A highly stimulating and lively book, which should be a hit not only with scholars and students of music and language, but also with musicians and anyone interested in American culture and music. The approach is well-informed and sensitive, and the whole is dealt with from a multi-angled perspective which brings together linguistics, phonology and music. The author takes care to articulate these various fields in a very convincing manner, making extensive use of both his academic knowledge as a linguist and his musical experience to back up his argument. The links between music and linguistic structure are very carefully studied in the light of recent research and experiments. - Nathalie Vincent-Arnaud, Professor of English Studies, University Toulouse-Jean Jaurès, France

Patrice Larroque, Professor of Linguistics at the University of Toulouse, France, explores the domain of linguistic variation, especially in African American English (AAE). His book provides stimulating analyses of the oral structure of the grammar and phonology to be found in blues. In addition, it offers interesting views on the links between poetry and the music of language. The author is also an experienced musician. This book will be of interest to teachers and students of literature and should appeal to any person interested in linguistics and music.- Claude E. Delmas, Professor Emeritus at the University Paris 3, Sorbonne Nouvelle.