{"product_id":"how-black-music-took-over-the-world","title":"How Black Music Took Over the World","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eMelvin Gibbs \u003c\/b\u003eis a Grammy-nominated songwriter, composer, and musician. He is the 2019 winner of the \n\u003ci\u003eJazzTimes\u003c\/i\u003e Critics' Poll for electric bass. His cross-disciplinary work encompasses an ongoing collaboration with the theoretical cosmologist Stephon Alexander and a long-term working relationship with filmmaker and conceptual artist Arthur Jafa. He splits his time between Brooklyn and Minneapolis.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"[Gibbs'] passion comes through consistently, and his discussion of his own versatility is winning and never boastful.\" -- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eKirkus\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"An illuminating and comprehensive story.\" -- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBrooklyn Rail\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A stimulating take on the complexities and influence of a rich and multifaceted musical tradition.\" -- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"From the first time I saw Melvin Gibbs onstage, I could immediately tell that Melvin knew stuff that I did not know. I could tell from the look in his eyes and his wry smile that he was thinking big thoughts at the same time he was using his bass to drive the punk rock grooves and to shake the room. Now, all these years later, I've been proven correct. Melvin Gibbs is a keen observer of everything he has seen, and he has seen a lot. Melvin's prose grooves just as hard as his bass playing.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eW. Kamau Bell, comedian, author, and director\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A revelatory new book.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"[An] exuberant debut study.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Millions\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Insightful.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eEssence\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrief Description\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Why do Bob Marley, John Coltrane, Aretha Franklin, and Nina Simone move us the way they do? What drives the worried notes of the Delta blues? What makes Beyoncâe's triumph Cowboy Carter inescapably great? As Melvin Gibbs shows in How Black Music Took Over the World, it is the musical inheritance of Africa. Beginning with two rhythmic building blocks he calls the cell and the frame, Gibbs shows how those tools can transport listeners to \"a realm where sounds become vehicles for human movement.\" Reforged in the African diaspora in the Americas, they are played today on church organs, electric guitars, computers, telephones, or a simple gourd. Kool \u0026amp; the Gang called Black musicians the \"scientists of sound\"-and Gibbs shows how they discovered the world's music. Gibbs's vantage is unique. A world-class musician fluent in many genres, Gibbs is as comfortable in an old-school Times Square record shop as he is breaking down mathematics and music theory with university professors. Imbued with his own journey and a sharp eye for the sins and triumphs of history, How Black Music Took Over the World is an unforgettable revelation of one of humanity's greatest achievements\"-- Provided by publisher.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"In \n\u003ci\u003eHow Black Music Took Over the World\u003c\/i\u003e--part thesis, sonic roadmap, and autobiography--Melvin Gibbs, bass player and well-traveled veteran musician extraordinaire, takes the reader on a compelling and immersive journey, not only into music's DNA, but also into why and how it does what it does to us. Conclusion: music is life and inextricably woven into the human experience. A deeply researched and well-written work.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eHenry Rollins, writer and radio show host\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"An insightful, revelatory, and informative read that lives in the realm of both information and healing salve to many of my own burning questions.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eMeshell Ndegeocello, singer-songwriter and poet\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Mr. Gibbs's book--equal parts memoir, cultural history and musicology, all tethered to an argument about the nature and power of African-American music--is filled with revelatory moments... [his] nuances of tone and emphasis make his story and his point sound bold, undeniable and appealingly cool.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eOne of the world's greatest bassists lays down the heart of Black music, revealing how its rhythmic structures and the long history of the African diaspora made it the world's most popular form\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e. \u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\"A revelatory new book.\"--\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Why do Bob Marley, John Coltrane, Aretha Franklin, and Nina Simone move us the way they do? What drives the worried notes of the Delta blues? What makes Beyoncé's triumph Cowboy Carter inescapably great? \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e As Melvin Gibbs shows in \n\u003ci\u003eHow Black Music Took Over the World\u003c\/i\u003e, it is the musical inheritance of Africa. Beginning with two rhythmic building blocks he calls the cell and the frame, Gibbs shows how those tools can transport listeners to \"a realm where sounds become vehicles for human movement.\" Reforged in the African diaspora in the Americas, they are played today on church organs, electric guitars, computers, telephones, or a simple gourd. Kool \u0026amp; the Gang called Black musicians the \"scientists of sound\"--and Gibbs shows how they discovered the world's music. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Gibbs's vantage is unique. A world-class musician fluent in many genres, Gibbs is as comfortable in an old-school Times Square record shop as he is breaking down mathematics and music theory with university professors. Imbued with his own journey and a sharp eye for the sins and triumphs of history, \n\u003ci\u003eHow Black Music Took Over the World\u003c\/i\u003e is an unforgettable revelation of one of humanity's greatest achievements. \n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 02\/09\/2026 (EAN 9781541603240, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 02\/15\/2026 (EAN 9781541603240, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Basic Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496131100950,"sku":"9781541603240","price":36.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9781541603240.jpg?v=1783053672","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/how-black-music-took-over-the-world","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}