Ain't but a Few of Us: Black Music Writers Tell Their Story

Despite the fact that most of jazz's major innovators and performers have been African American, the overwhelming majority of jazz journalists, critics, and authors have been and continue to be white men. No major mainstream jazz publication has ever had a black editor or publisher. Ain't But a Few of Us presents over two dozen candid dialogues with black jazz critics and journalists ranging from Greg Tate, Farah Jasmine Griffin, and Robin D. G. Kelley to Tammy Kernodle, Ron Welburn, and John Murph. They discuss the obstacles to access for black jazz journalists, outline how they contend with the world of jazz writing dominated by white men, and point out that these racial disparities are not confined to jazz but hamper their efforts at writing about other music genres as well. Ain't But a Few of Us also includes an anthology section, which reprints classic essays and articles from black writers and musicians such as LeRoi Jones, Archie Shepp, A. B. Spellman, and Herbie Nichols. Contributors Eric Arnold, Bridget Arnwine, Angelika Beener, Playthell Benjamin, Herb Boyd, Bill Brower, Jo Ann Cheatham, Karen Chilton, Janine Coveney, Marc Crawford, Stanley Crouch, Anthony Dean-Harris, Jordannah Elizabeth, Lofton Emenari III, Bill Francis, Barbara Gardner, Farah Jasmine Griffin, Jim Harrison, Eugene Holley Jr., Haybert Houston, Robin James, Willard Jenkins, Martin Johnson, LeRoi Jones, Robin D. G. Kelley, Tammy Kernodle, Steve Monroe, Rahsaan Clark Morris, John Murph, Herbie Nichols, Don Palmer, Bill Quinn, Guthrie P. Ramsey Jr., Ron Scott, Gene Seymour, Archie Shepp, Wayne Shorter, A. B. Spellman, Rex Stewart, Greg Tate, Billy Taylor, Greg Thomas, Robin Washington, Ron Welburn, Hollie West, K. Leander Williams, Ron Wynn

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments  ix Introduction / Willard Jenkins  1 1. Roundtable / Eric Arnold, Jordannah Elizabeth, Bill Francis, Steve Monroe, Rahsaan Clark Morris, Robin Washington, and K. Leander Williams  15 2. The Authors / Playthell Benjamin, Herb Boyd, Karen Chilton, Farah Jasmine Griffin, Robin D. G. Kelley, Tammy Kernodle, Guthrie P. Ramsey Jr., Gene Seymour, A. B. Spellman, and Greg Tate  27 3. Black Jazz Magazine Editors and Publishers / Jo Ann Cheatham (Pure Jazz), Jim Harrison (Jazz Spotlite News), Haybert Houston (Jazz Now), and Ron Welburn (The Grackle)  89 4. Black Dispatch Contributors / Robin James and Ron Scott  111 5. Magazine Freelancers / Bill Brower, Janine Coveney, Lofton Emenari III, Eugene Holley Jr., John Murph, Don Palmer, and Ron Wynn  125 6. Newspaper Writers and Columnists / Martin Johnson, Greg Thomas, and Hollie West  167 7. The New Breed (Online) / Bridget Arnwine, Angelika Beener, and Anthony Dean-Harris  189 8. Anthology  209 Classics “Jazz and the White Critic,” LeRoi Jones (DownBeat, 1963)  209 “Requiem for a Heavyweight,” Marc Crawford (Transition, 1966)  216 “Inside the Horace Silver Quintet,” Barbara Gardner (DownBeat, 1963)  220 “Trane + 7 = a Wild Night at the Gate,” A. B. Spellman (DownBeat, 1965)  226 “The Testimony: An Interview with Alto Saxophonist Bunky Green,” Bill Quinn (DownBeat, 1966)  229 On Jazz and Race “Putting the White Man in Charge,” Stanley Crouch (JazzTimes, 2003)  236 “My Bill Evans Problem-Jaded Visions of Jazz and Race,” Eugene Holley Jr. (New Music Box, 2013)  238 “Where's the Black Audience?”, Ron Wynn (JazzTimes, 2013)  243 “Whither the Black Voices,” Anthony Dean-Harris (Nextbop, 2013)  249 “Brooklyn's Jazz Renaissance,” Robin D. G. Kelley (ISAM Newsletter, 2004)  251 Additional Ain’t But a Few of Us Contributors “Wynton Is the Greatest!,” Playthell Benjamin (Commentaries on the Times, 2016)  255 “Jazz Is . . . Free . . . ?,” Ron Welburn (The Grackle, 1976)  259 “Why Jazz Will Always Be Relevant,” Greg Tate (The Fader, 2016)  264 “Rhapsody in Rainbow: Jazz and the Queer Aesthetic,” John Murph (JazzTimes, 2010)  268 Black Musician Writers “Billy Taylor Replies to Art Tatum Critics,” Billy Taylor (DownBeat, 1955)  274 “Creativity and Change,” Wayne Shorter (DownBeat, 1968)  276 “An Artist Speaks Bluntly,” Archie Shepp (DownBeat, 1965)  286 “The Jazz Pianist-Purist,” Herbie Nichols (Rhythm, 1946)  288 “Smack! Memories of Fletcher Henderson,” Rex Stewart (DownBeat, 1965)  290 Index  299

About the Author :
Willard Jenkins is the Artistic Director of the DC Jazz Festival as well as an arts consultant, producer, educator, and print and broadcast journalist. His writing has been featured in JazzTimes, Downbeat, Jazz Forum, Jazzwise, and many other publications. He is the coauthor of African Rhythms: The Autobiography of Randy Weston, also published by Duke University Press. He is the writer of the multipart Billie Holiday documentary podcast No Regrets.

Review :
"With the conductive virtuosity of Butch Morris, Jenkins . . . assembles an impressive paean to the Black writers who’ve dedicated their lives to capturing in language what jazz musicians conjure in a split second. With more than two dozen thoughtful profiles, this is a fascinating dive into the sociopolitical realities of being a Black writer-in this case, Black writers who love jazz and express that love in vivid prose. . . . A memorable love letter to Black art, Black joy, and the writers who have sought to tell it like it really is." (Kirkus Reviews) "A modern, fresh collection of interviews. . . . A triumphantly panoramic view of the visceral experience of Black jazz journalists and those who choose to cover the music successfully, by being published widely and regularly throughout their careers." - Jordannah Elizabeth (New York Amsterdam News) "The spectrum of vibrant Black voices in Ain’t But a Few of Us is broad, relaying their experiences in the trenches of the jazz media field-from cub reporters to trailblazers.. . . . The book serves as a testament to the experiences of a rare few, proof-positive that Black writers and editors are not alone." - Ayana Contreras (Downbeat) "To say that this book is an essential read is an understatement. It is essential not only to enjoy the eloquence and grace of the writing, the depth of knowledge, expertise and experience of these writers, but because things must change. Jazz needs more black voices. The world needs more black voices." - Fiona Ross (Kind of Jazz) "For jazz buffs and those interested in American culture, this is a spellbinding read and quite impossible to put down. This is an open invitation for the curious wanting an aural adventure." - Robert Fleming (African American Literature Book Club) "The importance of Willard’s new book Ain’t But A Few of Us cannot be underestimated. A collection of journeys – lived experiences – from the voices of 49 truly inspirational black writers.  It is groundbreaking for many reasons. Groundbreaking because never before has the lack of black jazz journalists been documented. Groundbreaking because never before has such an inspirational collection of writers been given a platform to share their experiences. Willard has given a long overdue platform to incredible voices." - Fiona Ross (Jazz in Europe) "Revelatory, inspiring, passionate, damning and sobering." - Raymond Cummings (The Wire) "Ain't But a Few of Us should be considered required reading for high school and college students, particularly those pursuing careers in music or journalism. . . .  For students, each writer offers a personal history of their lives with shared commonalities in their insights, the importance of inclusion and diversity, and, regardless of barriers and disparities, giving up is never an option." - Ron Scott (New York Amsterdam News)