"As I began to get into the history of the music, I found that this was impossible without, at the same time, getting deeper into the history of the people... The music was the score, the actually expressed creative orchestration, reflection of Afro-American life... an orchestrated, vocalized, hummed, chanted, blown, beaten, scatted, corollary confirmation of the history... explainging the history as the history was explaining the music. And that bith were expressions of and reflections of the people." - from THE INTRODUCTION to Blues People.

With a new introduction from the author.

"A must for all who would more knowledgably appreciate and better comprehend America's most popular music." - LANGSTON HUGHES

Amiri Baraka, born LEROI JONES in 1934, is a poet, playwright, novelist, critic and political activist. Best known for his highly acclaimed, award-winning play Dutchman, as well as The Slave, The Toilet, and numerous poetry collections, he lives in Newark, New Jersey.

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