Bigotry and the Afrocentric "jazz" Evolution: Third Edition [With CDROM]

by Karlton E. Hester

Karlton E. Hester, composer, flutist, and saxophonist, is Professor of Music and Director of "Jazz" Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1586842285
• ISBN13: 9781586842284
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Global Academic Publishing
• Length: 532 Pages
• Weight: 2.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 7.2" x 9.8"

Customer Reviews

(RAW Rating: 4.5) - Will Liberate All Who Read It

Early "jazz" is probably America's most important cultural contribution. Musicians were doing counter point in polyrhythm, and all the parts were being improvised jointly using the concert instruments of Europe. No music has ever been so complex. But few know that Africans have a musical culture that goes back 50,000 years; the first musical culture. Thus, the study of European counter point and the whole African tradition gave birth to the most complicated music the human species has ever produced. Even today music education systems are teaching Eurocentric music philosophy and methodology and labeling it `multicultural'. But for all of our history, African American students are extremely scarce in "jazz" classes. And as much as "jazz" is a celebration of the human spirit, it is steeped in a darkness which we have been reluctant to face; a darkness of racism, sexism, lies, and exploitation. Yet, it is that very darkness that has fueled so much of the "jazz" we now exalt. But without the full history and the complete story, we can never go beyond the past. To this point Dr. Hester has shone a light on the darkness, not with vengeance, but with integrity, discipline, and a list of distinguished "jazz" innovators. He exposes the controversy surrounding the ownership of "jazz", examines the evolution of African American music in the context of socio-cultural history, and highlights the roots of innovative `Black' music with greater clarity. Dr. Hester explains and links the integral forces in the ever evolving development of "jazz", because it is still not complete. As "jazz" evolves, so must the dialogue concerning the social, creative, and historical forces behind it. BIGOTRY AND THE AFROENTRIC "Jazz" EVOLUTION by Karlton E. Hester, Ph.D. will liberate all who read it with an open mind, and most importantly, an open heart. A plus is the fact that Dr. Hester has visited the places that produced this exhilarating tradition we call "jazz" and he uses his findings to point the way to the future. This book is like a map, and to travel Dr. Hester's path and receive an enlightening education from a "jazz" musicologist, you have only to turn the pages and share his adventure. Reviewed by aNN of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers