{"product_id":"songs-of-the-unsung-9780822362715","title":"Songs of the Unsung","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJazz pianist, trombonist, composer, educator, and community leader Horace Tapscott tells his life story, from his childhood in Houston and growing up in Los Angeles, to his early professional career, creation of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, and his work to build and serve L.A.'s black community.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Songs of the Unsung\u003c\/i\u003e is one of those special autobiographical narratives that comes along once in a while, and successfully captivates its reading audience with the complete candor of the person telling the story! This is an important sociological document, for it tells the life of Horace Tapscott, one of the most unique figures in the jazz of Black Los Angeles. . . . What is most unique about \u003ci\u003eSongs of the Unsung \u003c\/i\u003eis that it reveals a man who not only lived jazz, but contributed to it in meaningful ways, and was a walking masterpiece of the personal philosophy he advocated. He lived to teach, help others, perform, create. Horace Tapscott succeeded at each. \u003ci\u003eSongs of the Unsung\u003c\/i\u003e lets the reader see how he did it. \u003ci\u003eSongs of the Unsung \u003c\/i\u003eis excellent reading. This book entertains and enlightens at the same time, and is a fine reading experience!\" -- Lee Prosser * Jazz Review *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Songs of the Unsung\u003c\/i\u003e offers a glimpse into the life of a jazz musician who resolved not to abandon the place where he started out—the streets of South-Central.\" -- Jonathan Kirsch * Los Angeles Times *\u003cbr\u003e\"[A] raw, intimate autobiography of L.A. free jazz pianist, trombonist, and composer Tapscott. . . . [T]his retrospective will enable jazz enthusiasts to revel in the life of a unique and talented underground musician. . . .\" * Publishers Weekly *\u003cbr\u003e\"[Isoardi] preserves Tapscott's part-preacher, part-hipster patois—in which, for example, he inflects the word 'out' to describe free jazz, police brutality, injustice, good luck, violent rage, unexpected generosity, spontaneous affection and insanity. \u003ci\u003eSongs of the Unsung\u003c\/i\u003e is a witness to hope, one man's determination to create art of lasting value and the power of music to connect people. It is, in the profoundest sense, 'out' \" -- Jim Gerard * Washington Post *\u003cbr\u003e\"[O]ffers fascinating insights into Tapscott's work as a composer and bandleader, as well as his memories of L.A. during the turbulent 1960s.\" -- Aaron Cohen * DownBeat *\u003cbr\u003e\"A valuable firsthand account of American music and culture that will make a welcome addition to any collection.\" * Library Journal *\u003cbr\u003e\"Horace Tapscott . . . emerges as an eternal symbol of all that is noble in the music in transition community. This highly advanced theme emerges from a detailed life history that is nothing short of stunning. . . . \u003ci\u003eSongs of the Unsung\u003c\/i\u003e is an important statement in the philosophy of improvised music. Highly recommended.\" -- James D. Armstrong, Jr. * Jazz Now *\u003cbr\u003e\"Isoardi has done a fine job of preserving Tapscott's voice—the narrative is fluent, conversational in tone and packed with both colourful incident and tart social commentary. . . . [A]s a gripping account of a quietly heroic life, and as a rare document about the West Coast’s black cultural underground, \u003ci\u003eSongs of the Unsung \u003c\/i\u003eis essential reading.\" -- Graham Lock * Jazzwise *\u003cbr\u003e\"Page after page, Tapscott offhandedly knocks down stereotypes about African-American communities, like pines behind an eruption. . . . Tapscott's controversial narrative, filled with stories about 'the cats' and their 'out' behavior is fascinating. . . . But more valuable than the book’s entertainment quotient is its map of possibilities.\" -- Greg Burk * LA Weekly *\u003cbr\u003e\"The details and local lore of \u003ci\u003eSongs\u003c\/i\u003e are beautifully rendered, and Tapscott’s modesty and perseverance are qualities to behold.\" -- Hua Hsu * The Wire *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Songs of the Unsung\u003c\/i\u003e . . . sets forth an astonishing, searingly honest view of one segment of music history that is indeed unsung. . . . [The] memoir reminds us with stunning candor that too much has happened under the radar of the jazz industry. . . . We need more books like \u003ci\u003eSongs of the Unsung\u003c\/i\u003e, by which we can come to understand creative musicians as agents of change at home, effecting local pockets of activity with universal ramifications. For Tapscott provides us with an unwritten truth behind this radically unfinished music called jazz.\" -- Vijay Iyer * Current Musicology *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAcknowledgments  ix\u003cbr\u003e Foreword \/ Steven Isoardi  xi\u003cbr\u003e Preface  xiii\u003cbr\u003e 1. Early Years in Houston  1\u003cbr\u003e 2. California  17\u003cbr\u003e 3. Setting the Pace  31\u003cbr\u003e 4. Central Avenue  42\u003cbr\u003e 5. Military Service  51\u003cbr\u003e 6. On the Road with Lionel Hampton  70\u003cbr\u003e 7. To Preserve and Develop Black Culture  82\u003cbr\u003e 8. The Fire This Time  105\u003cbr\u003e 9. In the Middle of It  117\u003cbr\u003e 10. Stayin’ Alive  125\u003cbr\u003e 11. The Union of God’s Musicians and Artists Ascension  136\u003cbr\u003e 12. Settling into the Community  147\u003cbr\u003e 13. Movements to the Present  173\u003cbr\u003e 14. Reflections and Directions  187\u003cbr\u003e Postscript: From the Funeral Service  213\u003cbr\u003e Appendix: A Partial List of UGMAA Artists, 1961–1998  217\u003cbr\u003e Discography I: Horace Tapscott  221\u003cbr\u003e Discography II: Music from the Ark  236\u003cbr\u003e Index  241","brand":"Duke University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49406099390807,"sku":"9780822362715","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780822362715.jpg?v=1730494523","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/songs-of-the-unsung-9780822362715","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}