Black Chord

About this book

A celebration of Black music in original photography and text. The Black Chord bridges the boundaries between blues rock funk jazz and world music. This lavishly illustrated book makes the historical social personal and creative connections between great Black musicians from around the world. Tracing the history of todays music it delves into the ancestral source that will continue to enrich the pop charts in the future. Organized by themes such as Roots & Culture Heart & Soul Revolution and Explorers. The Black Chord celebrates the idea of a musical thread that travels throughout the world expressing a sensibility unique to each region. This thread weaves through every place changing its culture and music. In this comprehensive and unprecedented survey compelling portraiture is combined with a fascinating history including highlights from the authors interviews with such luminaries as Bob Marley Missy Elliott Cassandra Wilson Curtis Mayfield and more to create an insightful in-depth volume. The Black Chord a landmark depiction of the cultural cross-fertilization that is the foundation of todays pop. Following a circular path music has traveled from its return and recreate itself: Senegalese rhythms survived slavery and flourished in New Orleans to become jazz and rhythm & blues which informed Jamaican reggae which influenced New York hip-hop which in turn-completing the circle-inspired young rap artists in Senegal. This is a centuries long saga that continues to energize musicians in every genre.