By providing a focused examination of the historical development of Black music artistry, William C. Banfield formulates a usable philosophy tied to how such music is made, shaped, and functions. He explores Black music culture from three angles: history, education, and the creative work of the musicians_engaging the reader in a conversation about the aesthetics and meanings that inform the cultural codes of Black music.

In Ethnomusicologizing: Essays on Music in the New Paradigms, composer and musicologist brings together a series of essays on music making in contemporary culture. More specifically, it focuses on the myriad ways we engage with music as makers, as listeners, as consumers, as producers. Banfield labels this fully engaged process as ethnomusicologizing, as he explores the ways we create, share, teach, and discuss music. Throughout he argues that music is more than the experience of structured sound. It is rather a way of being more critically present as musicians and as citizens of sharing in...

Saxophonist, multi-wind player, arranger, composer, music director, theater works producer, educator, and visionary, Pat Patrick performed with Duke Ellington's and Quincy Jones' orchestras, Thelonious Monk, Mongo Santamaria, Nat King Cole, James Moody, Eric Dolphy, Marvin Gaye, Patti Labelle, and Billy Taylor. Most of his career, however, was spent laying down the baseline grooves on the baritone saxophone with the indefinable Sun Ra Archestra for over 35 years. Based on research in the recently opened archive of personal papers, artifacts, scrapbooks, music, news clippings and photographs,...