Jazz from Detroit explores the
city’s pivotal role in shaping the course of modern and contemporary
jazz. With more than two dozen in-depth profiles of remarkable
Detroit-bred musicians, complemented by a generous selection of
photographs, Mark Stryker makes Detroit jazz come alive as he draws out
significant connections between the players, eras, styles, and Detroit’s
distinctive history.
Stryker’s story starts in the 1940s and
’50s, when the auto industry created a thriving black working and middle
class in Detroit that supported a vibrant nightlife, and exceptional
public school music programs and mentors in the community like pianist
Barry Harris transformed the city into a jazz juggernaut. This golden
age nurtured many legendary musicians—Hank, Thad, and Elvin Jones,
Gerald Wilson, Milt Jackson, Yusef Lateef, Donald Byrd, Tommy Flanagan,
Kenny Burrell, Ron Carter, Joe Henderson, and others. As the city’s
fortunes change, Stryker turns his spotlight toward often overlooked but
prescient musician-run cooperatives and self-determination groups of
the 1960s and ’70s, such as the Strata Corporation and Tribe. In more
recent decades, the city’s culture of mentorship, embodied by trumpeter
and teacher Marcus Belgrave, ensured that Detroit continued to incubate
world-class talent; Belgrave protégés like Geri Allen, Kenny Garrett,
Robert Hurst, Regina Carter, Gerald Cleaver, and Karriem Riggins helped
define contemporary jazz. The resilience of Detroit’s jazz tradition
provides a powerful symbol of the city’s lasting cultural influence.
Stryker’s 21 years as an arts reporter and critic at the Detroit Free Press are evident in his vivid storytelling and insightful criticism. Jazz from Detroit
will appeal to jazz aficionados, casual fans, and anyone interested in
the vibrant and complex history of cultural life in Detroit.
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Thanks for this preview of this interesting book!
ReplyDeleteSorry, didn't finish my message....read Gary Carner's "Reflectory", his biography of Pepper Adams, in which Stryker's book is quoted, for a rounded look at the jazz/music scene in Detroit.
ReplyDeletethanks for your suggestion.
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