Books by Lorenzo Thomas

Lorenzo Thomas (1944 2005) was the youngest member of the Society of Umbra, predecessor of the Black Arts Movement. In a career that spanned decades, Thomas constantly experimented with form and subject, while still writing poetry deeply rooted in the traditions of African American aesthetics.

Contains essays which explore the interrelationships among African American music, literature, and popular culture. This book first lays out the case for the blues as constituting a body of literature, and then offers a tour of the movement through classic jazz, bop, and the explosions of the free jazz era, followed by a section on R&B and Soul.