Established in 1971 to recognize the major contributions that African Americans have made to American and world music, the Black Musicians Conference and Festival at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst came to be a magnet for perfomers, scholars, and fans of jazz, blues. and gospel music. This volume documents eleven years of the festival--from 1989 to1999--with a stimulating range of essays and panel discussions. The text is complemented by superb black-and-white photographs of the participants.