When Jimi Hendrix transfixed the crowds of Woodstock with his gripping version of "The Star Spangled Banner;" he was building on a foundation reaching back; in part; to the revolutionary guitar playing of Howlin Wolf and the other great Chicago bluesmen; and to the Delta blues tradition before him. But in its unforgettable introduction; followed by his unaccompanied "talking" guitar passage and inserted calls and responses at key points in the musical narrative; Hendrixs performance of the national anthem also hearkened back to a tradition even older than the blues; a tradition rooted in the rings of dance; drum; and song shared by peoples across Africa.Bold and original; The Power of Black Music offers a new way of listening to the music of black America; and appreciating its profound contribution to all American music. Striving to break down the barriers that remain between high art and low art; it brilliantly illuminates the centuries-old linkage between the music; myths and rituals of Africa and the continuing evolution and enduring vitality of African-American music. Inspired by the pioneering work of Sterling Stuckey and Henry Louis Gates; Jr.; author Samuel A. Floyd; Jr; advocates a new critical approach grounded in the forms and traditions of the music itself. He accompanies readers on a fascinating journey from the African ring; through the ring shouts powerful merging of music and dance in the slave culture; to the funeral parade practices of the early new Orleans jazzmen; the bluesmen in the twenties; the beboppers in the forties; and the free jazz; rock; Motown; and concert hall composers of the sixties and beyond. Floyd dismisses the assumption that Africans brought to the United States as slaves took the music of whites in the New World and transformed it through their own performance practices. Instead; he recognizes European influences; while demonstrating how much black music has continued to share with its African counterparts. Floyd maintains that while African Americans may not have direct knowledge of African traditions and myths; they can intuitively recognize links to an authentic African cultural memory. For example; in speaking of his grandfather Omar; who died a slave as a young man; the jazz clarinetist Sidney Bechet said; "Inside him hed got the memory of all the wrong thats been done to my people. Thats what the memory is....When a blues is good; that kind of memory just grows up inside it."Grounding his scholarship and meticulous research in his childhood memories of black folk culture and his own experiences as a musician and listener; Floyd maintains that the memory of Omar and all those who came before and after him remains a driving force in the black music of America; a force with the power to enrich cultures the world over.
#870874 in eBooks 2011-02-23 2011-02-23File Name: B004S82RYW
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Throws light on just about everything!By SairamThere are books that teach you how to take pictures by specifying exact camera settings and walk you through the post processing work flow from there on. and then. there is Harold Davis and his Creative Series of books. Photography is not just about framing your scene sticking rigidly to compositional rules. Its about understanding the subtle interplay of light with the subject. the camera and the scene in general. Davis does an amazing job teaching you each of these nuances. What are the different kinds of light?. Where should I position the camera to make the best use of light?. How do I use available light? These are just some of the many questions for which you will find insightful answers.Creative Lighting is not a book about camera settings that you need to get to make your pictures pop. nor is it a book extolling the glory of photoshop or lightroom. It is a book about understanding light. about understanding the dynamics of various kinds of light right from natural light to more complicated lighting setups in studios . Why do you need this? Understanding light is crucial and is in most cases the "make or break" factor in your images. No amount of post-processing can fix an image that has been shot without accounting for the quality of light.The book has five sections:1)Seeing the Light2)Exposure and Lighting3)Working with Ambient Light4)Lighting in the Studio5)Lighting in the Digital DarkroomEach section takes on different aspects of light with numerous images as examples. In fact. you would get your moneys worth just looking at the inspiring images that are in the book. For those of you who want to know the camera settings. the book has them too. The author explains his intent behind shooting each example in a certain way. Some images are built by stacking multiple exposures together. for example. star trails. However. there could have been some more detail in areas such as light painting. where I felt. the author could have shared some more of his insight.The language is simple. the writing is clear and the examples are very useful and inspiring. Creative Lighting in my opinion is more tailored to beginners but is a valuable refresher for more advanced photographers as well. This is a must have for anyone who wants to make good images great.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Davis is a great photographer. an excellent technician. and a clear and humorous writerBy bearsfolksI had seen Davis videos on youTube. and was very impressed by him. I bought a couple of his books initially. and then several others so that I now have 9 of them. Each one. so far. is excellent--it is taking me longer than I expected to read them because there is so much information to absorb. If you want to learn whatever the subject matter of the book is. from the concepts behind the subject (night photography. lighting. etc.) planning for the picture (e.g.. the use of lightboxes to create translucent pictures). to the detailed post-processing of them in Photoshop or equivalent. you will not be disappointed--at least. I havent.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Awesome Book by Harold Davis!By WoodyCWAwesome Book. Harold Davis is an incredible photographer and teacher. I have taken an online class of his via Craftsy: Close-up Flowers and I have bought several of his books on . He makes learning new ways and techniques so much fun and really brings out the creativity in every shot he takes. I highly recommend this book and his other books. He tells you the technical aspects of his photos. BUT he is more on the creative side of photography and motivates the reader to be creative in shooting. I will definitely buy more of his books!!
