A celebration of Black music in original photography and text. The Black Chord bridges the boundaries between blues, rock, funk, jazz and world music. This lavishly illustrated book makes the historical, social, personal, and creative connections between great Black musicians from around the world. Tracing the history of today's music, it delves into the ancestral source that will continue to enrich the pop charts in the future.

Organized by themes such as Roots & Culture, Heart & Soul, Revolution, and Explorers. The

Black Chord celebrates the idea of a musical thread that travels throughout the world expressing a sensibility unique to each region. This thread weaves through every place, changing its culture and music. In this comprehensive and unprecedented survey compelling portraiture is combined with a fascinating history, including highlights from the author's interviews with such luminaries as Bob Marley, Missy Elliott, Cassandra Wilson, Curtis Mayfield, and more, to create an insightful, in-depth volume.

'The Black Chord a landmark depiction of the cultural cross-fertilization that is the foundation of today's pop. Following a circular path, music has traveled from its return and recreate itself: Senegalese rhythms survived slavery and flourished in New Orleans to become jazz and rhythm & blues which informed Jamaican reggae, which influenced New York hip-hop, which in turn-completing the circle-inspired young rap artists in Senegal. This is a centuries long saga that continues to energize musicians in every genre.

David Corio has been a photographer for more than twenty years. His work has appeared throughout the U.S. and England on more than one hundred record sleeves as well as in the New York Times, the Times in London, New Musical Express, the Face, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Vibe, Mojo, the Source, and more.

Vivien Goldman is an author who has been chronicling Black music and culture for twenty-five years. Her journalism has appeared throughout the U.S., England, and France in publications such as Rolling Stone, the Village Voice, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, British Elle, Billboard, and the Daily Telegraph in London.

Isaac Hayes is a legendary musician and radio personality. Hayes is also the voice of Chef on the popular animated series of "South Park."