Blues People

The author traces the influence of jazz and blues 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. He aims to illuminate the influence of African Americans on American culture and history.

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This study attempts to place jazz and the blues within the context of American social history. The author, Leroi Jones - also known as the poet Amiri Baraka - combines a knowledge of black American culture with his direct contact with many of the musicians who have provided the backbone to this vital strand of American 20th-century culture. This edition includes an introduction by the author in which he updates the book in order to take account of developments made in the past 30 years.