The Dark Tree: Jazz and the Community Arts in Los Angeles (George Gund Foundation Book in African American Studies)

While he was still in his twenties, Horace Tapscott gave up a successful career in Lionel Hampton's band and returned to his home in Los Angeles to found the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, a community arts group that focused on providing affordable, community-oriented jazz and jazz training. Over the course of almost forty years, the Arkestra, together with the related Union of God's Musicians and Artists Ascension (UGMAA) Foundation, were at the forefront of the vital community-based arts movements in black Los Angeles. Some three hundred artists--musicians, vocalists, poets, playwrights, painters, sculptors, and graphic artists--passed through these organizations, many ultimately remaining within the community and others moving on to achieve international fame. Based primarily on one hundred in-depth interviews with current and former participants, The Dark Tree is the first history of the important and largely overlooked community arts movement of African American Los Angeles. Brought to life by the passionate voices of the men and women who worked to make the arts integral to everyday community life, this engrossing book completes the account began in the highly acclaimed Central Avenue Sounds, which documented the secular music history of the first half of the twentieth century and which the San Francisco Examiner called "one of the best jazz books ever compiled." While Still In His Twenties, Horace Tapscott Gave Up A Successful Career In Lionel Hampton's Band And Returned To His Home In Los Angeles To Found The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, A Group That Focused On Providing Community-oriented Jazz Performance And Training. Based Primarily On One Hundred In-depth Interviews With Current And Former Participants, The Dark Tree Is The First History Of The Important And Largely Overlooked Community Arts Movement Of African American Los Angeles.--jacket. Ancestral Echoes : Roots Of The African-american Community Artist -- Ballad For Samuel : The Legacy Of Central Avenue And The 1950s Avant-garde In Los Angeles -- Lino's Pad : African-american Los Angeles And The Formation Of The Underground Musicians Association (ugma) -- The Giant Is Awakened : The Watts Uprising And Cultural Resurgence -- Warriors All : Ugma In The Middle Of It -- The Mothership : From Ugma To The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra And Ugmaa -- To The Great House : The Arkestra In The 1970s -- Thoughts Of Dar Es Salaam : The Institutionalization Of Ugmaa -- At The Crossroads : The Ark And Ugmaa In The 1980s -- The Hero's Last Dance : The '90s Resurgence -- Aiee! The Phantom : Horace Tapscott -- The Black Apostles : The Arkestra/ugmaa Ethos And Aesthetic -- Appendix : A View From The Bottom : The Music Of Horace Tapscott And The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra / Roberto Miranda. Contents On Cd: Tell God All Of My Troubles -- Carnival -- Waltz Time -- Funeral -- Eternal Egypt Suite -- Motherless Child -- Ballad For Deadwood Dick -- Little Africa. Steven L. Isoardi ; With An Appendix By Roberto Miranda. The George Gund Foundation Imprint In African American Studies. Cd Playlist On P. Ix-x. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 301-343) And Index. Compact Disc Recorded Between 1969-1995; Arr. Principally By Horace Tapscott. Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 12 Acknowledgments......Page 18 1. Ancestral Echoes: Roots of the African American Community Artist......Page 24 2. Ballad for Samuel: The Legacy of Central Avenue and the 1950s Avant-Garde in Los Angeles......Page 41 3. Lino’s Pad: African American Los Angeles and the Formation of the Underground Musicians Association......Page 64 4. The Giant Is Awakened: The Watts Uprising and Cultural Resurgence......Page 88 5. Warriors All: UGMA in the Middle of It......Page 128 6. The Mothership: From UGMA to the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra and UGMAA......Page 151 7. To the Great House: The Arkestra in the 1970s......Page 184 8. Thoughts of Dar Es Salaam: The Institutionalization of UGMAA......Page 216 9. At the Crossroads: The Ark and UGMAA in the 1980s......Page 254 10. The Hero’s Last Dance: The ’90s Resurgence......Page 276 11. Aiee! The Phantom: Horace Tapscott......Page 299 12. The Black Apostles: The Arkestra/UGMAA Ethos and Aesthetic......Page 325 Appendix. A View from the Bottom: The Music of Horace Tapscott and the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra. Roberto Miranda......Page 346 Notes......Page 354 Bibliography......Page 382 Index......Page 398 Ancestral echoes : roots of the African-American community artist Ballad for Samuel : the legacy of Central Avenue and the 1950s avant-garde in Los Angeles Lino's pad : African-American Los Angeles and the formation of the Underground Musicians Association (UGMA) The giant is awakened : the Watts uprising and cultural resurgence Warriors all : UGMA in the middle of it The mothership : from UGMA to the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra and UGMAA To the great house : the Arkestra in the 1970s Thoughts of Dar Es Salaam : the institutionalization of UGMAA At the crossroads : the Ark and UGMAA in the 1980s The hero's last dance : the '90s resurgence Aiee! The phantom : Horace Tapscott The black apostles : the Arkestra/UGMAA ethos and aesthetic : music, artists and community Appendix : a view from the bottom : the music of Horace Tapscott and the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, by Roberto Miranda. Summary:Brought to life by the passionate voices of the men and women who worked to make the arts integral to everyday community life, The Dark Tree is the first history of the important and largely overlooked community arts movement of African American Los Angeles Presents the history of the important community arts movement of African American Los Angeles. This book features the passionate voices of the men and women who worked to make the arts integral to everyday community life.