The Virtuous Black XV: William Grant Still

William Grant Still, born May 11 1895, in Woodville, Mississippi, U.S.A., was composer and conductor, and the first African American to conduct a professional symphony orchestra in the United States. Though a prolific composer of operas, ballets, symphonies, and other works, he was best known for his Afro-American Symphony (1931). Still was brought up by… Continue reading The Virtuous Black XV: William Grant Still

Occurrences in the Self of an auto-portrait

One may utter a long list or a single point, when asked about the essence of the self, or about the naked self, or the projection of self. And, just like in singing and speaking one hears not what the room acoustically gives but rather how one owns body lets one hear, one may ask… Continue reading Occurrences in the Self of an auto-portrait

The Virtuous Black XIV: Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington, born Edward Kennedy Ellington, April 29 1899, in Washington, D.C., U.S.A., is the pianist who was the greatest jazz composer and bandleader of his time. One of the originators of big-band jazz, Ellington led his band for more than half a century, composed thousands of scores, and created one of the most distinctive… Continue reading The Virtuous Black XIV: Duke Ellington