Book Review
Feb. 13th, 2020 10:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariDvorak to Duke Ellington: A Conductor Explores America's Music and Its African American Roots
by Maurice Peress
This book is more of a reflection and memoir of Peress' engagement with and exploration of American concert/art music than a scholarly investigation. Peress uses the African-American roots and shaping of American music as something of a through-line, but he is not academic or thorough in his discussions of it, and occasionally he seems more interested in recounting his experiences and expressing his admiration for people he worked with than more fully delving into his theme. Nonetheless, Peress' musical path is very interesting and his enthusiasm is infectious. His book is a very engaging look at American music and the role of African Americans in developing it.
by Maurice Peress
This book is more of a reflection and memoir of Peress' engagement with and exploration of American concert/art music than a scholarly investigation. Peress uses the African-American roots and shaping of American music as something of a through-line, but he is not academic or thorough in his discussions of it, and occasionally he seems more interested in recounting his experiences and expressing his admiration for people he worked with than more fully delving into his theme. Nonetheless, Peress' musical path is very interesting and his enthusiasm is infectious. His book is a very engaging look at American music and the role of African Americans in developing it.
