For almost half a century, Amiri Baraka has ranked among the most important commentators on African American music and culture. In this brilliant assemblage of his writings on music, the first such collection in nearly twenty years, Baraka blends autobiography, history, musical analysis, and political commentary to recall the sounds, people, times, and places he's encountered. As in his earlier classics, "Blues People and Black Music", Baraka offers essays on the famous - Max Roach, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane - and on those whose names are known mainly by jazz aficionados - Alan Shorter, Jon Jang, and Malachi Thompson.Baraka's literary style, with its deep roots in poetry, makes palpable his love and respect for his jazz musician friends. His energy and enthusiasm show us again how much Coltrane, Albert Ayler, and the others he lovingly considers mattered. He brings home to us how music itself matters, and how musicians carry and extend that knowledge from generation to generation, providing us, their listeners, with a sense of meaning and belonging.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Part One: Essays 1. Griot/Djali: Poetry, Music, History, Message 2. Miles Later 3. The "Blues Aesthetic" and the "Black Aesthetic": Aesthetics as the Continuing Political History of a Culture 4. Blues People: Looking Both Ways 5. Rhythm 6. The American Popular Song: "The Great American Song Book" 7. Blues Line 8. Cosby and the Music 9. Nina Returns 10. Jazz Criticism and Its Effect on the Music 11. Not "the Boss": Bruce Springsteen 12. Wynton Marsalis: Black Codes (from the Underground) 13. "The International Business of Jazz" and the Need for the Cooperative and Collective Self-Development of an International People's Culture 14. Newark's' "Coast" and the Hidden Legacy of Urban Culture 15. Black Music as a Force for Social Change 16. What You Mean, DuWop? 17. Classical American Music 18. Singers and the Music (A Theater Piece) 19. Newark's Influence on American Music 20. Black Music in Newark: A Proposal 21. Bopera Theory 22. "Jazz and the White Critic": Thirty Years Later 23. Random Notes on the Last Decade Part Two: Great Musicians 24. Panthalassa: Miles Davis 25. When Miles Split! 26. David Murray, Ming's Samba 27. David Murray, Fo Deuk Revue 28. David Murray, Addenda to a Concert 29. On Reissuing Trane 30. John Coltrane: Why His Legacy Continues 31. Some Memories of Alan Shorter: Interview with Wayne Shorter 32. High Art: Art Tatum 33. Max Roach at the Iridium 34. Paris Max 35. The Great Max Roach 36. Billie Holiday 37. The High Priest of Be Bop 38. Eric Dolphy: A Note 39. Jackie Mc 40. It Ain't about You 41. You Ever Hear Albert Ayler? 42. Albert's Will 43. Sassy Was Definitely Not the Avon Lady 44. Fred 45. Fred Hopkins's Memorial 46. Duke Ellington: The Music's "Great Spirit" 47. Duke Was a Very Great Pianist! 48. Blind Tom: The Continuity of Americana 49. Don Pullen Leaves Us 50. Black History Month Rediscovers "the Music" in New York City 51. Black History Month Rediscovers "the Music," Part 2: The Charles Tolliver Big Band at the Jazz Standard 52. Wonderful Stevie 53. Abbey Lincoln 54. Four Tough Good-byes: Jackie McLean, John Hicks, Hilton Ruiz, Halim Suliman Part Three: Notes, Reviews, and Observations 55. Impulse Sampler, Act on Impulse 56. Ralph Peterson 57. Andrew Cyrille, Good to Go 58. Odean Pope Saxophone Choir, Epitome 59. Ravi Coltrane, Moving Pictures 60. Donal Fox and David Murray, Ugly Beauty 61. Tyrone Jefferson, Connections 62. James Moody 63. Barry Harris: In the Tradition 64. Pharoah Sanders, Shukuru 65. Don Pullen-George Adams Quartet, Breakthrough 66. Von and Chico Freeman, Freeman and Freeman 67. Alan Shorter, Orgasm 68. The Work Man: Reggie Workman 69. Roscoe Mitchell and the Note Factory 70. Jimmy Scott, But Beautiful 71. Malachi Thompson, Talking Horns 72. The Nexus Orchestra, Seize the Time 73. Three Fresh Ticklers 74. Rodney Kendrick, Last Chance for Common Sense 75. Jazz Times Review, Multiple Artists 76. More Young Bloods to the Rescue! 77. Vijay Iyer, Memorophilia 78. TriFactor, If You Believe 79. Live Lessons 80. New York Art Quintet 81. Peter Brotzmann, Nipples, and Joe McPhee, Nation Time 82. Jon Jang and David Murray, River of Life 83. Trio Three, Encounter 84. Jackie Mc--Coming and Going