The following is an excerpt from Chapter 15 "Angel Of Love," from Mike & Dorothy Longo's The Rhythm of Unity: A Jazz Musician's Lifelong Journey Beyond Black and White ... Frank and I were the two ...

During the Jim Crow era in America, the world of jazz was one of the only places where Black and white people mixed together ... “Alphonso Trent and his band were the first Black musicians ...

Jazz, a genre born from the African-American ... Goodman was also a trailblazer in integrating black and white musicians in his bands, featuring talents like Teddy Wilson and Lionel Hampton.

In the following decades, jazz continues to evolve, attracting both black and white audiences ... fades as new generations embrace swing, big band, bebop, and later styles. However, during ...

In 1936, Lionel Hampton teamed up with fellow Black performer, pianist Teddy Wilson and white bandleader Benny ... Duke Ellington leads his jazz band, circa 1945. (Photo by Bettmann Archive ...