Publisher's Synopsis
"Probes the conflicts between the artistry of Black musicians and the control by largely white-owned businesses of jazz distribution - the recording companies, booking agencies, festivals, clubs, and magazines. "Each of these very well documented chapters shows how for more than twenty years the fate of a definitely revolutionary music was largely out of the hands of those who created it." -Jazz Around "Examines the contradiction in jazz that Blacks create the music but wealthy whites own it. The expropriation of the means of expression of a whole people-and its transformation into just one more commodity to accrue profit…is the key to understanding the ruthless exploitation of jazz and the musicians who create it." -New Pittsburgh Courier ""The author sees John Coltrane and Malcolm X as the towering figures in this parallel and interconnected process and dedicates the book to their memory."" -Ebony "Kofsky lays into many well-known critics very hard indeed." -Melody Maker "An important acquisition, particularly for urban public libraries." -Choice"
