William C. Banfield
Published: 2011-10-16
Total Pages: 313
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In this collection of essays, interviews, and profiles, William C. Banfield reflects on his life as a musician and educator, weaving together pieces of cultural criticism and artistry and paying homage to Black music of the last forty years and beyond. The essays and interviews in Representing Black Music Culture: Then, Now, and When Again? are enhanced by seven years of daily diary entries that reflect on some of the country's most respected Black composers, recording artists, authors, and cultural icons, including Ornette Coleman, Bobby McFerrin, Toni Morrison, Amiri Baraka, Gordon Parks, the Marsalis brothers, Maya Angelou, Patrice Rushen, Billy Taylor, Herbie Hancock, and Quincy Jones. Although many of the individuals Banfield lauds are well known to most readers, he also turns his attention to musicians and artists whose work, while perhaps unheralded by the world at large, is no less deserving of praise and respect for their contributions. In addition, this volume is filled with candid photographs of many artists participating in expressive culture, whether on stage, on tour, in clubs, in rehearsal, or teaching class. This unique book will be of interest to scholars and students, as well as general readers interested in absorbing and appreciating Black culture. Book jacket.