Black American Music: Past and Present

Revised and expanded, this important text is designed to introduce the beginning scholar to various types of Pan-African music, from Africa to the Americas. With an emphasis upon the African American composer, this survey uses musical examples and illustrations to pinpoint beginning influences, the slave era, the emergence of the black professional, and contemporary trends. Discussions center upon classical and popular forms, and offer the music of William Grant Still alongside that of such jazz personalities as Edward (Duke) Ellington, Ferdinand (Jelly Roll) Morton, rap artist M. C. Hammer, and rock star Michael Jackson. Suitable for use in semester-length courses on African American Music, the book captures the fascinating story of a proud heritage whose roots grew centuries ago, and whose influences serve as a backdrop not only for African American music, but as a cornerstone for other American music as well.