cover image Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits

Clifford Endres. University of Texas Press, $24.95 (136pp) ISBN 978-0-292-70378-0

Originating in Austin and carried on 280 PBS TV stations around the country, the popular country music series Austin City Limits concentrates on regional music drawn from Cajun, Creole, Mexican-American, black, mountain and cowboy traditions. Creating what some call a ""redneck-hippie'' blend of music and philosophy, the show also has staged Western swing revivals and bluegrass jamborees that have renewed the interest of regional audiences in their own musical heritage. Music journalist Endres, who writes in an appealing, anecdotal manner, captures the spirit and spontaneity of the series while examining its 11 seasons and 140 shows. He features such performers as Willie Nelson, Ernest Tubb, Tracey Nelson, Emmylou Harris and Merle Haggard. Unfortunately, the 270 or so photographs are mostly performance shots that quickly become indistinguishable from one another. (August)