Reviews Description Table of Contents Author Information Additional Information Brochure   Reviews   After reading and giving much deliberation to the African American history book entitled From Africa to Afrocentric Innovations Some Call “Jazz” written by Dr. Karlton E. Hester I will say, I definitely found it engaging, challenging, enlarging and setting a new standard for the Twenty-First Century Jazz authors. This textbook is written by an insider, not as an observer sitting at a table in the audience trying to understand what is happening on stage. At best most of the authors today, are a group of dilettantes at one end of the spectrum, and a bunch of “wish they could be” participants at the other end. I get a feeling from most of the books and articles I have read that scholarship, and the capacity of understanding have reached the nadir of comprehension of our music. The authors of today, along with many of the academicians possess very little feeling and insight when writing about the music of my heritage. When I have read comments on other kinds of ethnic music, I have never seen such an absence of emotion, vision and knowledge as the writer makes of the music of my heritage. I am very happy to state that Dr. Karlton E. Hester is changing the course in the flow of the contemporary author's writings. The text From Africa to Afrocentric Innovations Some Call "Jazz" will become required reading in all substantial music and departments of the arts. I immediately recognized the value of his contribution to the contemporary musicology. His textbook is an example of Five Star authorship. Read it and enjoy. —Donald Byrd About a year and a half ago, Prof. Hester sent me a draft of his manuscript. Although I had known about its existence and although we had shared ideas about it in conversation, I had not had the opportunity to inspect the final product, to follow the evolution of his ideas from beginning to end. Reading it was thus an intriguing journey for me and an immensely rewarding one. Dr. Hester’s command over the jazz repertoire is impressive. There is a refreshing directness in his writing, and an ability to judge the level of necessary technical detail for the kind of audience he is aiming at. Perhaps most important of all is his willingness to tackle issues in the interpretation of jazz that some writers have run away from, to read jazz as social text and to highlight issues of race, cultural propriety, and the precise origins of artistic innovation. The book as a whole is highly ambitious and it requires a firm editorial hand to insure that its significance is not obscured by the many tributaries that flow from the central argument. That it should be made available, I have no doubts. In a field that is not exactly lacking in book-length studies, Hester’s Afrocentric Innovations Some Call "Jazz" will come as a fresh and original contribution. —Kofi Agawu, Professor of Music (Yale University) Dr. Karlton E. Hester's book is an expose of the discriminatory practices that historically still exists against women, people of color and Afrocentric Music. A recommended reading for inquiring minds. — Jay Edwards, WCLK 91.9FM, Atlanta GA Go to Top Description   “Jazz,” now a popularized part of world culture, was once a burgeoning, unknown art form, characterized by its African and African-American roots. Bigotry and the Afrocentric “Jazz” Evolution not only uncovers these vibrant cultural beginnings, but takes readers and “jazz” fans alike on a journey through “jazz” innovation, from 1900 to the present. Dr. Karlton Hester adeptly examines the effect of racism and sexism on the music, while providing an expert commentary on the various contexts that have influenced and shaped “jazz” as we know it today. The text includes a CD-ROM Encyclopedia of Music, Musicians and Recordings, which contains discographies, biographies, chapter supplements and lesson plans: ideal for teaching the History of Jazz, or expanding your own personal knowledge of this powerful movement in music. The text: — surveys traditional African music and its link to “jazz” — highlights “jazz” innovators from 1900 to the present — traces the rise of Eurocentric claims to ownership of “jazz” — examines the effect of racism and sexism on the perception of “jazz” — is supplemented by a CD-ROM encyclopedia of music, musicians, and recordings — is linked to a companion website, www.aainovators.com, which provides additional resources Go to Top Table of Contents I: Traditional African Music Africa Before the European Slave Trade Ancient Music of Northern Africa Ancient Egyptian Music Ancient Nubian Written Music Early African Contact with Europe Women, Music and Religion in Africa Formulating an Approach to Understanding African Music Stylistic Regions of Sub-Saharan Africa The Function of African Music in African Culture An Overview of Musical Style Characteristics of African Music African Musical Instruments Structures of African Rhythms Classes of African Musicians Stylistic Regions of African Music I. Eastern Cattle Area: East Africa II. Congo Area: Central African Republic, Cameroun, Republic of the Congo III. The Pygmy IV. Guinea Coast Area: Liberia, Nigeria V. Khoisan Area VI. Sudan: Northern Sudan, Western Sudan Eurocentric Methods of Examining African Culture Summary II: The Sociocultural Context in which African-American Music Emerged The America in which African Americans Emerged Slavery, Music and Cultural Cross-Fertilization Voodoo Sociocultural Influences on 17th Century African–American Music Changes in 18th Century African–American Socioculture Female Victims of Witchcraze and Slavery North African Women Musicians Witchcraze   III: Traditional African American Music (part II) Music Evolves During the Struggle for Independence & Equal Rights American Folksongs and the Blues: Pre-Civil War Juba The Cakewalk and Children’s Game Songs American Folksongs and the Blues: Post-Civil War Marches Minstrel Shows The Dawn of Ragtime The Term Jazz Musical Influence on Religion, Racism and Revolution Jim Crow Segregation Perpetuates Segregated Musical Styles Summary   IV: Innovators emerging between 1900–1910 Ecumenical Music Retention Continuation of Double Entendre & Other Modes of Communication Afrocentric Dance and Musical Cross–fertilization Early Blues Gertrude “Ma” Rainey—“Mother of the Blues” William Christopher Handy — “Father of the Blues” From Vaudeville to Ragtime Scott Joplin James Scott James Reese Europe New Orleans-Dixieland “Jazz” (“Traditional Jazz”) “Buddy” Bolden “Jelly Roll” Morton Other New Orleans Instrumentalists Turn–of–the–Century Women Musicians New York—Tin Pan Alley African Musical Influences Throughout the Americas The Evolution of the Drum Set The Double Bass Evolution   V: Innovators emerging between 1910–1920 The Blues Continues to Evolve Two Influential Rural Blues Musicians Classic Blues Bessie Smith Ida Cox and Migrations to Northern Cities Mamie Smith Other Women Instrumentalists Sidney Bechet & the Early Transition from Clarinet to Saxophone Evolution of the Early Piano Politics and the 20th-Century African–American Church on the Eve of The Harlem Renaissance   VI: Innovators emerging between 1920–1930 Snapshots of American Society Swing and Its Precursors Fats Waller New York during the Harlem Renaissance Chicago Dixieland The Jelly Roll Morton Documentary Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong and His Associates Joe “King” Oliver Lil Hardin Armstrong Bix Beiderbecke Big Bands and the Approaching Swing Era African American “Jazz” Bands Commercial and Middle-of-the-Road Bands Big Bands Swing Ina Rae Hutton and Her Melodears The Media Continues to Burgeon   VII: Innovators emerging between 1930–1940 The New “Swing” Bands Women's Bands During the Early 20th-Century Ina Rae Hutton and Her Melodears International Sweethearts of Rhythm Emma Barrett Towards Greater Individual Expression Art Tatum Mary Lou Williams “Age of the Sax Masters” Coleman Hawkins & Lester Young The Voice Continues to be a Strong Influence Billie Holiday Ella Fitzgerald Ellington's “Afrocentricity” and the European Mirage The European Image of Jazz European Mirage and Jazz Politics Benny Goodman A Glance at the Development of the Guitar in Early “Jazz”   VIII: Innovators emerging between 1940–50 Basic Blues and Early Precursors of Modern “Jazz” Bebop Ties to Past and Present Cultures Bebop Begins to Evolve Progenitors of the Bebop Revolution Charlie “Bird” Parker & “Black” Music Downtown Misfortune, Drugs & Alcohol Imposes Upon the Bop Scene Bop Brass Instrumentalists: Dizzy Gillespie, Melba Doretta Liston, et al. Bebop Pianists Women Vocalists and Instrumentalists During the 1940s “Progressive Jazz” Summary   IX: Innovators emerging between 1950–60 Continued Resistance to African–American Freedom Changes Variegated Styles and Influence of Miles and Trane John Coltrane & other New Approaches Louis Jordan and Sonny Rollins Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra Two “Jazz” Harpists in the 1950s: Dorothy Ashby & Corky Hale Art Blakey, Phineas Newborn Summary   X: Innovators emerging between 1960–1970 Evolution of Innovative Music for 1960s Audiences Restructuring Musical Approaches Artistic Expression or Entertainment? Alice Coltrane, Eric Dolphy and the “Jazz” Critics, Albert Ayler The AACM The Emergence of the Art Ensemble of Chicago Amina Claudine Myers, Pharaoh Sanders, Archie Shepp, Joanne Brackeen, Charles Tolliver, Toshiko Akiyoshi “Traditional Jazz” Continues 1960s Music outside African American Culture Summary: The American Society 1960s Music Reflected   XI: Innovators emerging between 1970–1980 Changes Around the World Spiritual “Jazz” and New Musical Settings Changing Attitudes in Europe Connecting Fusion, Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix Jazz-Funk Fusion Jazz-Rock Fusion Donald Byrd The Crossroads of Stylistic Evolution More Conceptual Expansion: Charles Mingus, Anthony Braxton, The World Saxophone Quartet, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner Instrumental Style Continues to Evolve The Evolution of the Flute Classical-Jazz Fusion and other New Approaches Santeria and Musical Freedom   XII: Innovators emerging between 1980–Present African American Music in American Marketplace Emphasis Moves from Innovations to Youthful Image Families of Musicians The Age of the Freelance Musician Bay Area “Jazz” in the Early 1980s The Contemporary Midwestern “Jazz” Scene Rap and Hip-Hop Culture Contemporary Politics & Labeling African American Culture Summary: Afrocentric Snapshots of a Shrinking Society Poem: “A Survey of African Kingdoms”   Go to Top   Author Information Karlton E. Hester, Ph.D. (composer/flutist/saxophonist), began his career as a composer and recording artist in Los Angeles where he worked as a studio musician and music educator. He received his Ph.D. in Composition from the City University of New York Graduate Center and is currently Director of “Jazz” Studies at the University of California in Santa Cruz. As performer on both flute and saxophone, he is music director of the Fillmore Jazz Preservation Big Band and Hesterian Musicism. Hester is currently music director of Hesterian Musicism, founding director of the Fillmore Jazz Preservation Big Band in San Francisco and served as the Herbert Gussman Director of Jazz Studies at Cornell University from 1991–2001. His formal study included Harry Nelsova and Paul Renzi on flute, Joe Henderson and John Handy in “jazz” improvisation, composition with Bruce Saylor and Robert Starrer, as well as lessons with Frank Chase and Bill Tremble on saxophone. Hester specializes in premeditated, spontaneous and electro-acoustic composition. His compositions span a wide range; from numerous solo cycles for various woodwinds to chamber configurations, music videos and electro-acoustic symphonic works written in an eclectic array of styles. He has been the recipient of fellowships, grants and commissions from the National Endowment of the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, New England Council of the Arts, Arts International, and ASCAP, amongst others. His albums include 21st-Century Musicism (2005), Harmonious Soul Scenes 2000; Musicism for the Sake of Love; Hesterian Liberation; Reconstructive Musicism; Karlton Hester and the Contemporary Jazz Art Movement; Hesterian Musicism; Dances Purely for the Sake of Love; Musicism for Your Imagination and Sacred Musicism, Harmonious Soul Scenes 2000 and others. “Hesterian Musicism reveals him to be a composer with a breathtaking range of materials that are skillfully wrought in both refreshing chamber configurations and his impressive 12-piece Contemporary Jazz Art Movement.”—Downbeat Hesterian Musicism: As a composer Hester has continued to evolve the trans-harmonic style he calls Hesterian Musicism since the early nineteen seventies. His music involves a fission of Afrocentric and Western tonal, modal, quartal, serial, and electronic elements into an expressive voice that defies simple categorization as either premeditated or spontaneous composition. The range of his works spans from numerous solo cycles for various woodwinds to chamber configurations and electro-acoustic symphonic works written in an eclectic array of style. Originally nurtured in New York, Hesterian Musicism is a continuation of his former Bay Area based ensemble, The Contemporary Jazz Art Movement (1970s & 80s). He has recorded his own compositions since the early 1970s, featuring the Contemporary Jazz Art Movement on earlier albums and Hesterian Musicism on more recent recordings. Hester continues to perform with both East and West Coast members of Hesterian Musicism. Hesterian Musicism is not only the name he coined for his performance ensemble, but it also designates Hesters compositional and improvisational process. Hesterian Musicism is the creative process through which Karlton Hester’s compositional and performance style merge to give rise to aesthetic environments where other musicians, kinetic and visual artists, and poets can meet to produce new art forms through imaginative effort. Its philosophical basis involves an intrinsic freedom of expression, focused and disciplined spontaneity, and a structural basis that explores the creative components of diverse sources from the whole earth. Intrinsically interdisciplinary, Hesterian Musicism has presented numerous concerts in collaboration with other artists such as painters, dancers and choreographers, and poets, as well as a number of performances featuring African musicians on traditional instruments. Go to Top   Additional Information This book is available in Toronto, Canada. Please contact: Burke's Bookstore 873 St. Clair Ave. West Toronto, Ontario M6C 1C4 Canada EVENTS Listen for future live airings on WCPN FM 90.3 -April 11, 2007 6-7pm EST: WRCT 88.3 FM -February 25, 2007: Appearance at Cody's Books in San Francisco -February 23, 2007: KPOO FM 89.5 -January 12th-15th, 2007: Hawaii International Conference -January 10th-13th, 2007: International Association for Jazz Education -November 16th-19th, 2006: Society for Ethnomusicology -November 16th-19th, 2006: African Studies Association -November 7th-12th, 2006: National Alliance of Black School Educators -April 9, 2006: in Santa Cruz -April 13, 2006: Mills College Music Event The LEGAM is an international, trans-disciplinary, peer-reviewed, online encyclopedia dedicated to music and the arts. Its socio-cultural context focuses on topics relating to the music history, music theory, the arts and sciences, religion and spirituality, and trans-disciplinary topics extending beyond limits of traditional categories that traditionally form the boundaries of music theory. Its socio-cultural context focuses on topics relating to the music history, music theory, the arts and sciences, religion and spirituality, and topics extending beyond limits of traditional categories that usually form the boundaries of music theory. Its structure is based on the 12 chronological chapters of my history publication (Bigotry and the Afrocentric "Jazz" Evolution). The Living Encyclopedia of Global African Music also welcomes papers and articles from a wide range of perspectives. Papers from our past Global African Music and Arts Festival Symposium, interviews, poetry, and various other submissions update the site’s information on a continuous basis. LEGAM aspires to become a leading musical reference and an important addition to a new evolving paradigm of Global African historical documentation. Bigotry and the Afrocentric “Jazz” Evolution (Global Academic Publishing, 2004) serves as the chronological infrastructure for the “jazz” history section of LEGAM. http://www.aainnovators.com/ It traces the history of the music from its African roots to the present, including an entire first chapter on African music. The book includes a CD-ROM with discography, biographies, and an assortment of other teaching aides and research materials. These and many other resources are a part of the LEGAM”s history component. The theoretical basis for the LEGAM begins with my “Hesterian Spirituals: Musicism within a Poly-dimensional Universe” (serving as a topical infrastructure—currently under consideration by (Global Academic Publishing for publication in 2006) and Dr. Nelson Harrison’s The Metaphysics of Music. The research basis for LEGAM also includes other festival panel discussions and interviews; private interviews; symposium and other research papers; a photo gallery; a collection of related student research; on-line radio; a wide assortment of related links; and a variety of educational resources for university students. Go to Top Brochure   Go to Top