[78-L] Book review request

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Biel" <mbiel at mbiel.com>
>> From: Bud Black
>> How the hell could he claim it was "racist" if he never read it? Bud >>
>> David Weiner wrote:
>> He wasn't the only one - Wynton Marsalis and Stanley Crouch refused to 
>> read
>> the book on the same grounds.
> To them, the very CONCEPT that a (shudder) white musician could be
> considered a jazz performer, let alone an innovator, is a racist
> thought.  I can't think of anything more racist -- and dumb -- than
> their attitudes.
>
Sadly we North Americans are conditioned to think of "racism" as
white folks abusing Black folks...with the opposite NEVER being
considered...!

As it happens...I am a competent blues harmonicist...and am thus
regularly victimized by this "reverse attitude!" The assumption is
that as a "honky" I can't POSSIBLY play blues and MEAN it...?!

Well, tain't so, honey, tain't so...?! I once played "blues harp" and
sang in Artis' Tap...a beer joint on 97th Street, in the heart of
Chicago's "Ghetto!!"...and had several BLACK audience members
compliment me on my blues performance...!!

The odd thing is that I now live in Toronto's SUBURBS (Oshawa)
where there exists a much MORE dangerous "prejudice" against
"poor folks!!" regardless of their pigmentation...?!

Steven C. Barr