From Africa to Afrocentric Innovations Some Call Jazz

[six string]

I found a four volume set by Karlton E. Hester P.h.D. called From Africa to Afrocentric Innovations Some Call Jazz. I picked up vol.3 The Creation of Free, Fusion and Reconstructive Modern Styles 1950-2000. Although I'm not much of a fusion fan, it is only a small part of the book. It seems to cover all the big names in free/avant garde and beyond.

I'm not sure if I'm going to get the others, but they are at a used book store so who knows how long they'll be there.

Has anyone else read any of these volumes?

I was hoping to find a copy of the Rat Race Blues. Hope being the operative word.

[Nate Dorward]

Hm, never heard of it, & tend to have a skeptical view of anyone who appends "Ph.D" after their name.... still, 4 volumes suggests he's put in a little spadework, at least. I note that he's published with the Mellen Press, which adds substantially to my doubts--it's a quasi-academic vanity press. (What press is the 4-vol set from?)

He does seem to have a clunky way with titles--I note that he has a CD called 21st-Century Musicism.

Edited December 25, 2008 by Nate Dorward

[six string]

Hm, never heard of it, & tend to have a skeptical view of anyone who appends "Ph.D" after their name.... still, 4 volumes suggests he's put in a little spadework, at least. I note that he's published with the Mellen Press, which adds substantially to my doubts--it's a quasi-academic vanity press. (What press is the 4-vol set from?)

He does seem to have a clunky way with titles--I note that he has a CD called 21st-Century Musicism.

This book is from Hesteria Records and Publishing Co., Ithaca, NY.

In my search I found out he teaches at UC Santa Cruz. I didn't stand there and really read anything from the book other than to look at the table of contents and the cover. For $8.00 it didn't seem like much of a gamble.