Ace Blackman and the Blues He Sings

Ace Blackman and the Blues He Sings
Author: Sr. William a. James
Publisher: iUniverse
Total Pages: 144
Release: 2007-07
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0595459498

Ace Blackman plays the Blues because it had been deeply ingrained into his soul. It was a defining legacy that he shared with Joe Makery his Bass Player. His great grandpa Jack, a tenant farmer in the Tidewater area, was brutally murdered in the presence Ace's grandpa, Johnny, who turned away from playing church music, after witnessing that God didn't stop the racist from murdering Jack. Johnny played the Blues, until a white agent drew him away from home so that he could rape Mary his wife. Johnny came home early, discovered the assailant raping his wife, and got shot between the eyes. Mary and her girls contracted TB. Her only son, Andrew, was a carrier of that disease. Andrew Sr., gave his wife Courtney TB. She died shortly after the birth of her only child, Andrew, Jr., (Ace). Ace's father went mad, and Ace grew up in an orphanage. Ace learned of the murders of two of his Gay Band Members by Bowles Allenson, who had been hired by Mr. P., a dope-trafficker. When he discovered that his music was being used as a dope-pushing cover, he qui playing it. James has written another gut-gripping Novel.

A Murder on Fifth and Dice and the Ruin of Fifeville

A Murder on Fifth and Dice and the Ruin of Fifeville
Author: William A. James Sr.
Publisher: iUniverse
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2018-10-22
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1532060130

James tells the story of how a once prosperous neighborhood became gang-ridden, drugged out, and violent-prone. He speaks through the lips of Benjamin Luther Slokum and how Ben related to ghosts of his grandma, his brother Ivy, and his cousin Roy. These people were all murdered on the corner of Fifth and Dice Streets in the heart of Fifeville in Ben’s presence. Ben hid while his cousin was gunned down by Jamie Charles, a notorious member of the Jamaican posse. A stray bullet killed Ben’s grandma. Ben held a gun but did not open fire. Ben had been a tagalong with the Fifeville Crew but was never a hardcore gangster. After the untimely death of his beloved ones, he decided that he would have nothing to more to do with gangs of the gangster lifestyle. He found out that a life outside the gang was every bit as trying as one within it. He met Moisha (Mo), at a party one night, and he and she got married, brought two children into the world (twins, Esau [Saw] and Jacob [Jay]), and tried to make a good life for them all in the same house that Ben had grown up in, in the same neighborhood where his relatives had been murdered—on the Corner of Fifth and Dice Streets in Charlottesville, Virginia. Ben decided that he would elicit change in Fifeville from gangs, dope, and violence by being a living example showing that anyone could have a good life without succumbing to criminal activities. But the crime around Ben and his family became a ravenous beast that consumed Ben and Mo’s firstborn son, Saw. That murder turned Ben’s life upside down. Mo left him and took his remaining son with her. He ultimately lost the house he tried to cling to. He lost his job, and he temporarily lost his mind. Mo’s love was the balm that healed his soul. He came to himself after talking to his friend Harry, an ex-con and ex-gang member. The narrative ends with Mo, Ben, and Jay, clinging to one another vowing to pick up the pieces and start over. This novel brings to life many of the hidden facts about drug dealing and gangbanging and how these helped ruin and destroy Fifeville.

A Blues Bibliography

A Blues Bibliography
Author: Robert Ford
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 1401
Release: 2008-03-31
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1135865086

This revised and updated definitive blues bibliography now includes 6,000-7,000 entries to cover the last decade’s writings and new figures to have emerged on the Country and modern blues to the R&B scene.

The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide

The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide
Author: John Swenson
Publisher: Random House (NY)
Total Pages: 804
Release: 1999
Genre: Music
ISBN:

The most comprehensive guide to jazz and blues recordings in print, including reviews of more than ten thousand albums. An essential book for any music fan's library.

The Story of the Blues

The Story of the Blues
Author: Paul Oliver
Publisher: UPNE
Total Pages: 292
Release: 1998
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781555533540

Featuring over 200 vintage photographs and a new introduction by the author, the engaging, informative volume brings to life the African American singers and players who created this rich genre of music as well as the settings and experiences that inspired them. The author deftly traces the evolution of the blues from the work songs of slaves, to acoustic country ballads, to urban sounds, to electric rhythm and blues bands. Oliver vividly re-creates the economic, social, and regional forces that shaped the unique blues tradition, and superbly details every facet of the music, including themes and subjects, techniques, and recording history.

African American Films Through 1959

African American Films Through 1959
Author: Larry Richards
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2015-09-17
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1476610525

All films with a predominantly or entirely African American cast or that were about African Americans are detailed here. Each entry includes cast and credits, year of release, studio, distributor, type of film (feature, short or documentary) and other production details. In most cases, a brief synopsis of the film or contemporary reviews of it follow. In the appendices, film credits for over 1,850 actors and actresses are provided, along with a listing of film companies.

Cadence

Cadence
Author: Bob Rusch
Publisher:
Total Pages: 896
Release: 1999
Genre: Blues (Music)
ISBN: