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The Philadelphia Music Book: Sounds of a City
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 10, 2026
A very solid book on the history of music in Philadelphia, from the earliest days of the nation to current artists.
I learned a lot about the depth of classical musicians who came from here, or developed their careers at the Curtis Institute, or became local fixtures in the Philadelphia Orchestra. The most fascinating thing I learned about the Curtis is that Nina Simone failed her audition.
We get a lot about jazz, the early days of rock and roll, R&B and rap and hip hop.
World music could have used more coverage. Two of the strongest influences on Irish music in the US - Seamus Egan and Mick Moloney - have long ties to the city; they earned one mention each, but neither got a profile.
Two of the more interesting facts I picked up were that Bill Haley was from Delaware County and he and his Comets got their start in the Philadelphia area. And Paul Whiteman hosted a Philadelphia TV program where young people danced to the popular records of the day; his announcer (who may have picked up an idea or two on his own from the show) was Dick Clark.
As interesting and informative as the book is, there are times the editor has taken liberties with who is a Philadelphian.
I read Lady Sings the Blues and know Billie Holiday was born in Philadelphia. Her mother was an unwed teenager, who came to Philadelphia to livre with her sister after her parents threw her out of their Baltimore home. Billie and her mother moved back to Baltimore when married a man less than a year after the baby was born.
Stan Getz was born in Philadelphia but moved when he was six. John Legend went to Penn. Leon Redbone died in a New Hope Hospice. These people had a brush with Philadelphia, but do they really belong in this book?
At the same time, Sabrina Carpenter from Quakertown and Daryl Hall from Pottstown make the book but Taylor Swift from Wyomissing does not.
This is a well-written and informative book.
I learned a lot about the depth of classical musicians who came from here, or developed their careers at the Curtis Institute, or became local fixtures in the Philadelphia Orchestra. The most fascinating thing I learned about the Curtis is that Nina Simone failed her audition.
We get a lot about jazz, the early days of rock and roll, R&B and rap and hip hop.
World music could have used more coverage. Two of the strongest influences on Irish music in the US - Seamus Egan and Mick Moloney - have long ties to the city; they earned one mention each, but neither got a profile.
Two of the more interesting facts I picked up were that Bill Haley was from Delaware County and he and his Comets got their start in the Philadelphia area. And Paul Whiteman hosted a Philadelphia TV program where young people danced to the popular records of the day; his announcer (who may have picked up an idea or two on his own from the show) was Dick Clark.
As interesting and informative as the book is, there are times the editor has taken liberties with who is a Philadelphian.
I read Lady Sings the Blues and know Billie Holiday was born in Philadelphia. Her mother was an unwed teenager, who came to Philadelphia to livre with her sister after her parents threw her out of their Baltimore home. Billie and her mother moved back to Baltimore when married a man less than a year after the baby was born.
Stan Getz was born in Philadelphia but moved when he was six. John Legend went to Penn. Leon Redbone died in a New Hope Hospice. These people had a brush with Philadelphia, but do they really belong in this book?
At the same time, Sabrina Carpenter from Quakertown and Daryl Hall from Pottstown make the book but Taylor Swift from Wyomissing does not.
This is a well-written and informative book.
February 12, 2026
Well done and through. A great overview of the incredibly influential Philadelphia musicians, from classical, to Jazz, to opera, to rock, and rap. The individual profiles enables the reader to look up and listen to each of the artists, which I recommend doing while reading.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews