Jazz, Blues, and Spirituals: The Origins and Spirituality of Black Music in the United States

"African American Spirituals…are the root of almost all American music, being the forebears of both the Blues-music that expresses the burden of so-called 'freedom' and hardships of everyday life, and Jazz, America's classical music," writes Jazz vocalist and composer Ruth Naomi Floyd. "This work…shows the words of a Dutch man, a brilliant scholar, author, and cultural critic, who, as a youth, was drawn to African American music…His prophetic insight on Christianity and the arts is profound."