Black History Month: Highly Influential Musicians
Canadians and Americans of African descent have made enormous contributions to modern music. Startling spontaneity and constant innovation has kept them well represented in popular music. It is natural to be curious about the lives, and particularly the childhoods of these fascinating people. The following eight biographies, sorted by audience from youngest to oldest, only scratch the surface of the rich tradition and variety that musicians of African descent have brought to modern music.
We always love to talk about writing, playing, singing, talking and reading on this blog. Sometimes it's important to remember that maybe in our finest moments we are doing all five at the same time; reading about playing for example, or talking about singing and maybe even writing songs!
Charlie Parker played be bop by Chris Raschka.
Charlie Parker was a saxophone player who played in a wild and spontaneous style known as Bebop. This item is a kit, which is a book and CD.
Oscar lives next door: a story inspired by Oscar Peterson's childhood by Bonnie Farmer. Illustrated by Marie Lafrance.
Oscar Peterson was a Canadian pianist from Little Burgundy, in Montreal. Bonnie Farmer is also from Little Burgundy and in this book she imagines herself growing up there at the same time he did. Aussi disponible en francais!
Little Melba and her big trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown. Illustrated by Frank Morrison.
As the title suggests, Melba Liston was a great trombonist, but she was also a composer who wrote music for other musicians and instruments.
Ella Fitzgerald: the tale of a vocal virtuosa by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Illustrated by Brian J. Pinkney.
Ella Fitzgerald was a versatile and legendary jazz diva. In 1938, she took the nursery rhyme "A Tisket a Tasket," and made it an international hit. "Virtuosa" – how's that for a word?
Jimi: sounds like a rainbow: the story of young Jimi Hendrix by Gary Golio. Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe
Jimi Hendrix played electric guitar and produced a strange raucous music out of sounds earlier guitarists usually only made by accident. He told people he imagined still stranger music which he couldn't yet make.
The cosmo-biography of Sun Ra: the sound of joy is enlightening by Chris Raschka
Sun Ra is a keyboardist and composer from Saturn, but this just goes to show you how far reaching and influential African musical influence has become.
Singing towards the future : the story of Portia White
Portia White was born in Halifax in 1911. She became a famous contralto*. She performed throughout North, Central and South America.
* a lady who sings with a very low voice.
Josephine: the dazzling life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell. Illustrated by Christian Robinson
Josephine Baker was a gifted singer and a dancer, who became immensely popular in Europe. She learned French songs, took the risk of staying in Europe after Hitler took control, took the additional risk of serving the resistance (as a spy!) and eventually became a French citizen.
Listen to the eAudiobook
Also, try searching music by these artists in our catalogue.
4 thoughts on “Black History Month: Highly Influential Musicians”
Fantastic post, Pat. I didn’t know that Oscar Peterson had TB and how it shaped his career until I read the book you named above. I’ll check out the others mentioned here. Cheers!
Thanks Jennifer. I’m always finding new things out from children’s non fiction too.
Nice list but, you forgot the most influential black musician:
Louis Armstrong!
Truth be told Jazfan, when it came to Satchmo, there were just too many choices.
http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/search.jsp?Ntt=louis+armstrong+juvenile+literature
His influence is also well acknowledged, and I wanted to feature some people who deserved more recognition than they sometimes get.
As for “most influential” Jelly Roll Morton for one might disagree. He claimed to have “invented jazz”.