From the Publisher
At long last, David Menconi has given us the musical overview the Tar Heel State truly deserves.—Jon Wurster, Superchunk
This is a great, comprehensive look at what incredible diversity North Carolina music has to offer, and there is no one better to tell these stories than the ever-present David Menconi.—Woody Platt, Steep Canyon Rangers
David Menconi has written a history of North Carolina music that is as lilting as a Piedmont ballad, as pleasurable as a Libba Cotten pick-and-strum, and with all the forward drive of a Fulton Allen solo. That is to say: you should read this book.—Osha Gray Davidson, author of The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South
North Carolina music is an ambassador for the state that is unequaled. And, David Menconi is an unmatched ambassador for the music of the Tar Heel State. Step It Up and Go highlights the artists who create the fabric of the songs that we all wear. From blues to bluegrass, to beach music, to hip-hop, to pop, and more, Menconi showcases a keen ear for a story and a journalist's sense of history.—Joe Newberry, North Carolina musician
Step It Up and Go stands alone as a comprehensive, thought-provoking narrative detailing a century's worth of the entire North Carolina music scene, from the bravado of Charlie Poole and his banjo-driven string music to the wildly creative 9th Wonder and his shepherding of a vital N.C. hip-hop scene. Menconi's writing gifts, years of journalism, and direct contact with many of the state's music figures make the stories sing from inside and out. North Carolina has needed this book, and all its music lovers should celebrate its arrival.—Thomas Goldsmith, author of Earl Scruggs and Foggy Mountain Breakdown: The Making of an American Classic
Step It Up and Go is a landmark publication that tracks the state's rich musical history. David Menconi eloquently introduces early musicians like Shirley Caesar, Elizabeth Cotten, Blind Boy Fuller, Clyde McPhatter, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Poole, Earl Scruggs, Nina Simone, and Doc Watson, as well as contemporary performers like the Avett Brothers, Phonte Coleman, Rhiannon Giddens, Thomas "Rapper Big Pooh" Jones, Mandolin Orange, Megafaun, Tift Merritt, the Red Clay Ramblers, Southern Culture on the Skids, Superchunk, and Mike "M.C." Taylor. Menconi delivers a long-overdue salute to North Carolina as an unending source of musical talent that has defined the fields of old-time country, bluegrass, gospel, blues, jazz, rock and roll, and hip-hop.—William Ferris, author of Give My Poor Heart Ease: Voices of the Mississippi Blues
