West African Music in the Music of Art Blakey, Yusef Lateef, and Randy Weston
West African Music in the Music of Art Blakey, Yusef Lateef, and Randy Weston by Jason John Squinobal Batchelor of Music, Music Education, Berklee College of Music, 2003 Master of Arts, Ethnomusicology, University of Pittsburgh, 2007 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Arts and Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ethnomusicology University of Pittsburgh 2009 ffh UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES This dissertation was presented by Jason John Squinobal It was defended on April 14, 2009 and approved by Dr. Nathan T. Davis, Professor, Music Department Dr. Akin Euba, Professor, Music Department Dr. Eric Moe, Professor, Music Department Dr. Joseph K. Adjaye, Professor, Africana Studies Dissertation Director: Dr. Nathan T. Davis, Professor, Music Department ii Copyright © by Jason John Squinobal 2009 iii West African Music in the Music of Art Blakey, Yusef Lateef, and Randy Weston Jason John Squinobal, PhD University of Pittsburgh, 2009 Abstract This Dissertation is a historical study of the cultural, social and musical influences that have led to the use of West African music in the compositions and performance of Art Blakey, Yusef Lateef, and Randy Weston. Many jazz musicians have utilized West African music in their musical compositions. Blakey, Lateef and Weston were not the first musicians to do so, however they were chosen for this dissertation because their experiences, influences, and music clearly illustrate the importance that West African culture has played in the lives of African American jazz musicians. Born during the Harlem Renaissance each of these musicians was influenced by the political views and concepts that predominated African American culture at that time.
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