African-American Music by
African-American Music provides an introduction to all the richness and diversity of African-American musical styles, focusing on the distinct characteristics and development of each genre and its inherent styles including: spirituals, blues, gospel, ragtime, jazz, pop, and classical music.
A Right to Sing the Blues by
All too often an incident or accident, such as the eruption in Crown Heights with its legacy of bitterness and recrimination, thrusts Black-Jewish relations into the news. A volley of discussion follows, but little in the way of progress or enlightenment results--and this is how things will remain until we radically revise the way we think about the complex interactions between African Americans and Jews. A Right to Sing the Blues offers just such a revision. "Black-Jewish relations," Jeffrey Melnick argues, has mostly been a way for American Jews to talk about their ambivalent racial status, a narrative collectively constructed at critical moments, when particular conflicts demand an explanation. Remarkably flexible, this narrative can organize diffuse materials into a coherent story that has a powerful hold on our imagination. Melnick elaborates this idea through an in-depth look at Jewish songwriters, composers, and perfomers who made "Black" music in the first few decades of this century. He shows how Jews such as George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Al Jolson, and others were able to portray their "natural" affinity for producing "Black" music as a product of their Jewishness while simultaneously depicting Jewishness as a stable white identity. Melnick also contends that this cultural activity competed directly with Harlem Renaissance attempts to define Blackness. Moving beyond the narrow focus of advocacy group politics, this book complicates and enriches our understanding of the cultural terrain shared by African Americans and Jews.
This Day in African-American Music by 
Africana: Arts and Letters by
Here's an eminently readable reference of African-American contributions to the arts, faithfully adapted from the original one-volume encyclopediaAfricana. Essays on such influential black figures as the writer and activist Amiri Baraka; singers Billie Holiday, Paul Robeson, and Lena Horne; painter Romare Bearden; filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles, and poet Maya Angelou, as well as on black cultural events throughout modern history, create a rich resource of African-American arts and letters.
Boogaloo by
Boogaloo—the synonym of choice among the cognoscenti for rhythm and blues—is a stylish and profound meditation on the art, influence, and commerce of black American popular music. At once deeply knowing and keenly observant, Arthur Kempton reveals the tensions between the sacred and the profane at the heart of “soul music,” and the complex centrality of “Aframericans” in the evolution of our mass musical culture. What that culture is all about, who owns it, and who gets paid—these are issues of moment in his epic narrative. Kempton brilliantly traces the interconnections among a century’s worth of signal personalities, events, and achievements: from Thomas A. Dorsey, the so-called Father of Gospel Music, whose career (“Got to Know How to Work Your Show”) sheds light on Mahalia Jackson, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown, among others, to the rise of that “handsome Negro lad,” Sam Cooke (perhaps the greatest of soul singers) and his definitive crossover dreams; from Berry Gordy Jr.’s infatuation with Doris Day and his sharp business plan to capture and exploit the sounds of young America through Motown (“It’s What’s in the Grooves That Counts”) to the founding of Stax Records and Memphis Soul by a white farm kid who grew up dreaming of being a country fiddler; from the visionary funk of George Clinton to the ascendancy of hip hop (“Sharecropping in Wonderland”), the murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, and the story of Death Row Records. Boogaloois a monumental work, informed by a rare fierceness of intellect, which debunks many a myth and canard about our popular music heritage even as it enlarges our understanding of its quintessence.
From Jazz to Swing by
In the 1920s, many black regional jazz bands were recorded and became products of the entertainment industry, which was altering the face of America from the handmade, homemade, homemade society of the ninteenth century to the mass-produced, mass-consumed technological culture of the twentieth century. Making use of the files of African American newspapers, such as the Chicago Defender, as well as published and archival oral history interviews, Hennessey explores the contradictions that musicians often faced as African Americans, as trained professional musicians, and as the products of differing regional experiences. From Jazz to Swing follows jazz from its beginnings in the regional black musics of the turn of the century in New Orleans, Chicago, New York, and the territories that make up the rest of the country.
Heart and Soul by
Illustrated with over 400 photographs, publicity shots, posters, programmes, adverts, sheet music and record labels in full colour, this celebration of American black music is a story of hot music and high style, of people who made history by being themselves and who made the world a richer, wilder and definitely cooler place for the rest of us.
Icons of Black Music by
A photographic collection of eighty of the most influential musicians of this century. Stunning black-and-white art photography, along with extensive biographical information, captures the essence of each artist and their cultural significance. Includes phenomenal performers like James Brown and Aretha Franklin, jazz greats Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, guitar gods Hendrix and Prince, Rock & Roll Hall-of-Famers Curtis Mayfield and Wilson Pickett, Blues legends B. B. King, Bessie Smith, and beyond.
Profiles of the People in Music by
Consult this reference for biographical information on more than 4, 500 figures in todays musical arena. Covering all genres of modern music, Contemporary Musicians profiles artists involved in rock, jazz, pop, rap, rhythm and blues, folk, New Age, country, gospel and reggae. Looking for information on Front man Trent Reznor? Need a list of Van Cliburns early recordings or background details on Johnny Mercers musical career? Music lovers, students, teachers, journalists and other researchers will appreciate and enjoy the lively and descriptive essays of this excellent series. Contemporary Musicians offers biographical statistics, detailed source information, critical essays, selected discographies and, whenever available addresses for the leaders, the legends and the up-and-coming celebrities of popular and classical music. Also provided is a list of selected books, magazines, newspapers and other sources where more information can be found. Nearly every entry contains a photograph of the featured subject. This source is up-to-date with coverage of the performers and writers who interest readers, drawn from the various musical genres as represented by the breakdown of record sales. The series also covers past artists whose accomplishments still have an impact on todays music. This reference is appealing to students because of its contemporary focus, easy format and style. Each volume is alphabeticall
Touched by God by
In a soul-lifting collection that resounds with joy, today's black gospel superstars tell how the Lord has changed their lives and shaped their music. Dr. Bobby Jones, host of Black Entertainment Television's "Bobby Jones Gospel" and "Video Gospel," joins Kirk Franklin, John P. Kee, Albertina Walker, Dottie Peoples, Shirley Caesar, and others whose personal stories, like the healing, hopeful music they were called to sing, are celebrations of God's glory. With millions of fans worldwide, gospel music has reverberated out of the church and into the mainstream -- echoing a global need for direction in an uncertain world. As rousing as a gospel choir in full swing, these stories confirm the power of music and faith, as nineteen top recording artists share their triumphs and trials, and the times when God touched their lives. For some, the Lord reached out to them in an unforgettable instant. For others, finding Him took them down a longer road.... Kirk Franklin reveals how it took the violent death of his close friend for God to reach out and touch him, and turn him from a gang-banger to a minister for Christ. John P. Kee af
African American Jazz and Rap by
Music is an expressive voice of a culture, often more so than literature. While jazz and rap are musical genres popular among people of numerous racial and social backgrounds, they are truly important historically for their representation of and impact upon African American culture and traditions. Essays offer interdisciplinary study of jazz and rap as they relate to black culture in America. The essays are grouped under sections. One examines an Afrocentric approach to understanding jazz and rap; another, the history, culture, performers, instruments, and political role of jazz and rap. There are sections on the expressions of jazz in dance and literature; rap music as art, social commentary, and commodity; and the future. Each essay offers insight and thoughtful discourse on these popular musical styles and their roles within the black community and in American culture as a whole. References are included for each essay.
America's Musical Landscape by
America's Musical Landscape addresses the broad range of music in the United States from early periods to today. This comprehensive yet accessible text offers an elegant and readable introduction to the fundamentals of music, assuming no prior music experience for the student. Frequent connections to other arts, particularly the visual arts, add to the book's appeal and enhance understanding of core musical concepts. The sixth edition emphasizes vernacular over classical music and recent examples over early music, while offering generous coverage of the complete American musical landscape.
American Music by
This best-selling survey text describes American music as a panorama of distinct yet parallel streams-popular, folk, sacred, and classical-that reflect the uniquely diverse character of the United States. Comparing and contrasting musical styles across regions and time, Candelaria and Kingman deliver a vision of American music both exuberant and inventive, a music that arises out of the history and musical traditions of the many immigrants to America's shores.
American Popular Music by 
Birth of the Cool by
Miles Davis and Juliette Greco, Jackson Pollock and Jack Kerouac, Marlon Brando and Bob Dylan and William Burroughs. What do all these people have in common? Fame, of course, and undeniable talent. But most of all, they were cool. Birth of the Cool is a stunningly illustrated, brilliantly written cultural history of the American avant-garde in the 1940s and 1950s -- the decades in which cool was born. From intimate interviews with cool icons like poet Allen Ginsberg, bop saxophonist Jackie McLean, and Living Theatre cofounder Judith Malina, award-winning journalist and poet Lewis MacAdams extracts the essence of cool. Taking us inside the most influential and experimental art movements of the twentieth century -- from the Harlem jazz joints where Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker invented bebop to the back room at Max's Kansas City when Andy Warhol was holding court to backstage at the Newport Folk Festival the night Bob Dylan went electric, from Surrealism to the Black Mountain School to Zen -- MacAdams traces the evolution of cool from the very fringes of society to the mainstream. Born of World War II, raised on atomic-age paranoia, cast out of the culture by the realities of racism and the insanity of the Cold War, cool is now, perversely, as conventional as you can get. Allen Ginsberg suited up for Gap ads. Volvo appropriated a phrase from Jack Kerouac's On the Road for its TV commercials. How one became the other is a terrific story, and it is presented here in a gorgeous package, rich with the coolest photographs of the black-and-white era from Robert Doisneau, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Man Ray, and many others. Drawing a direct line between Lester Young wearing his pork-pie hat and his crepe-sole shoes staring out his hotel window at Birdland to the author's three-year-old daughter saying "cool" while watching a Scooby-Doo cartoon at the cusp of a new millennium, Birth of the Cool is a cool book about a hot subject...maybe even the coolest book ever.
Music by
Whether from a concert stage or at the front of a classroom, Roger Kamien knows how to reach an audience--blending intelligence and passion to lift music from the page and bring it to life. His unique combination of artistic and teaching skills makes Music: An Appreciation, Brief Edition an invaluable tool for students wanting to learn more about music. This best-selling textbook introduces students to perceptive listening and provides an engaging introduction to musical elements, forms, and stylistic periods. It is organized chronologically, but individual sections can be addressed in any order, for a variety of teaching approaches. Musical notation is included but is not required to understand the popular listening guides featured in the text, which focus students' attention on musical events as they unfold. The Online Learning Center for this text provides open access for all students to many activities and video instrument demonstrations in addition to quiz and study materials for each chapter..
Why we love music : from Mozart to Metallica : the emotional power of beautiful sounds by
"Did you know that ...carrying a musical instrument makes you more attractive? music can cure insomnia? music can change the taste of wine? the Mozart effect has nothing to do with Mozart? Barry Manilow songs can be used for crowd control? Why does music affect you so profoundly? It impacts the way you think, talk, feel, behave and even spend money. With his conversational style, humour, and endless knowledge, scientist and musician John Powell showcases fascinating studies - for example that shoppers spend more money in stores that play classical music and, even more astounding, they are more likely to buy German wine in stores playing German music. With chapters on music and emotions, music as medicine, music and intelligence, and much more, Why We Love Music will entertain through to the very last page. A delightful journey through the psychology and science of music, Why We Love Music is the perfect book for anyone who loves a tune."
Africans in the Americas by
"Africans in the Americas provides a comparative history of African Americans, from the arrival of the first Africans in the Western Hemisphere to the present. Within a chronological organization, the book has topical chapters that compare the political, economic, social, and cultural contributions of African Americans to life in the U.S., the Caribbean, Brazil, and Spanish America. By offering a complete view of African-American history and by considering the roles of Africans and their descendants in the development of all the Americas, the book is able to place the black diaspora in the larger context of world history." "The book begins with a chapter on African antiquity and early contacts with Europe. It continues with a comparative history of the slave trade and emancipation. Other topics include the role of free blacks throughout African-American history, women and gender relations, and African-American relations with Europeans and Native American populations. Finally, the book concludes with chapters on modern race and economic relations in the Americas and a chapter on the continuing ties between African Americans and Africa."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
The Black Diaspora by
The Black Diaspora tells the enthralling story of African-descended people outside Africa, spanning more than five centuries and a dozen countries of settlement, from Britain, Canada, and the United States to Haiti, Guyana, and Brazil. Ronald Segal's account begins in Africa itself, with the cultures and societies flourishing there before the arrival of the Atlantic slave trade, which transported over ten million people to the Americas, after killing at least as many in their procurement and passage. He examines the extent of the profits made through the trade by merchants, manufacturers, investors, and planters, along with the racist ideology that developed as whites strove to rationalize an enormous economic dependence.Segal describes the various ways in which the system of slavery developed and provides the most comprehensive account to date of the resistance by the slaves themselves, from escape and arson to guerrilla warfare and revolution. When emancipation finally came, the former slaves were left in the fetters of poverty and discrimination. Segal details the course of the struggle against colonial rule and the racial oppressions of self-styled democracies. In recounting his own travels through the Diaspora, he shows the continuing plight of peoples confined by the consequences of the past and the prejudices of the present: racked by violence, as in Jamaica and the ghettos of America; denied the right to assert their sense of identity, as in Cuba; acknowledged only to be repudiated, as in Brazil. Yet this is also, Segal reveals, a Diaspora of wondrous achievement. It has immeasurably enriched world culture in music, language and literature, painting, sculpture and architecture; has done much to make sports a form of art; and has invested Western culture with the ecological reverence derived from its African source. Segal argues that the black Diaspora has a unique destiny, infused by the love of freedom that is its creative impulse.
Representations of Blackness and the Performance of Identities by
The essays gathered in this volume deal with representations of blackness and the performance of black identities in various historically determined societal contexts of the Americas, Benin, and Spain. The book is grounded on the premise that representations constitute, in part, the world in which we live. An important aspect of the struggles of dominated people consists in more or less overtly challenging, manipulating, combatting, negating, and sometimes inverting representations of themselves reproduced in the dominant discourse of their national society. The contributors approach various forms of blackness within the fluctuation of political, economic, and social processes embedded in particular time/space contexts, which are constituted within local, regional, national, and transnational dimensions. Identities, whatever they may be, cannot be defined once and for all in fixed or essentialist terms as if they were unchanging or frozen in time and space. If, as this book proposes, identities are fluid, it is because they are constantly enacted and reenacted, performed anew within specific situations, and within changing socioeconomic and political contexts that provide sites for their negotiations and renegotiations, definitions and redefinitions. Thus, the book approaches black identities as performances.
