A year in the life of the jazz musician and composer includes his views on rap, the road, romance, creativity, politics, culture, and the role of the artist in American society.

"Examines the importance of culture in the push for black political power and social recognition and argues the key black cultural practices have been notable in reconfiguring the shape and texture of social and cultural life in the U.S. Drawing on examples from jazz, television, and academia, Gray highlights cultural strategies for inclusion in the dominant culture as well as cultural tactics that move beyond the quest for mere recognition by challenging, disrupting, and unsettling dominant cultural representations and institutions. In the end, Gray challenges the conventional wisdom about the centrality of representation and politics in black cultural production"--Provided by publisher.

This annotated bibliography contains over 700 entries covering adult non-fiction books on jazz published from 1990 through 1999. Entries are organized by category, including biographies, history, individual instruments, essays and criticism, musicology, regional studies, discographies, and reference works. Three indexes—by title, author, and subject—are included.

The first book by David Dicaire, Blues Singers: Biographies of 50 Legendary Artists of the Early 20th Century, (McFarland, 1999), included pioneers, innovators, superstars, and cult heroes of blues music born before 1940. This second work covers those born after 1940 who have continued the tradition. This work has five sections, each with its own introduction. The first, Modern Acoustic Blues, covers artists that are major players on the acoustic blues scene of recent time, such as John Hammond, Jr. The second, Contemporary Chicago Blues, features artists of amplified, citified, gritty blues (Paul Butterfield and Melvin Taylor, among others). Section three, Modern American Electric Blues, includes some Texas blues singers such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Vaughan and examines how the blues have spread throughout the United States. Contemporary Blues Women are in section four. Section five, Blues Around the World, covers artists from four different continents and twelve different countries. Each entry provides biographical and critical information on the artist, and a complete discography. A bibliography and supplemental discographies are also provided.

Is Jazz Dead? examines the state of jazz in America at the turn of the twenty-first century. Musicians themselves are returning to New Orleans, Swing, and Bebop styles, while the work of the '60s avant-garde and even '70s and '80s jazz-rock is roundly ignored. Meanwhile, global jazz musicians are creating new and exciting music that is just starting to be heard in the United States, offering a viable alternative to the rampant conservatism here. Stuart Nicholson's thought-provoking book offers an analysis of the American scene, how it came to be so stagnant, and what it can do to create a new level of creativity. This book is bound to be controversial among jazz purists and musicians; it will undoubtedly generate discussion about how jazz should grow now that it has become a recognized part of American musical history. Is Jazz Dead? dares to ask the question on all jazz fan's minds: Can jazz survive as a living medium? And, if so, how?

There are tales among the slaves on the Lowndes plantation of a woman known as Moses leading folks to safety and freedom. When she begins showing up at their meetings sharing the message of "Be ready. Freedom is at hand," some are curious to know more, while others think it's safer to keep a distance from her. Can she be trusted? Ben knows a dangerous secret and must decide whether to share what he knows with this mysterious stranger.