Despite his importance and influence, jazz musician, educator, and community leader Horace Tapscott remains relatively unknown to most Americans. In Songs of the Unsung Tapscott shares his life story, recalling his childhood in Houston, moving with his family to Los Angeles in 1943, learning music, and his early professional career. He describes forming the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra in 1961 and later the Union of God's Musicians and Artists Ascension to preserve African American music and serve the community. Tapscott also recounts his interactions with the Black Panthers and law enforcement, the Watts riots, his work in Hollywood movie studios, and stories about his famous musician-activist friends. Songs of the Unsung is the captivating story of one of America’s most unassuming heroes as well as the story of L.A.'s cultural and political evolution over the last half of the twentieth century.
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Foreword
- Preface
- 1. Early Years in Houston
- 2. California
- 3. Setting the Pace
- 4. Central Avenue
- 5. Military Service
- 6. On the Road with Lionel Hampton
- 7. To Preserve and Develop Black Culture
- 8. The Fire This Time
- 9. In the Middle of It
- 10. Stayin’ Alive
- 11. The Union of God’s Musicians and Artists Ascension
- 12. Settling into the Community
- 13. Movements to the Present
- 14. Reflections and Directions
- Postscript: From the Funeral Service
- Appendix: A Partial List of UGMAA Artists, 1961-1998
- Discography 1: Horace Tapscott
- Discography 2: Music from the Ark
- Index
Text
Audio
Adobe DRM
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