From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-A composer of classical music in a time of jazz and swing, Still distinguished himself as a talented writer who was skilled at fusing the African-American folk-music tradition, jazz, and the blues into a new classical and operatic form. Reef traces the man's youth, his musical education, his adult years, and his struggles to get his works performed. The book is organized chronologically, and the writing is clear and accessible. What this title lacks is the "how" and "why" of Still's life. It provides little interpretation of the man, and does little to place him within the context of his times. Still, this is a good introduction to this musical innovator and his compositions. Black-and-white photographs, mostly of the composer and his family, appear throughout.
Carol Jones Collins, Columbia High School, Maplewood, NJ
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Carol Jones Collins, Columbia High School, Maplewood, NJ
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 6-9. Born in Mississippi in 1895 and raised in Arkansas, William Grant Still decided as a young man that he would follow his heart in choosing his career. His mother objected, believing that a black person could not succeed in the all-white world of serious music. But Still learned to play several instruments; composed, arranged, and directed many kinds of music; and came to be known as the dean of African American composers. Reef clearly shows that, despite his talent and determination and real triumphs along the way, he still faced discrimination and poverty. Black-and-white photographs illustrate the text. Appendixes include a list of Still's major works, a time line, chapter-by-chapter source notes for the many quotations, a bibliography, and a list of Web sites. Apparently the only book on Still written for young people, this volume provides an opportunity for libraries to broaden their biography collections, which often feature multiple works on the same well-known figures in African American history. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
