Blues People

Negro Music in White America

By: LeRoi Jones

Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi

Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

"The path the slave took to 'citizenship' is what I want to look at. And I make my analogy through the slave citizen's music - through the music that is most closely associated with him: blues and a later, but parallel, development, jazz...[If] the Negro represents, or is symbolic of, something in and about the nature of American culture, this certainly should be revealed by his characteristic music."

So says Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones) in the introduction to Blues People, his classic work on the place of jazz and blues in American social, musical, economic, and cultural history. From the music of African slaves in the United States through the music scene of the 1960s, Baraka traces the influence of what he calls "negro music" on white America - not only in the context of music and pop culture but also in terms of the values and perspectives passed on through the music. In tracing the music, he brilliantly illuminates the influence of African Americans on American culture and history.

©1999 LeRoi Jones (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Wonderful

This book was very informative. The author , LeRoi Jones performed a very in depth research . A must read (listening) for all music lovers.

Glenn E.Caffey

Very good

I liked it alot, that's really all I have to say so I'm just gonna drag this out so I have enough words

You can't know where you're going. unless....

Excellent narration. A thought-provoking historical thesis of Black people and their music, the blues, in America.

A journey through the roots of blues and jazz

I hadn't heard of Jones before taking an Art hum music class. I was so moved by his insight in our readings that I decided to seek out his other works and I'm glad I did. Great narration and writing. Simply put, loved it.

Outstanding.

Clear sighted and knowledgeable exploration of the evolutionary history of African American music from Emancipation to the 1960’s.

More than a book about the Blues.

What sticks with me the most about this book is the topic of Blacks having to create our own culture because our African culture was pretty diluted by second generation slavery. How that new culture was built significantly by our artistic expression through music. As we “worked” we sang creating music based on our experience. Even today I find myself cleaning my house while singing along to Anita Baker. I am also not to familiar with the blues or jazz so found myself stopping at every mention of an artist to listen to a snippet of their music trying to find the changes in riffs and tempo the writer so vividly expressed.

Not about the blues

This book is about jazz & blues is only mentioned in the book's title. Dissatisfied.