About the Book
Following in the footsteps of renowned authors like Alain Locke, Harold Cruse, and Amiri Baraka, Black Notes takes as its mission an important aesthetic inquiry, asking the compelling questions: How did we get where we are? What's next among this generation's artistic voices, concerns, and practices? What is the future of Black Popular Music?
In this fascinating collection of essays, interviews, and notes, Banfield celebrates and critiques the values of contemporary Black popular music through the exploration of both present and past voices and movements. From his unique vantage point as musician, artist, and writer, Banfield examines a variety of influences in the music world, from 17th-century composer/violinist Chevalier de St. Georges to jazz giant Duke Ellington; from producer Quincy Jones to pop legend Prince. Amusing anecdotes and the author's personal stories can be found throughout the work.
This entertaining work is a must read for anyone interested in African American studies, music, and popular culture.
Table of Contents:
Part 1 Acknowledgments
Part 2 Part 1: Primary Themes
Chapter 3 1. Opening Song: A Post-Album Age Blues Riff
Chapter 4 2. Reflection: Prelude
Chapter 5 3. Introduction
Part 6 Part 2: In the Pocket and on the Downbeat
Chapter 7 4. Black Music: A Historical Survey (The Dippin' Pool)
Chapter 8 5. Popular Culture in Non-Theory: Seeing Ourselves, Revealing Ourselves, Knowing Ourselves
Chapter 9 6. Mobilization and Cultural Creation: The Rise of African American Consciousness and an Interpretation of African American History and Culture (1990)
Chapter 10 7. The Undeniable Groove: Black Rhythm in Artistic Expression (1992)
Chapter 11 8. Aesthetics for a "Teaching Theory": Meaning in Black Music Practice and History
Chapter 12 9. Keepin' It Real: Arts and Humanizing Processes (1999)
Chapter 13 10. The Rub: Markets, Morals, Theology, and the Making of Music in Contemporary Popular Culture (Russell Simmons, Biggie Smalls, Mary J. Blige, 2002)
Chapter 14 11. Black Artistic Invisibility: A Black Composer Talking 'bout Taking Care of the Souls of Black Folks While Losing Much Ground Fast
Chapter 15 12. You Call That Music! Hip Hop (with Libby Larson, Alexs Pate, Russell Simmons)
Chapter 16 13. An Essay on Hip Hop and Popular Music Culture as One Road Map in Jazz Education's Future Directions (2003)
Chapter 17 14. The Sass and Cool: Sarah and Miles; Tribute to the Staples of the Black Aesthetic (1990)
Chapter 18 15. Poetry, Blues, Rhetoric, and Prayer for the Complacent: Wearing Afros in Late 199? (January 1993)
Part 19 Part 3: Two Interviews with the Author
Chapter 20 16. The Work: Illuminating the Way and Moving the People Beyond (1997)
Chapter 21 17. An Interview with William Banfield (James P. Johnson, Duke Ellington, Anthony Braxton, and the AACM) by Alan Baker, Minnesota Public Radio, March 2003
Part 22 Part 4: Tritone Substitution: Musicians in Tune and in Time
Chapter 23 18. Radio Program Introduction
Chapter 24 19. Q: The Music of Composer Quincy Jones
Chapter 25 20. Mozart's Afro Cousin: Joseph, the Chevalier de St. Georges
Chapter 26 21. James P. Johnson's Stride
Chapter 27 22. Just Make Music: The Music of Douglas Ewart
Chapter 28 23. Regina Carter
Chapter 29 24. Ms. Rushen, Our All-Keys Player
Chapter 30 25. Billy Childs: The World Where I Live
Chapter 31 26. What Makes a Piece of Music to You? (Hale Smith)
Chapter 32 27. Where Do the Musical Geniuses Go? (Jaco Pastorius)
Part 33 Part 5: Modulations: Talks with and on Contemporary Artists
Chapter 34 28. The Music Kept Us From Being Paralyzed: A Talk with Bernice Johnson Reagon
Chapter 35 29. Four Talks on Artistic Responsibility (Bobby McFerrin, Ysaye Barnwell, Billy Taylor, Patrice Rushen)
Chapter 36 30. Two Articles about Steve Reich (1989)
Chapter 37 31. Farewell to Lenny: Reflections on a Hero Beloved (1992)
Chapter 38 32. Ode to a Friend: Michael Powell, Visionary Producer (1992)
Chapter 39 33. His Royal Crown Prince of Jazz Purists: Times with Wynton Marsalis (1994)
Chapter 40 34. Stevie Wonder: He Remembered My Name! (1991)
Chapter 41 35. His Name Is Prince and He Is What?! (The Artist, Genius, and Meaning of...) (1994)
Chapter 42 36. The Day I Met Flavor Flav (Public Enemy and the Boyyy!!!!) (1994)
Chapter 43 37. Rap Music on Trial (1994)
Chapter 44 38. A Brush with Teddy: Riley's Last Words (1994)
Chapter 45 39. 96 Hemmingway: The Boston Daze
Chapter 46 40. Gordon Parks: An Artist Celebrating the Human Spirit (2000)
Chapter 47 41. Ralph Ellison, A Raisin in the Sun, We Bamboozled: Some Thoughts (2004)
Part 48 Part 6: Taking It to the Bridge: The Future of Black Popular Music Visited
Chapter 49 42. The Future of Black Popular Music: A Theory of Contemporary Interpretation
Chapter 50 43. Tracing the Seeds of Our Cultural Decay
Chapter 51 44. We're Representin': The Hope for the Future of Black Popular Music
Chapter 52 45. Who Stole the Souls of Black Folk?
Chapter 53 46. Treading Turbulent Waters: Being an Invisible Black Artist in Contemporary American Culture-Foundations for Cultural Theory (2004)
Chapter 54 47. Still Black Notes: Reporting from the 2004 BET (Black Entertainment Television) Awards Show
Part 55 Part 7: Conclusions: The Turnaround
Chapter 56 48. Staying Full-Tune: From Where I have Walked, Final Reflections, and the Hope(s) in the Future of Black Music Culture
Chapter 57 49. Coda and Cadence
Part 58 Photos
Part 59 Notes
Part 60 Index
Part 61 About the Author
About the Author :
William C. Banfield is Professor of Africana Studies/Music/Society at Berklee School of Music. A musician, composer, conductor, and musical director, Banfield is the consulting editor for African American Cultural Studies for the Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Review :
Bill Banfield is a modern magician who when he raises his baton on music of all kinds fetches forth a spirit and image that touches new meanings and interpretations. This beautiful and innovative volume breathes new life and understandings to all notes and interpretations. It is a volume not to sleep with but to sing on. Nobody interprets with a clearer voice and higher tone.
William Banfield is extremely well qualified to have written this book. Here is a project that brings together all of his gifts as a scholar, an academic, and a musician, one who has played in many different contexts and has composed for them as well. Nothing like this has ever appeared before and that could be because no one as qualified as Mr. Banfield has made the choice to take on a project of this magnitude. His belief comes down to something he likes to say about the role of those work in culture, which is "to illuminate the world." This book contains, as it should, plenty of light.
Dr. Banfield is undertaking a daunting task defining Black music…Dr. Banfield's text is without a doubt a significant contribution to the research that has been and is continuing to be collected for present and future scholars who are engaged in solving the riddle of who Americans really are…This approach creates many more questions than answers, but at this time in our history, literature of this nature is a welcome respite to the alternative of sociopolitical and historical subterfuge perpetrated through the mythology of the dominant culture. This is a must read.
Recognizing the social and cultural importance of musical expression alongside its aesthetic import, Banfield...has many concerns for the state of music today in the "post-album" age. He engages these concerns while simultaneously celebrating African American music in this series of 49 essays of cultural and aesthetic criticism. One of his primary concerns is the ideological power of popular cultural expression in the context of the "current cultural revolution of the combined power industries of popular music, media, and information technology" and the consequences that cultural revolution may have on the ability to use popular music to express healthy social and political values.
Despite being deeply troubled by much of what he sees and hears, William C. Banfield avoids churning out another of those 'things were so much better in my day' volumes. Instead, this comprehensive and insightful collection of essays celebrates past glories and recognizes current achievements, neither demonizing nor excusing rockers and rappers for what he considers questionable actions and debatable sentiments. Banfield is certainly concerned that so many gifted performers place more emphasis on production and image than artistry and excellence, but he also understands that the current system of corporate-dominated popular culture deserves as much, if not more criticism for the state of things than the latest crunk star. Blending reflection with interviews and analysis, Banfield moves from classical to jazz, then to rock and into the spiritual realm. He even dips into film and television scores, while continually returning to the key question of what the future holds for music in general and, particularly, the sounds created by African-Americans. Black culture may be his principal focus, but William C. Banfield's treatment extends across the broad spectrum of the arts, exploring complex problems, posing innovative solutions and inspiring readers to caref
Bill Banfield-composer, performer, scholar, and critic-has produced another must-read book with Black Notes. He writes about the glorious past, the controversial present, and the boundless future of black music from his position on the front lines, and no one does it more engagingly or insightfully than he does. This is a book from which to learn and by which to teach, and to enjoy.
Despite being deeply troubled by much of what he sees and hears, William C. Banfield avoids churning out another of those 'things were so much better in my day' volumes. Instead, this comprehensive and insightful collection of essays celebrates past glories and recognizes current achievements, neither demonizing nor excusing rockers and rappers for what he considers questionable actions and debatable sentiments. Banfield is certainly concerned that so many gifted performers place more emphasis on production and image than artistry and excellence, but he also understands that the current system of corporate-dominated popular culture deserves as much, if not more criticism for the state of things than the latest crunk star. Blending reflection with interviews and analysis, Banfield moves from classical to jazz, then to rock and into the spiritual realm. He even dips into film and television scores, while continually returning to the key question of what the future holds for music in general and, particularly, the sounds created by African-Americans. Black culture may be his principal focus, but William C. Banfield's treatment extends across the broad spectrum of the arts, exploring complex problems, posing innovative solutions and inspiring readers to carefully consider the songs, films and television shows that define their existence.
