been made in this musical crossroads by the many outstanding musicians who have called it home. Since 1900, Columbus has grown from the 28th- to the 15th-largest city in the United States. During this period, it has developed into a musically vibrant community that has nurtured the talents of such artists as Elsie Janis, Ted Lewis, Nancy Wilson, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Dwight Yoakam, Bow Wow, and Rascal Flatts. But, in many instances, those who chose to remain at home were as good and, perhaps, even better.
David Meyers, Arnett Howard, James Loeffler, and Candice Watkins have been actively researching and documenting the history of music in Columbus for more than 25 years. Among the other books they have collaborated on are Listen for the Jazz, Volumes I and II; More Columbus Unforgettables; and Columbus Unforgettables, Volume III. They also contributed to the Jazz Ohio Exhibition for the Ohio Historical Society and provided materials for the Roots of Rock and Roll exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
What the reviewers are saying
Under the headline "Rich heritage of music, musicians in Columbus strikes a chord," Aaron Beck of The Columbus Dispatch wrote on 08/10/2008:
"Unlike Kansas City, Seattle or New Orleans, Columbus has never had a `signature sound.' Now, though, the city has a signature book. With Columbus, The Musical Crossroads, David Meyers has compiled a tidy overview of players whose music spanned jazz, country and rock from 1900 to 1970. . . . With chapters such as `The Great Band Builders,' `Dance Hall Days,' `Honkers, Squawkers, and Bar Walkers' and `Out of the Garage,' the book serves as a primer for anyone interested in the city's historically rich musical culture. . . . Meyers provides lively introductions, then crams chapters with more than 200 previously unpublished black-and-white photos."
The Other Paper's John Petric wrote on 09/04/2008:
"Dismiss Columbus's contribution to music at your peril, my friends. As if the reissue of the legendary CapSoul label wasn't enough; as if spawning Nancy Wilson, Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Dwight Yoakam weren't enough; as if hosting the legendary fight between Elvis Costello and Bonnie Bramlett in a downtown Holiday Inn wasn't enough, there's a new book documenting the tip of the Columbus musical iceberg. Columbus, The Musical Crossroads, by David Meyers, Arnett Howard, James Loeffler and Candice Watkins, is a sweet, 125-page pictorial stroll through the city's 20th century of music. . . . I've known Dave Meyers for years, and more than a decade ago he amassed a computer printout of local music information that would've gagged Silicon Valley. So Crossroads is but an expert and lovingly culled sampling of our middling little town's musical pulse."
The Columbus Dispatch sports reporter Bob Hunter blogged on The Daily Hunter (01/16/09) under the caption "Photo book of city's musical history makes you think":
"I already own several Arcadia books, including James R. Tootle's Baseball in Columbus. [Arnett] Howard's book is one I probably wouldn't have thought to buy, mostly because I've never thought much about the city's music history. This week, I finally finished off another book I was reading, picked up Columbus, The Musical Crossroads and was fascinated by it. . . . As with most of Arcadia's books, it is mostly pictures and captions that explain who and what the pictures are about. But as I looked at the faces, I realized how little I had thought of the evolution of music over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries and all the musicians, bands, singers and songwriters who have called the city home through the years. For a guy who spends as much time immersed in local history as I do, it was strange to think I'd never thought much about it. It isn't sports, but maybe that's the point: Sometimes it pays to wander away from your primary area of expertise and try something new."
Retired librarian Norma Bruce blogged in "Collecting My Thoughts" (08/26/2008):
"David Meyers knows more about the Columbus music scene than anyone I know, and he has a new book in the Arcadia series, Images of America, called Columbus The Musical Crossroads. It follows the usual format of about 130 pages and 2 photos per page with text. That's probably murder for a guy like Dave who has boxes of research and documentation, but it's fun for the reader. . . . I have only leafed through it (my husband brought it back to Lakeside with him), but I think Columbus boomers will get a kick out of Chapter 8, `Out of the Garage,' which features the local high school rock and roll bands of the 1960s. . . . Good job, Dave."
Christine Hayes of the Short North Gazette wrote (09/04/2008):
"Four authors provide us with the spectrum of musical history in Columbus. In the style of Arcadia-published books we already know and love, excellent archival photos with extended captions provide much of the information. We get some general Columbus history: population growth, how the music fell into - and out of - racial divisions, and the strong point that Columbus was, and is, a Midwest crossroads for culture of all kinds. The minstrel show and the circus, the Ohio State and Capital Universities, the proximity of Lockbourne Air Force Base, the many ballrooms and clubs, all played a part in the growth of lush musical talent like Nancy Wilson and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. With chapter headings and introductions such as "Band Builders," "Big Broadcast," and my favorite, "Honkers, Squawkers, and Bar Walkers," we get the chronology and the anecdotes. In addition to the standard band shots, we can share in the musical enthusiasm with glamour shots, sheet music covers, band-in-action photos, posters, and photos of the actual recorded discs. David Meyers, Arnett Howard, James Loeffler, and Candice Watkins have pooled their vast knowledge into a seamless tour of the excitement of Columbus musicians who loved their work."
